**COMPLETED** My old mill diorama...an add-on (or two)

[spanner570]

Remember my old mill with the bloke taking a swim dio? Well I had a mate over last week and for once, instead of the glazed look I usually get from people when I say I make model kits, he actually wanted to see my stuff...

Anyway, he was looking at the Mill diorama and I asked his opinion. "Very nice, but can I make a suggestion, the yard looks empty, how about something in it?"

He's quite right, isn't he?...

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Probably more suited to war gamers, but here's what's going in. I might not use both tanks, I'll see. There will be some figures too...sort of a maintenance cum rest thingy. So circa 1942, these will be suitable. They'll do me anyway!

Cracking little 1/72 kits (too good to hurl around on a table playing games with!)..... two in a box, very few parts. All a superb fit. As they will not be a centre piece, they are perfect background models. Cheap too, under £9 for the two.

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Here's the result of a pleasant afternoon's work. Two tanks brush painted and ready for some detail painting and few bits and bobs to be added to make them look a bit more like the box art work. Plus a good dusting!

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Cheers all,

Ron

 

[tommy1drop]

Looking forward to seeing more Ron

 

[Steve Brodie]

they look cool, cant wait to see them finished.

 

[john i am]

Very nice addition Ron

 

[eddiesolo]

I like where you're going with this Ron.

Si

 

[Ian M]

OK I'm hooked.

 

[Alan 45]

I'm looking forward to this

 

[papa 695]

They look good Ron should be a very good addition to an already excellent diorama

 

[spanner570]

Apart from a final dusting, I've finished this 1/72 tank. Brush painted as usual using Vallejo Model Colour and children's ' in a tube' acrylics

Here's the model with a first wash on the tracks.

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The finished job. I've tried to copy the box art as far as I wanted to. I used bits of plastic card for the simple suspension and other sticky out bits, thick paper for straps and wire from a bit of elec. cable for the wooden rod things and the antenna. The fictitious number is from my scrap box.

Still a final dusting to do on the wheels ect. I've left the tank clean and not battered as I reasoned it being 1942 and relatively quiet in France, it has not have seen much action (if any) and travelled mostly on roads not fields...

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I'll now turn my attention to the figures....

Thanks for looking.

Ron

 

[Alan 45]

That looks really good Ron and some nice easy way of making the detail stand out

 

[aaron]

I've seen these kits but not paid much attention, obviously a mistake on my part. It has turned out really nice as has the scratched suspension. Amazeballs.

 

[noble]

2 nice panzerIVs there Ron, interested to see where they will go.

scott

 

[steve scan]

Really like the look of these and the mill building.

 

[papa 695]

Looks great to me Ron

 

[spanner570]

Thanks for the encouraging posts folks.

I have put the two tanks on the dio. and looking at the whole model, I've decided that just one will do. Two would be too much and sort of detract from the main bit - the water wheel and weir.

Here are the 1/72 figures I'll use, which are left overs from my spares box and I reckon they will do o.k. for a mixture of both maintenance and the tank crew tending to the beast....

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Cheers,

Ron

 

[Gern]

Phew! I thought when you said you were going to turn your attention to the figures you meant your Zulus! I was thinking "How the h**l is he going to explain what they're doing with a Panzer IV!?"

Now all is clear and I foresee another great little story.

 

[spanner570]

Here is the finished ( I think!) yard. I regret now not using a well detailed 1/72 tank, but this one serves the purpose. I gave it a light dusting. It looks a bit blue, but is in fact the correct shade of grey in real life...

The figures are from my spares box, as are the bits and pieces lying around.....I made a gate which you can just make out in the foreground.

The bloke at the front is not having a pee, he's cradling a shell in his arms!

You might also wonder why the two lads attending the tank are wearing steel helmets? They have been naughty and have to wear them all day as a minor punishment!!

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Then away I went off on one!

I decided to make the mill look a bit more like a fortification, just in case the French Maquis showed up!

I added some scratch built sandbags from putty and placed them on the stone wall and made some 'barbed wire' from thin from electric cable. The wire goes all around the perimeter and ends at the weir.

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I also came up with a diddy poster and notice board.

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I added some gear, ammo boxes and some more rubble....I also added a power pole( out of shot) and some cable running from it and along the wall to a fuse box.

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That's it. I'm happy with the result. It makes the yard look busy and helps balance out the water side of the model.

I hope you approve too folks.

Cheers,

Ron

 

[eddiesolo]

Superb Ron! I am not going to say it finishes it as the original, in my mind was superb-this...adds to it.

Si

 

[john i am]

Great additions Ron to what was already a great diorama it's gone from a sleepy countryside mill house to a hive of activity I'm sure I can here those tracks shattering the silence of the countryside well done mate and I'm so glad your mate prompted you into action you should make him come round and have another look I'm sure he would be pleased with the extras

 

[steve scan]

Great little diorama Ron everything in it works.