I would like to know step by step how to create a base for a diorama based in france(hedgerows and stuff) in the cheepest way possible.
Fastest advice is to do a Diorama Forums search using the keywords “SBS” or “WIP”. Hundreds on here.
Frankly, I could tell ya how to build one for aboout 5 buck’s-worth of material (depending on what you already have on-hand), but you’d have to be a bit more specific on size and story…
Are you much of a scrounger?
I dont have a plaque to present it , oh , it should be about 2 by 1 feet(I know its a lot of work!!) or at least enough to hould a german machine gun team, a panzer 4, a pershing and a us anti tank team. My plan is the pershing and the at-team crossing a small bridge over a stream and a panzer 4 crashing in through some hedgerows along with machine gun support. Behind ill try for my first time a scratchbuilt house and more hedrows.the road along the bridge will be a dirt road of a buffy color and rocky. I have styrophoam the shape of the bridge and i could buy more for the ground. i have wood and i could glue them together and sand it finely and i could stain it. Thats my plan.
Not to start another arguement about what armor was or was not used in Normandy, but the Pershing wasn’t used in Normandy…
Aaahhh, according to Wiki the Pershing didn’t enter combat until February, 1945. The Normandy Hedgerows were back halfway across Europe then. Maybe a dio with the approaches to a town in western Germany
Ok, let’s go one step at a time…
Step One: Do a mock-up. On a table or something similar, lay out your models (you’ll want your models about 70-90% complete), figures, buildings, and infratrure in the positions that you want. Move things around, going for the best look, then measure what size base you’re gonna need. Since you say you have a 1 x 2 foot plaque, it’s behoove you to lay it out on that… In the future though, you should make your bases fit your diorama, rather than the diorama fit the base, unless space is a real issue for you.
You have a lot of action going in a small space, so once you get it mocked up, you may see that it doesn’t work and you’ll have to rethink it… Happens all the time, BTW…
If you can swing it, buy a copy of How to Build Dioramas by Shepard Paine… It’s the Bible for Diorama builders…
Also, some of Shep’s tips for building dios that were published for his Monogram dioramas are HERE: http://sheperdpaine.atspace.com/flakpanzer.htm They’re worth printing out, BTW, since they’re highly coveted by modelers…
These diorama tips that came in the Monogram kits back in the 70s are what got me and many, many other modelers into the diorama business…
We all want to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Start small and practice practice practice. HVH has good advice above too.
Instead of France make it the rural pocket in 1945. Have the panzer IV coming out of a tree line with a Pershing tank driving up a road the is next to the tree line.
Jumping in a bit late here. As you take Hans’ advice, get out the digicam and take pictures to see what this will lok like more objectively and to ahve a record of where you have stuff in each iteration of your scene.
Second, tank encounters generally took place over ranges of hundreds of yards, not typically 35-70 scale feet. Opening fire on a tank with a machine gun is not usually a good idea.
You’re suggesting the PzIV is attacking the Pershing with machine gun support. A better tactic would be for the Germans to lay low and wait for a good shot to disable the Pershing. I also don’t think tanks roamed around the front alone, so charging out against a tank may take out one, but it would expose you to any other tanks in a column.
As far as “HOW TO” build dios … I think that HVH has given you some good thoughts to start w/, not to mention those above that said “search on the forums”.
Its not a matter of that we don’t want to give you a straight answer, but rather that the quesiton is pretty vague. As you can tell already researching your history plays a big part in it too. As far as materials to use … well, you can break the bank w/ all the stuff you can buy in stores and online, but if there’s one thing that I’ve learned its that if you just keep your eyes open, you will find things in/ around the house to build from.
Me, personally (IMO), I like to build up landscapes/ topography using styrofoam board. You can get a nice sized sheet for a buck or two at a crafts shop. Build up the topo in layers until you’re happy with the over all look. As Hans pointed out, continue to used half built vehs (or even pieces of 2x4 wood/ wood blocks … thats what I use) to make sure things fit/ look right w/ the terrain. After the styro is generally shaped start adding celluclay for the groundwork …
I’m not going to go any further as 1) I don’t really know the specifics on where you want to go with this, and 2) there are TONS of techniques that have been listed here on the forums as far as ground work goes … and I’ve promised myself to keep my opinions to a minimum.
Help this gives you something to start with … Don’t be scared, Google is your friend!!! HAHA!!!
okay I okay with that. Well for a different plan i did research and the 9th armored division used the pershing while crossing the rhine. for that ill need some sujestion and descriptions[%-)]. Thanks guys!