Fall Ploughing

Modeling Subjects Dioramas
1

Fall Ploughing
I think this diorama is just about complete
It is depicting a typical fall day on some farm. We’re plowing down corn stubble to get ready for next years crop. It usually doesn’t take long for the gulls to find out that there are free meals to be had in the worms and grubs that come to the surface.
Its too cold here to take outdoor pictures. I hope you enjoy these ones though.

The base is expanded Styrofoam on plywood. The Plow is an an old Ertl kit and the tractor is a repopped AMT/Ertl kit. The corn stubble is straw from and old broom and the seagulls are mostly scratch built from epoxy putty. The diorama is 1/25th scale.
Thanks
Carl

2

I think that your right rear tire is set too far out and won’t track with the front wheel for use as a rowcrop tractor. Normally they are set with the same spacing from side to side.

3

Nice to see some green that’s JD, not OD. What scale is this, and is it a kit or die cast? I would like to build some tractors some time. One thing that might be easy and might look good is to have more chaff or detritus on the ground left from the combine - the stalks, leaves, cobs, and shucks gotta go somewhere, although I guess they could have been baled. Also, and it might be the lighting or something, but the dirt might look better a lighter gray color on top if it’s dry, and blacker underneath, although it may be different between Mo. and Canada.
------Kevin

4

Good Eye Richs,

I never noticed that the tire had moved on me. I guess thats a good reason for posting pictures here so fresh eyes can see whats wrong eith the picture. Actually it was the left tire that had been knocked in. The tire track through the stuble was where it should be but the tire wasn’t. The front axle was widened. To track properly the left wheel needed to be pushed out to match the right one. I’ve now corrected that problem

Thanks

Carl

5

Hi Kevin

The diorama is 1/25th scale and the models are from styrene kits. Way back in the 1970’s Ertl brought out a line of 1/25 scale tractor, plow and wagon kits from International, Massey Ferguson and John Deere. In the mid 90’s AMT repopped the John Deere tractors but none of the other kits have been reissued.

This diorama represents a field of corn that was harvested for insulage. Stocks , leaves and cobs all ended up in a silo as cattle feed. Consequently there is very little debris left behind.

You could be right about the ground colour. It does vary a lot around here, depending on the clay , sand and moisture content, but maybe a bit more gray might look better

Thanks for the comments

Carl

6

Very cool! I agree that it’s nice to see something non-military once and awhile.

Only thing that sticks out to me is the tires on the tractor seem too clean. Maybe a little mud or dried dirt on them could be added? Sorry to nitpick…

7

Oh, okay. I didn’t even think of silage, guess it’s been too long since we cut any. We switched from dairy to beef about 20 years ago and haven’t cut any since. I’ll have to check eBay for some of those kits. Thanks for the tip,
-----Kevin

8

I really like the seagulls. Nice work on scratchbuilding something with a lot of complex curves.

9

Hello Carl

I like it!! Something different and an interesting theme…

Thanks for sharing

10

Carl, this is very refreshing and different! Being that I live in central Indiana and am surrounded by farms and fields, I can say that you captured a big part of our daily lives quite well. I really like this![:D[

Since Round2 has been busy reisssuing the older AMT trucks and trailers, maybe in a couple of years, we might see them repop these old tractor and implement kits… One can hope anyway. I like to build big rigs with flatbeds just so I can load them with interesting cargo. These old AMT tractors and such make great lowboy loads…[:)] Keep up the excellent work!

11

Carl, I really like the composition of this one with all the rows of corn going one way, the tractor going another and the angle of the plough another. You also nailed the look of the gulls. Its great to see some non-milotary stuff here. Nice work.

12

Some fun trivia that I learned in my small grains class.

Why are farm rows traditionally 36 inches wide?

The answer is, that’s how wide a horse’s arse is! It makes sense as the horse’s width is the limiting factor in pre-mechanical farming.

Vespa I have always enjoyed you vignettes, alot of interesting insights at the world around us.

I would have highlighted the engine with some black and/or burnt umber oil paint washes. Oil just gets everywhere.

Mike T.

13

I don’t visit the diorama section of the forum often, but should. I really like this one, you did a great job on it.

I grew up in and around farming in southwest Wisconsin and since I got back into modeling about 10 years ago I wondered why there is so little available in farm tractors, machinery and implements. Some of our favorite toys when I was a kid were the 1/16 scale Ertl diecast tractors and farm toys. In fact, I still collect them and am always looking for the oldest ones I can find.

There is so much available to modelers in almost every area, except this one. I’d like to see that change.

Thanks for posting and hope to see more like this.