Three great diorama's, step by step

Modeling Subjects Dioramas
1

After waching a DVD called “The Clinic” by Woodland scenic, not just I now know how to do real diorama’s but I’m more determine to make some, so I’ve started on them about a month ago,but now I’m back from seatle and let me show you beginners how to do a diorama the woodland scenic way!

First start with the base, this one is going to be a hill so I’ve cut cardboard and assemble them to a a four side base, notice the side are the same shape as the hill going to be. Then stuff the inside with newspaper, the cardboard ontop is for extra support.

This one below is the one for my tiger, but for a more harder or spesific shape I use styrofoam, the base is seperatly sold at micheal’s, Always apply tape around the base, its gonna be messy.

2end step is to apply plaster cloth of the work piece, always double layer and to help spread it out use a paint brush.

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I’m open for comments.

2

no pics [%-)]

3

Not again!, man this is killing me, hold on let me try again.

4

Ok, now it work, I’ll show the next step later, I’m free to answer any question.

5

Kind of early to post any comments.

6

Maybe it would have been good to sand the styrofoam down to the desired shape and THEN applied the cloth over it.

David

7

One step ahead of you, sanding it will only make it smaller, and by apply plaster cloth over, which I did, but thanks for the advise.

Here’s a layout for the vehicule in each dio’s.

This is where a firfly crew found a dich old wagon that got rolled of the hill.

The tiger scene mit have the kettenkrad with it, and you can see where the puchhend will go.

And here’s the third dio for my LTV, its going to have water gel.

And its not too early for comment, in fact its almost too late, I started on these dio, one month ago, but there still not done, thanks.

8

The second one looks abit crowded. Maybe take out the Tiger and put a kubelwagen or schwimwagen in there.

David

9

…interesting…

10

Dioramas are about stories. A good diorama is one that effectively conveys a message or story. So can you give us an idea of the stories behind each scene?

I also suggest that you work on your dioramas one at a time for you to be able to focus your attention and efforts. Moreover, you can use the lessons that you will learn while doing the first to have better results on your second and so on…

11

I second what Dwight said, but I applaud your enthusiasm! You’ve come a long way, T-Rex, in just a few months.

12

Go for it Dwight. You’ve bigger Cahoonas than me , thats for sure.

…Guy

13

+1

If I were a German tanker, I wouldn’t want to drive a Tiger into what looks like a tank trap. Also, look at the placement of your Puppchen. The little notch you’ve got it in would severely restrict it’s field of fire. You also need to remember that it’s more than just a single piece - you would need room for a crew to fire it, and some storage space for reloads. Also, keep in mind that this was a short range weapon and the bad guys would have to get within 200 yards before it could be used effectively.

Perhaps it would be better to set this space up as a MG position, or set up a MG position close by to provide covering fire/overwatch.

14

thanks guys for the comments, but let me explain, First of all the tiger isn’t leaving the scene, I’ve make that diorama originaly for the tiger, I’ve added the kettenkrad and the puchhen for more viweing, the puchhen is on a man made hill, that’s why its spot doesn’t look natural, alsothe tiger isn’t moving into the trench, its stoping for resupplie and refuel, I just have place the tank equipement yet, speaking of tank trap, I didn’t know the puchhen is more of a close range gun, but it could be a trick for ennemy tank that approche the hill too close, and BAM, they get blow away, and t-34 are too manurable up close. But I’ll keep the MG idea, that would be nice.

15

It just seems that with the addiotion of more stuff, it would seeem very crowded and not look very realistic. Plus, a Tiger would not stop to take on fuel and ammo where combat is still going on. The Soviets would just call in an arty barrage and neautralize the area. And, if it were a front line, I dought the Germans would have had the time to construct a man made hill. This might help.

The Püppchen (“Dolly”), a carriage-mounted rocket launcher with breechblock, fires the same 88-mm rocket that is used with the Ofenrohr. The breech prevents any flash to the rear while firing is in progress. To lower the Püppchen’s silhouette, the wheels may be removed and the piece left standing on two sled-like rests. In preliminary positions the ground is dug out so that the horizontal section of the lower carriage and trail will lie below the surface. For an all-around prepared position, circular trenches with an inner radius of about 2 feet are prepared. The barrel is left just clear of cover, as is done in the case of the preliminary positions. The lower carriage is dug in and the trail wedged, so that the piece can be fired at an angle of 180 degrees. Positions are prepared in defilade or on reverse slopes, and are well camouflaged. In general, enemy doctrine governing the preparation of positions and the conduct of fire is similar to that for the Ofenrohr, except that only two projectors of the Püppchen type are considered necessary for satisfactory interlocking fire.

The maximum effective range of the Püppchen is considered to be 220 yards, although badly dispersed fire up to 275 yards is possible. For this reason the Püppchen, like the Ofenrohr, is employed in the foremost infantry positions. For added protection from artillery fire, the launcher may be detached from its carriage and removed to a shelter some distance away from the prepared position. Alternate positions are prepared only when the terrain restricts the field of fire and provides good cover for the maneuvering piece. In such terrain each position is constructed so that the Püppchen can be run in and out on wheels. Since the Püppchen is harder to conceal than the Ofenrohr, the Germans believe that it is necessary to furnish the larger weapon with antitank protection in the form of obstacles, natural or artificial, supplemented by mines. Because the Püppchen’s carriage is not strong enough to stand up under motor towing at high speed, and since horse-draft sacrifices valuable time and involves the problem of replacing animal casualties, the Püppchen generally is transported on trucks and is used only in positional warfare.

David

16

3 things I mite change, replace puchhen with MG and maybe replace kettenkrad with a supplie wagon, also there is no combat happening in a scene, in fact its just a tiger returning from a scout/reconising mission looking for enemy tank in august 1942 kursup Russia, its hidding behind a hill for protection since there vurable when refueling, The story in this scene is the tiger didn’t had enought fuelto reach main campso it stop at a small german outpost,the kettenkrad/wagon rendevu with the tiger for resupplie, get it.

The firefly one is a interesting story, august 1944, beligum, a scout fireflyfounds a dicht german vehicule that was abanden and rolled off the cliff to lighted there load, the fireflycrew thinks that it was abandon not long ago, (which is why the commander is scoping the horizon) but it been down there for 4 years.

There no big story about the ATV, its just going onto the beach in the battle of Iwo jawo, there willbe lots of tank supplie ontop of him and a few in the sand lost in the beache.

Any last comment before the next steps?

17

Nice work so far! Styrofoam and plaster cement are the materials used by my modeler to build diorama bases too.

18

It seem that it the tiger scene that has the most problem chossing the vehicule, but I have some tank and barracade assesories that could be use, and the kettenkrad mit be replace by the flak wagon converded into a suplie wagon. I don’t know but the story of the scene is a tiger 1 is stoping for refuel and reload at a small german out post, it would even be better with a bigger artillery or a MG in the nest, but there gonna be some figures around the scene. Kurusk Russian, 1943.

The firefly is a interesting one, this firefly on a road for scout enemy ase, bunker, etc reconnising, has found a broken fence near the road, ontop of the hill, they found a abandond german vehicule, (wagon initaly but kettenkrad would do) that was dich to light the load, the commander thinks that it was form a german convod, but this pieces was left there since 1940, during the german invading france, but this scene willhave the nices landscape of all the other dio’s. august 1944, Beligum.

There nothing special about the AVT on, just the vehicule coming onto ground on Iwo Jawo, since large amounts of supplie was lost but the tide, I left some luggage on the sand.

Each scene is a good practice for assesorie, (tiger scene, which I call it “reload”) landscape (a old dicht it" and the LTV “land ho” is the first with water gel, which will be hard doing the waves.

3rd step some of my dio’s needs rocks, using woodland scenic rock mold (because there very realistique and made of rubber) apply plaster and when its dry, just pull it inside out. There are three main rocks in the fireflt scene, one stick with plaster coverd around the rocks with plaster to make it blend more with the terrain.

To make smaller rock is easy, just take a big piece of dry plaster and break it into pieces, then just apply it around where collables rocks would likely be.

4th step, what’s a dio with some earth, apply brown paint or in this case earth undercoat, this is for mud that way If I miss a spot you won’t see the plaster cloth, apply senic cement after painting.

5th step I know I should have put the plaster before painting it but I can always repaint, and this is for making mud, espesaly in the tiger scene man made hill, and to make it look more wheel take a crush piece of paper and tap it in radom spots on the plaster, then roll some lego wheels for track mark’s, this make the dio look more realistique than any other step.

This is the step I’m doing now, the rocks aren’t painted yet because I’m not certain that stone grey will be a suitable color for eastern roock, and now I’m starting on foliage and making trees for the firefly scene, but sofar everything looking good.

19

Does anyone know how to make trees? Woodland scenic does sell trees but there more idel for 1/72 scale, I’ve try making some out of plaster cloth, play doh and even real tree branches but they all look fake and realistique.

20

Got the camo on the Tiger yet? I’m very interested in seeing it.