Roktman Posted July 2, 2024 Report Posted July 2, 2024 A few months ago my local club (BPMS) was challenged to do a D-Day theme model in time for the anniversary date. Since my thing was aviation and figures, I figured there could be a lot of planes on the table so I thought about figures. Now doing a diorama of D-Day would involve a LOT of figures, with "action" all over the board. How about if I vignette a tiny piece of the scene. I found a kneeling man from Alpine, and decided to set him up in a little beach scene - maybe with one of those metal hedgehogs, and then I saw a number of poles set up on the beach. Some of them had land mines perched on top. Apologies, I'm not a big military modeler but figure they have some sort of name. 😞 A little UV resin made a little water's edge and I was ready to go. I titled it "Move off the Beach!" Then seeing a YouTube video showing a ghostly meet up with his war buddy, I decided I had one more vignette in me. I cut two sections of foam for the cemetery land and then with the extra foam I created a few crosses. Yes, I know there were a number of other denominations, but the the time I had and the extent of my foam carve prowess, this was all I could muster. Anyway none of them came out perfect, so I decided to use Tamiya putty to will the gouges and extra cut marks. Next day I looked and found out ... Tamiya Putty ... eats foam. Doh! 😩 What to do. I had balsa wood the right size. But whats the chance I could make 9 of them exactly the same - about zero chance. So I took a gamble and ran to the newly opened Hobby Lobby and was about to find a molding putty, and some resin that cured in 10 minutes!! So that balsa was used to create a master - a little too big tho... and over the next day and a 1/2 made the 9 monuments. By that time the Master Box kit of 3 civilians and two military men arrived and I found the one military guy that was just standing there to be perfect. BTW the original kit was these two GI was bumming a ride from this family. But it was just the figures, no car - tho the car was on the box art... The civilian was mostly ready to go. He just needed a little surgery and Aves to have him in a saluting position. Citadel has this green blue paint that really made minis look ghostly when mixed in various colors with white. I look at my citadel paint pot, and - CRAP -dried out. Back to Hobby Lobby and found the closest hobby paint to the color I needed. For the final bit I took a piece of paperclip made a bend and gave the old veteran a cane. I edged the diorama in thin basswood and found a saying that's on the monument at the Normandy American Monument. Thanks for looking and getting thru the long read. 2
Mark Deliduka Posted July 3, 2024 Report Posted July 3, 2024 Wow, stunning work! The second one with the two meeting is exceptionally moving. Brilliant work!
Roktman Posted July 4, 2024 Author Report Posted July 4, 2024 19 hours ago, Mark Deliduka said: Wow, stunning work! The second one with the two meeting is exceptionally moving. Brilliant work! Thanks!
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