LAKESIDE    DIORAMA

SCALE
MANUFACTURER
KIT NO.
CONSTRUCTION
1 / 72
ACADEMY
  
Modified Extras
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Started: 05 February 2006
Finished: 22 February 2006

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10 February:
I also started this vehicle by grinding in the reflectors, instead of the wartime lamps.


I constructed the body separate from the chassis, as I did with the jeep.
11 February:
I glued the front wheels as slightly steered to the right. The front seats were too low positioned as seen in the photo. So I placed spacers under them to raise to some logical level.

Here are the finished photos of the Kübelwagen.  The body and chassis fit was poor.

I made the stop lamps by painting the tips of two needles with clear red.


I filled the headlamp reflectors with clear after painting the insides with chrome silver.

I prepared the licence plates on the computer.




Here is an engine shot. I made the engine cover open; in the diorama, some guy will be busy with the engine...


These are a compilation of various 1/72 figures that will serve as the raw for the diorama figures. Not so many will take part in the act though...


15 February:
I began manufacturing the diorama base. I cut the baseplate from 1.5 mm aluminum sheet, simply because I did not have any suitable plywood.
I applied some pop-rivets here and there, to anchor the plaster that would be poured. 
I also cut and assembled the frame from my stock profiles.


16 February:
I put the spacers inside the frame, to provide enough space for the plexiglass cover. I stuck double-sided sticker tape all around, without removing the non-sticking cover. This will aid in removing the spacers without sticking to the plaster.


Then I poured the plaster and roughly shaped the landscape.

Removing the spacers, the base is now ready for further treatment.
17 February:
I painted the plaster before application of grass and ground.
18 February:
I made the grass from dried mint and thyme leaves; and the soil from cummin and cinnamon powders. For the big stones in the lake, I made use of our aquarium bottom... I also applied some brown ballast from Woodland Scenics.
The reason I did not use the ready-made material for the grass and soil is that they look big scale in a 1/72 diorama.

This figure with a big spanner in his hands will be a fishing guy who had got a stuck fishing line in the lake. For the fishing line, I made use of my wife's hair. I first glued it to the lake bottom and fixed the other end to a sticky paper held by a "third hand alligator", at its approximate angle. I inserted the side walls to keep the "water" in while pouring.

This was the very first time I tried the "E-Z Water" substance. I had planned that it would settle level at each layer I poured, but things did not come out like I thought. Irregularly settled layers showed below the subsequent layers. The fishing line being held in place contributed to hamper the pouring, hence making things worse. I applied hot air to melt the water and mix the visible layers, but it wasn't enough so I applied direct flame to the water, which helped the situation but burned the hair as well. OK, now having no hair to care for, I kept on heating and making the water uniform. 

I practised simulating waves on the surface by blowing repeatedly, and finally I came to an acceptable finish.

I took another hair string and dipped its one end to the locally molten water.

Phew!!!! I almost ruined the diorama base...



I cut off the spanner from the figure and placed a piece of 0.3 mm wire as  the fishing pole. I placed one end of the wire in a hole I drilled in his body, and fixed permanently with CA glue. I also cut the base plate, keeping some thickness under his shoes.

This is how I fixed the man to the plaster base. I carved two pits where the feet will  rest, and after painting, fix with CA glue.

That's it.. After painting, I gave a bend to the fishing pole and glued the man on the base. I fixed the fishing line to the pole with CA glue. The hair color was black, and not easily seen; so I painted it with chrome silver. In the photo, it appears thicker than real with the light reflections.


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