Scale Models

[Ralph A]

All these, I did many years ago. Here is a little "matchbox" job:

[Ralph A]

Assault gun. One of my faves:

[Ralph A]

Panther, in a larger scale than those shown above:

[Ralph A]

A close-up of the zimmerit "paste" treatment. It is drywall compound, smeared on and then "patterned" with a damp matchstick. This is my oldest model, ca. 1975.

[Ralph A]

Panzer III. I built this one in 1981.

All the canvas is made from tobacco leaf - pilable, resilient, thin - but there's a secret to doing it right.

[Ralph A]

Some details. Note how the track sags between the bogeys. Many modellers overlook this critical detail.

[Ralph A]

Finally - here is my little "scratch-built" job. I challenged myself to use as few materials as possible. Paste, scrap plastic...

White "paint" is "Liquid Paper." Black came from a flair tip pen and burnt, blackened matchsticks. "Rust" is real rust - I gathered it from a bit of iron pipe, and mixed it with water - dabbed it on. Some bits of twig and wire.

The track came from scrap from another, larger-scale model, that I "ripped" down the middle.

That's about it, for materials.

[Ralph A]

Here is the "presentation" side. I am particulary pleased, with the "blast" effect.

Thank you for looking, gentlemen. I always enjoy showing these off, to the discerning.

[Luftwaffe Rules]

AWSOME WORK SIR!! Oh man I about gasped when I saw how you did the logs on that knocked out T-34!!!! I used to model but collecting took over LOL. Very nice splintering and detail!!! ROCK ON Jon

[Frank M]

Very nice examples of World War II armor Ralph. I too used to dabble a bit in building diorama's many years ago, and can appreciate the attention required to detail. Never thought of using some of the materials that you have described here for effect though, such as drywall mud for zimmermit, or the use of real rust in order to create the same effect.

Frank

[Bob Hunter]

Very nice work, Ralph, my efforts run toward railroading...never could outgrow electric trains...

[byf]

Outstanding work. I loved models when I was a kid. I could never do that well.

byf

[Jim Baker]

Hi Ralph,

I love the small scale stuff too. Congrats on the scratch building. Takes talent to really make things. I stick to kits, basically out of the box. Here's a 1/72 Panther I built about 15 years ago. I'm just getting back into modeling. Pretty much stick to armor.

Sorry, the lighting is horrible.

[Jim Baker]

Here's a Sherman. Not sure how old this is. It's the old ESCI M4A3.

[Bob Hunter]

Very nice work Jim.

[Firefly]

What a great post!! I used to love making models as a teenager (absolute rubbish but i enjoyed it!). I simply don't have the time nowadays. I spotted a model Stug IV the other day and was seriously tempted....

It's very easy to simpy build a model, paint it etc, but it's the small 'added' details that make a good model count....

Amos.

[Stogieman]

Hi Ralph, pretty darn good. I used to scratch-build in HO scale but now the eyes are just not up to the task anymore.

Just for fun, for you non-modeling types.... did you know that in HO scale you have exact scale replicas of almost every pipe/fitting known to man-kind?? Yep from 1" right on up! All to scale!

[Gordon Williamson]

You guys that do armour have it easy! You can get loads of detail into a model thats just a few inches long !

Try making space for ship kits at 1/72

[Gordon Williamson]

Or finding 6ft plus of space for a U-Boats at 1/35

[Gordon Williamson]

"Dust-magnets" this size are a real pain.

[Stogieman]

Gordon! Gorgeous U-Boot! Did you do that one yourself!?? How did you do the water? Poly resin?

[Gordon Williamson]

Actually no, not resin, though I considered it. I ended up using "Polyfilla" for the "sea" (don't know what the US equivalent is) and after painting, just gave it plenty coats of clear varnish.

The model itself is solid polyurethane resin.

[Laurence Strong]

Awesome Gordon

[Bob Hunter]

Very nice work, Gordon! How do you keep them dusted, soft bristle brush or canned air?

Don't tell me your bride dusts them because that one won't sell...

Edited October 15, 2005 by Bob Hunter

[Gordon Williamson]

Very nice work, Gordon! How do you keep them dusted, soft bristle brush or canned air?

Don't tell me your bride dusts them because that one won't sell...

Canned air is the only thing I'd trust on some of these. Large soft bristle job does the business on large surfaces like the U-Boat hull, but if you are talking a 1/350 piece with lots of etched brass railings, spindly masts and thin filament rigging, air's the only way to go.

The wife do it ???????? I learned long ago that wife in cleaning mode and very delicate model = total disaster.