Probably the WEIRDEST Question Ever Posed Here

[Akula1959]

Okaaay. I have done some research and have come up on a conundrum. I would really love to do my Monogram 1/32 Pz IVH from one of the units that fought in what is now The Ukraine. A tribute to General Mud, is the working title so far.

My issue is: WHERE can I get black soil? Here in North Carolina it is all red dirt and I am really uncertain I can pigment it enough to make it black. According to my colour-seeing helpers the soil here is orange-red, yet the recipe I found on You Tube (and exactly who it was I forget) said using soil, chalks and some white glue to make the mud effects, at first glance and thinking seemed easiest.

Would adding paint (acrylic? Tempuras? Maybe???) do it, or should I swallow the cost and buy a bag of potting soil?

Any advice would be gratefully (and graciously) accepted.

The other question I have is on Ostketten. When were they introduced? I have seen pics of IVs with and without.

DonP

[TheTroyster]

Okaaay. I have done some research and have come up on a conundrum. I would really love to do my Monogram 1/32 Pz IVH from one of the units that fought in what is now The Ukraine. A tribute to General Mud, is the working title so far.

My issue is: WHERE can I get black soil? Here in North Carolina it is all red dirt and I am really uncertain I can pigment it enough to make it black. According to my colour-seeing helpers the soil here is orange-red, yet the recipe I found on You Tube (and exactly who it was I forget) said using soil, chalks and some white glue to make the mud effects, at first glance and thinking seemed easiest.

Would adding paint (acrylic? Tempuras? Maybe???) do it, or should I swallow the cost and buy a bag of potting soil?

Any advice would be gratefully (and graciously) accepted.

The other question I have is on Ostketten. When were they introduced? I have seen pics of IVs with and without.

DonP

why not just go buy some potting soil at Blows - err Lowels or HomeDepo?

[wookiee76]

Or find a local gardener, they should have some old potting compost which will do the job for modelling even if all the nutrients are missing.

[Stokesy44]

If you use compost, don't you run the risk of the tank growing overnight? You might wake up in the morning and find your Panzer IV has added a few numerals and you've got a rampaging tiger on your hands!

What about a dye, like something used on fabrics. Or could you spray the dirt once laid?

[Homerlovesbeer]

Potting mixes will have lots of wood matter in them as most are made of mulched clippings. They will be difficult to work with to make a convincing "mud" at scale.

What about using biscuits and food dye? When a buscuit is wet and crushed it can have the texture your after?

[GangsterNo1]

Use a load of cheap acrylic paint from a hobby shop to get the colour you want from the mixture of white glue / soil / sand etc. The kind of paint they let kids do craft stuff with, it doesn't cost much. Mix up some dark brown and black and you should be OK.

Or, flip the problem on its head. Just make the ground any old colour and then paint it when it is on the diorama base. That way you control the colour totally with your paint choice, washes, dry brushing, pigments, etc.

[CAMO]

If you want a color reference use MiG pigment Russian Earth, for me is the color that gives a ostfront dark mud look, mix it with glue and soil and voila, if you need to cover a large area look for cheap artist pigment that matches the color of the mig one.

Hope this helps!

[Coen]

I just buy celluclay and add cheap craft paint that I buy at the local craft shop. I add black and a few drops of brown for Eastern Europe, more brown and less black for the west.
I suppose that if I was worried about being rivet counted about my dirt colours I would get picky about the colour mixes, but the short of it is that I don't have to dig up my yard then try to colour actual earth.

[Akula1959]

Okay, I was doing the whole pre-planning and limiting my costs for more necessary bits, I will just suck it up with the soil and go with a buttload of acrylics then as well.

Thanks muchly y'all.

DonP.

[burnie43]

use tea leaves.......get some tea bags, soak them and then burst the bags and spread the tea leaves out to dry
cheers
mark

[andygif290368]

Could have been stranger, you might have asked about getting the right coloured snow for a Ukrainian winter dio.

[Akula1959]

Could have been stranger, you might have asked about getting the right coloured snow for a Ukrainian winter dio.

ROFLOL! I wouldn't have put it past me sometimes. My house is a nexus of weird meets The Outer Limits. It takes two weeks for me to get a visa to visit the real world .

[digger303]

mortar oxide may work and you can buy in smallish quantities

[Larry48]

Ostketten was developed in 1944 for muddy terrain.

[Akula1959]

Ostketten was developed in 1944 for muddy terrain.

So I am just going to have to do a pre-Ostketten IVH then.

I have seen jack all in the way of aftermarket wide tracks for a 1/32 and I am leery as all get out trying to winkle a set of 1/35th scale on instead.

DonP

[InitialProduction1]

Ok, I think the importent question is, where the heck did you find an old monogram pz IV kit,? they were out when I was a kid, I've only seen the old 231 since then. and can't wait to see this build, it's great to go back, great memories.

[Akula1959]

Ok, I think the importent question is, where the heck did you find an old monogram pz IV kit,? they were out when I was a kid, I've only seen the old 231 since then. and can't wait to see this build, it's great to go back, great memories.

The kit is an older Revel rebox. No. 85-7861. It was my Christmas pressy from my niece and her family. They found it at the lhs. I was VERY leery of it when I first got it, but a cursory glance at the sprues I was very pleased at the clean mold and crisp details. Looking it up on Youtube I found a guy there (his name escapes me atm, sorry) who did a review of the kit and he was also pleased at the quality of the mold itself. (Only one bad pin mark and very minor flash).

[InitialProduction1]

That's some stuff I would love to collect, I would love to have all of them. Mimi sherman, sherman, 231, Pz IV , brummbar, stug IV, grant, lee, and a AT Pz IV , name of it I forgot, anyway love to watch your build.