Soviet Steamroller - KV-1 & T-34/76

[NonProlificModeler]

Ha, that's interesting! I thought I was the only one who did it that way with the decals! I couldn't put a gloss coat on a tank either. I use flat clear coat for all weathering, too! Your result proves that it works absolutely fine. Love your tanks, mate!

[Chip1942]

Wow! I love the HS chipping! Rinaldi style!

[TheTroyster]

Thanks to all of you on your comments.

Another half hour this morning and applied decades to the KV1 - only two.





Also I've been building figures for a week now during my lunch time at work - I think I am over 20 thus far and counting...

[TommyKillander]

Yeah! Looks awesome !

I love the effect of the winter cammo chipping on top of the textured surfaces... It looks really good

Good luck with the Red Army (20+ figures)


Tommy

[TheTroyster]

Yep a whole extra hour this morning because the gym is closed today (I was turning into a real fat fatherless person just building models and drinking beer I had to get back into the gym and my model building time is dramatically reduced so builds are slower).

Okay I am going to put up the KV. 1 first so you can see the difference with above pictures:
Look on the fenders see how I built up white where I thought the white would be less worn?


And here around the hatches:



Over the decades to blend them better:



And some dirt streaking:



The T34 I was able to redo those over chipped areas:







There is a slight difference in white tones here, but I'll hit both with a filter and then a flat coat and that will help and then the pigments will/should tie all the tones together.

And now the funny picture - my project I've been doing on my lunch time for two weeks - I call it "Figure Overlord". I don't think I'll use them all, but with enough time I might.



Here are all the kits I used:

[TheTroyster]

Using Coen C method, I foam-board build a basic house. I'll add wood to outside and hopefully end up with a Russian village house.





The boy is killing zombies while I do this.







The I take my diorama base board and mark the four focal points:



The point here is to place the objects on those four points and not center anything: I experiment with the house:


Good placement above.

Not so good here as focal points are missed:

[NonProlificModeler]

Very well done, mate!

[TheTroyster]

On top of the foam board I add wood:







Now I build a chimney using - I don't know what it's called - feels like a rubber material - just cut up a bunch of bricks and glue, I'll paint it later - cheep this far and looking good.

[TheTroyster]

Added some elevation to my base:





Then I put some DAK on it and did a pseudo mock up of what I am thinking - but not sure I like it?....

[OliveDrab]

Great work Troy, you've certainly mastered the winter whitewash technique! Great build log to follow along with

[NonProlificModeler]

Wow, Troy! That looks so cooooool! A large dio with a story! What more can one ask for! What's that stuff you used for the brick chimney? Looks super realistic! Take care. Jens (Ah, BTW, thanks for subbing my YT channel! Re-subbed!)

[TheTroyster]

I experimented with different colors to use on my house:



Decided on a neutral wash and a transparent wood grain combo, here's how it turned out:





I'll let this dry up and then maybe apply some oil paints.

Meanwhile I add some tank tracks into my diorama:

[TheTroyster]

I keep forgetting to photo document this stuff. I think about it then get so involved I forget! I painted the base of the diorama in a dark brown color - hand painted.


After that dried I then put on a layer of white glue - but not on the track imprints. I was using Hans method here but the DAK didn't pick up any texture of the soil I added to it, so now I have to add that dirt texture later. I then put on a layer of soil on the diorama and let it dry. Then I turned the diorama upside down, gave it a good shake, and ended up with this look. I'll paint it a few more shades of brown with an airbrush, and some gloss varnish where I want a wetter look.



Also the house ended up drying and looks much lighter and real than it did when it was wet.



Now using these four colors, working dark to lightest I airbrush the "soil"



Here are the results, and added a gloss in the track imprints and where I think it's going to be wet, take a look:







Now here is the deal, going to cover all that work with snow! What is it with this gb? First I do a full interior only to cover it up, now all this beautiful groundwork with snow - it's all practice right?

[NonProlificModeler]

Ha, that's one reason my build takes so long. I DO take photos of almost every step. Not quite sure which is better, Troy! Anyway, your dio's coming along nicely! Keep it up! Jens

[TheTroyster]

Ha, that's one reason my build takes so long. I DO take photos of almost every step. Not quite sure which is better, Troy! Anyway, your dio's coming along nicely! Keep it up! Jens

I have to remember that little step.

[felisbarcinonensis]

Wow! Amazing!!! Mouth watering details on that building..... The T-34 interior is freakin awesome!!!!

[NonProlificModeler]

Yeah, Daniel is right! That looks just great! The mud looks as wet as it has to! Very well done, mate. The wood on your building has the right look, too. Can't wait to see it finished! Don't forget to take pictures! All the best! Jens

[wappynutter]

Yeah, Daniel is right! That looks just great! The mud looks as wet as it has to! Very well done, mate. The wood on your building has the right look, too. Can't wait to see it finished! Don't forget to take pictures! All the best! Jens

Wow! Amazing!!! Mouth watering details on that building..... The T-34 interior is freakin awesome!!!!

I'm with these guys... Looks awesome Troy!... Could have sworn i'd commented on this post before but maybe i just looked, was amazed then thought i had... I do that a lot, make a comment in my head but forget to type it.. lol..
I have checked.. this one posted!..
All the best mate..

[TheTroyster]

First, thanks for your comments guys.

Now I decide to make some plaster rocks, take a look:

Your basic rock kit at hobby store:



Pour the mold:


I attach the "rocks" using a gauze soaked in white glue:




Use some putty to fill in gaps, add some small rocks:


Also add some tree stumps:



Using the colors provided I paint:


Let's be honest here, they look like crap:





So I make some icicles for house while I think about those rocks and how to fix:



They look a little more realistic in person, maybe too close for photo.

Back to rocks: take my four base ground colors used in diorama, I go to work:



And we have:







I may use a light grey dry brush still, but these look great for now.

[NonProlificModeler]

Wow, Troy! That's pretty cool! How did you make the icicles??? They look superb! Keep it up, mate!

[TheTroyster]

Russia's most infamous general showed up last night, General winter.

First let me answer a couple of questions Jens had: the icicles were made using Sprues from clear parts, heated and stretched:



I tried making some using a hot glue gun but they were too rubbery:

As for the bricks I used Silly Winks Foam Sheets - easy to use just a hobby knife, ruler and white glue and you're good to go! Plus the name Silly Winks is cute...



Here are the final results of the brick works:





I used three photos of Eastern European peasant homes for my diorama.

Here we have a light snow/mud street:



Here we see the frame around a window - that blue color is common in this area of houses from the time period :



Here is a wood pile, although a more modern picture - a wood pile is a wood pile:


Okay now on to General Winter, basic hairspray and light coat of baking soda:


Result:


Before:


After, here you can see that blue window frame:



Added some icy water we'll see how that turns out.


My road:


And my wood pile:

[NonProlificModeler]

Thank you so much for answering my questions, Troy! I'll try to find these foam boards in Germany. They make fantastic bricks and might even work for cobble stone roads! I wouldn't have thought your icicles were stretched clear sprues! They look so realistic! And your house... beautiful! That will be one great dio when it's finished! Kutgw! All the best. Jens

[TheTroyster]

Walking around this morning and found a perfect tree in the form of bushes:



And like a real tree there is a lack of branches on the house side - just like a tree I had at my last house - nice and lopsided.



Added some pigments to both tanks tracks:









Think I am in the final lap here. A few minor items on the diorama to fix up, some snow on the tracks of the tanks, and a couple of figures should about wrap this up for me.

[NonProlificModeler]

There's nothing that can represent nature better than nature itself! Beautiful tree! This dio is epic, no doubt there! You're almost there, Troy! Jens

[Chip1942]

I love the small house, looks exactly like the buildings i saw on my travels there. This did captures the (in this case once) beautiful Russian landscape

[TheTroyster]

These are my remaining items to finish and place and I'll be done. So this is my final post in this build thread. Thanks so much for all your comments - very kind of each of you.

I am hoping to get my final reveal up sometime on the 13th or 14th of March.

[NonProlificModeler]

Wow! Figures and stuff look great! I'll be there when you show your completed dio in the final reveal section! Congrats, Troy! Jens

[MikeyKb]

I can't believe it's taken me this long to see this.
Just saw your final reveal, too.

F'n A, dude!! amazing work. Love the house, too!


...better late to a party, then not showing up at all!

[TheTroyster]

I can't believe it's taken me this long to see this.
Just saw your final reveal, too.

F'n A, dude!! amazing work. Love the house, too!


...better late to a party, then not showing up at all!

You're funny - I'm building a ship right now, it's quite the project - over in the maritime build area. Next up, is my War of the Worlds with lights and I fully expect you to give me some great ideas BEFORE I start, not afterwords like my last SiFi build... "do the sub in brass... " best idea ever!