I hav not posted anything for quite some time.

[indy]

The build is coming along nicely. That figure work is inspiring!!

Jordan

[racermagic]

Glad its subsiding. The Marsden mat is the cats meow.
The tarps, jerry cans,worn spares... i can go on.

Incredible. 

 The skill level on this board knows no limits. 

[sandysixtysfan]

Great weathering and such a cool build.

Sandy

[racerbrown]

Wow!
Heck of a thread here!
First, I'm glad your health is doing better.
Enjoyed the heck out of the stories with your son.
The drum stuff is great and of course the WIP is such a learning tool for all of us!
Thanks so much for sharing everything Ben.
Duane

[drums01]

Thanks everyone for the kind and motivating words. I hope this update finds everyone happy and healthy.

After looking EVERYWHERE for months I can say there are no magazine / drums for a vickers "K" air cooled machine gun in 1/18 scale. Well, on second thought, there are a couple different 3d printed guns with 2-4 mags in Shapeways for $80 USD. I refuse to pay that prince just to use a couple mags, so you know me, time to scratch build a couple.

First I tried using an old pair of round automotive air filters as a base, but they just would not cooperate. Next attempt was to simply punch out several round disc's from plastic sheet, but I do not have any kind of brass to steel rod to use as the punch. The scale/size is the initial challenge along with keeping them round while shaping them. My third attempt proved more successful.

I am starting off with metal flat washers in the same diameter of the magazines already found on the toy guns. Next I glue them onto some sheet plastic. Once dry I cut around the washer and sand it to the shape of the washer (they help keep it perfectly symmetrical.



And now the challenge of building up the details on top of the drum. To replicate the raised area on the outside of the drum I used solder coiled around a dowel and cut to make circles. They were carefully attached to make the outside circumference.



Next was using smaller punches to make the layers of relief for the center top.



Then after several failed attempts of making perfectly uniformed rivets, I chose to drill them instead. My thought is since they are only going to be marginally seen and away from the MG, the relief once painted should not be noticable, at least I hope. The last step was to use some lead tooling foil and a specific width of plastic. I cut strips from the foil and wrapped them around the plastic to make four scale leather straps for the top of the drums.



Last was to paint them flat black, then dry brush silver over the tops to raise the details. Next was to paint the leather straps. Here is the final result:



I still may paint the side of the drums in a lighter silver/white like that seen on some real ones (see below).



And one last update, just a quick photo of the WIP on the radio set. Much more to show on this addition at next update.



Till next time, model something or tel me what you think, perhaps other ideas towards the build...

Ben

[indy]

Sept 23, 2021 14:57:12 GMT -5 drums01 said:

Well, on second thought, there are a couple different 3d printed guns with 2-4 mags in Shapeways for $80 USD. I refuse to pay that prince just to use a couple mags, so you know me, time to scratch build a couple.

In defense of this maker, Shapeways has changed pricing drastically since this was probably uploaded. There is no explanation of Shapeways pricing on FUD anymore so there is no way to make a piece with the cheapest layout unless you want to do trial and error. Most creators have abandoned Shapeways as their per piece pricing has skyrocketed there once reasonably priced items.

Rant over. Nice scratch building, Ben.

Jordan

[Gary Davis]

Great job Ben!!!

[drums01]

This update is for adding the radio set. The purchased from Shapeways provide to be a good one. It is very accurate in size and details when compared to source photos. As previously mentioned the material did not like CA glue or acrylic or enamel paints, even after a thorough wash and scrub (?). The item came as a four piece set which consists of the radio, fender mount, antenna base, and headset.



Here are pictures of the actual radio set.







After initial painting and some light weathering:



I made the angle iron brace for the fender mount from two pieces of cut strip plastic. Here it is mounted with the antenna cable made from solder and added.



The radio face and clamps were washed, dry brushed and detailed picked with a hairy stick. Afterwards I sourced some decals from my spares. The cable from the power supply is also solder and the fitting from spares. Overall I am happy with the results.



Next up is adding the "little things" and then the figures. I'm still working on ideas for a base....

Stay safe, happy, and healthy....

Ben

[Gary Davis]

This build is looking outstanding, Ben!!

[drums01]

Thanks Gary, it has been a fun build.

As previously mentioned, starting to finish the little things. My first update is the Vickers MG. I was not satisfied with the initial base coat and dry brush. After cleaning it up a little more I applied gunmetal instead of flat black then a lighter and more even dry brush to the barrels and receiver. I believe I also mentioned I may paint the side of the ammo drums to match what was seen during the period. Once painted I applied a dirty wash and some chipping. The front sight was painted red and the hand grips a dark wood (some during the period were also a black plastic). Well, I decided to call it quits on the Vickers before I mess it up, here they are:



When looking at many of the period photos it is common to see a rope wrapped around the front bumper. I tried several methods to mock up something to resemble scale rope. I found yard and string to be to hairy. I decided to try rolling some solder together to make a possible rope. Then I bought a waxed shoe lace. At last I settled on a nylon thread (size 8). It was easy to cut and glue the ends to prevent any fray. When comparing them, the nylon is definitely the way to go, it is the second one from the top:



More little things included some decals in the engine compartment:



Here is an interesting "little thing" I made from scratch, a wrist watch for the driver and gunner:



Now it was time to apply some of the smaller items I gained from after-market, spares, or scratch. Looking close you will see numerous bags, ammo cans, tarp, maps, British canteen, C rations, German grenades, and more. One area I chose to add a little extra was applying straps to the bags, canteen and the like. They were made from lead foil, painted, and washed. I think it is starting to look more like an SAS jeep, yes?





One of the last things to add before fitting the larger items was the driver. Here he is mostly done but still requiring minor tough-ups, dull coat, and pastels. The SAS beret sash proved impossible to find in scale, so I printed it, sealed it with satin clear, and applied it using white glue.



Next up is the final parts; the M2 50 cal, Vickers, M1919 30 cal, and the gunner.

[drums01]

FINAL REVEAL 1944 SAS JEEP

I'm calling it done even though I do not have a display base completed. All the weapons and figures have been added. I will wait for the final pastel and weathering until a base display is completed, otherwise it is finished. I hope those following along have enjoyed the build as much as I have. Special thanks to those who kept me motivated along the way and to RangerNeil for his special SAS knowledge and clarification.

MODEL INFORMATION:

- 1/18 Solido SAS Toy Jeep

MODIFICATIONS:

- numerous scratch built details
- resin figures from China
- resin heads by SOL Models (AUS)
- resin tarps from scale details
- resin radio from Shapeways
- resin ammo cans from SOL Models (AUS)
- resin ammo crate from Detail Miniatures
- M2 50 cal detail set from ABER
- Marsen Mat created from pattern Tin (Hobby Lobby)
- axe and shovel modified from toy tank
- decals for soldiers, ammo cans, German grenades from Peddinghaus and Echelon Decals
- decals for radio, watches, and engine from spares
- numerous bags, canteens, pouches from Marauder
- resin nuts and bolts by MENG
- K-Ration box by FC Model Trend
- all straps created from lead tooling foil

FINISH:

- painted with Tamiya, Model Master, and Vallejo paints
- washes done with Tamiya wash and diluted custom paint blends
- additional rust and facial blending with watercolors
- chassis grime provided MENG scale dirt and mud


This is one of my display options / ideas:



Inside pictures:





Outside photos:







And here is a classic or period photo:



Till next time, stay safe, happy, and healthy... and model something.

Ben a.k.a. DRUMS01

[indy]

Ben, the final result is fantastic. I enjoyed the detail in your WIP, shows a passion for the subject that I tend to do, too! LOL

Please show us the Jeep on the base when it is all done.

Jordan

[Gary Davis]

Man Ben.....this turned out FANTASTIC! I really enjoyed following along on this build. Plus seeing you and your son together on the football field playing the DRUMS!!!

[drums01]

Hey Gary, it was nice talking drums with you and thanks for the kind words. Jarrod helped some on the build but lost interest when I took to long to finish it. Instead he would go downstairs with me to pretend to help but the whole time wanted me to stop and play drums with him. He's a smart young man as that was not a bad trade-off.

Thank you very much Jordan. Several members on this and other forums have pushed me to make the base instead of going to another model; thats fine as I was eventually going to build a base anyway. Well, here you go,.... speaking of the display base:

I am using an enclosed display much like the one I used for my 1/16 kubelwagen diorama. This time I am using picture framing mat board for the foundation. I cut it to fit within the case but chose to make the edges uneven. My thinking is for it to look like a rocky base with sand blowing around the stuff I'm adding, something like this but with a little more sand:



The jeeps figures appear to be focused on something on the ground to the left of the jeep. This is where I came up with the dog figure. Just having a dog on the ground would lack any real interest and would not match the detail found within the jeep build.



To that end I have scrounged up some other items to add to the base including another gig bag, oil drum, tarps, K-rations box, hand tools like a sledge and pick, a couple crates, and so on. Here are some of the items I'm working with:





I want the base to draw you in but not take away from the jeep as it is the focus. I also do not want to park the jeep parallel to the case sides. I chose is to add some slight elevation variations to the base and other items of interest, in this case sand bags. After adding another mat board layer to the base I mixed up some milliput to blend them into the other elevations as well as add some individual terrain changes. Last was using the milliput to create some 1/18 sand bags. Here is where I'm at right now, but hope to add significant texture to the base tomorrow.





I just hope it stacks up well to the jeep sitting on it. Much more to come.....

[indy]

Sept 29, 2021 16:17:22 GMT -5 drums01 said:

Thank you very much Jordan. Several members on this and other forums have pushed me to make the base instead of going to another model; thats fins as I was eventually going to build a base anyway. Well, here you go,.... speaking of the display base:

Looks good. I only mentioned the base since you brought it up

Jordan

[Gary Davis]

Love it Ben. Of course.... you had to add a "GIG" bag in there!! LOL Way too cool!

[jj66]

Superb detailing job!

[drums01]

But Jordan, I have to call out anyone who gave me a reason to create a base (smile). Like I said, it was going to happen anyway, so I wanted to poke some fun at it.

Gary, I wasn't sure if anyone other than you would've caught that

Moving on with the display base, after the Milliput dried I took a walk with the goal of finding small rocks and texture materials that look real. Often, when looking at the scale railroad stuff at the hobby stores I think much of it looks unrealistic. In their defense, there is some stuff that is absolutely wonderful, but for what I needed for a 1/18 base, real dirt and rock was a must. My walk brought me to the end of my driveway to scoop up some pulverized rock sitting in the gutter between the curb and my transition. Some quick sifting and this is my base material.



Before I lay the initial rock bedding I took the time to make a final walk through of where stuff will be going.



I purchased a neat looking SAS parachute pin to embed into the display base. Being a pin it has two needle points with clips to go through a lapel. I though I had two options, one was to drill two holes in the base to mount the pin and the other was to cut of the pin tips and use CA glue to mount the pin basically anywhere on the base, I chose the second option.

So here we go, taking the pin to the model cave in the basement, it fell out of my hands while going down the stairs and landed on the cement floor in an crack between the stairs and a stack of storage boxes CRAP! After 20 minutes of moving everything I finally located it and brought it to the work bench MOVING MORE CRAP. After cutting the pins off I began using my Dremel to remove the rest of the pin mount so it could fit flush. During that moment I was wearing safety glasses but somehow got a small piece of ground up brass in my eye CRAP, AND OUCH!. After fishing it out of my eye I finished the grinding. I then brought my CA glue and SAS pin upstairs to the display base. After applying the glue I found the location I wanted to put it. Only then did I notice that two of the colored insets on the wing were gone,...CRAP AGAIN!. They must have been knocked out when the pin fell from the top of the stairs to the cement floor. So now I have a pin that I can no longer use and CA glue on the display base. I was lucky enough to catch the problem and get the pin and glue removed before it cured or caused an ugly mark on the display. Overall, a lot of trouble for nothing. :evil:



Onward and upward, I laid out the screen rock along with some extra fine ballast over the rock onto the mat board. In the process I wanted to have the items I'm adding to the base appear as though they have been sitting for a few days with sand blowing around them. The way I accomplished that was to use the unpainted items to mold their own places. Prior to the gorilla glue setting, I removed the kit parts and cleaned them for painting.

When looking at many photos of North Africa I was surprised to see that other than mostly the deep Sahara or parts of Lybia, there is vegetation and even some grass or foilage in many if not most of the areas.





To replicate that I used more scale train diorama supplies for burnt and green grass, dry (dead) vegetation, and some small half dead brush. Once that was set I began painting and adding the "stuff" to the base. Final painting and detailing was done while the items were on the base. The sand bags and tarps were painted in various shades of color starting with the darkest and finishing with the lightest shades. In between the applications I added washes to those items to show the shadows and variations and finished them with some dry brushing.

Once the base was complete I added the jeep and cut an antenna to fit in the display case. The only items I need to add to call it done are another SAS pin (on the way), expended brass casings, more decals (on the way), and some light pastel shading. I suppose I will show one more update once this is all done... :tongue:

Here is the mostly completed display with the jeep.















Till then, be safe, happy, healthy, and have fun modelling something.....

[indy]

Sorry about the pin but the display turned out excellent!!

Jordan

[Gary Davis]

Man Ben...what an outstanding job on this DIO. It sure looks awesome my friend!!!! ALL the fab work really paid off.

You don't need that stink'in pin anyway. It would've been cool, but not really needed.
Ya...I don't go anywhere without my bag. It's got a permanent place in the Van, and sits right behind me on the stage...(out of site of course)

[kyledehart5]

I think I somehow missed the finished product on this, but man it turned out incredible. I'm constantly in awe of the skill I see on this board. Awesome build!

[SteveG]

Wonderful stuff! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading this thread. Cheers!