AFV Club Sd.Kfz251/20 'UHU' Diorama

D

dubster72

Guest
Now that's a tree! Great stuff Graham, I've often thought about trying the Treemendous products, and now I will :smiling3:
 
F

Fenlander

Guest
\ said:
Graham I wouldn't know where to start with materials for trees, so this is of interest which is why I'll be watching this one.
Did you use any reference for your tree? I mean it looks like a tree especially once the figure goes under it I'm just not sure what type.


I have dabbled with bonsai since I was a kid and they are as you know miniture trees, but getting them to look like a real miniture tree is tricky and means you have to study form and structure most trees grow differently... Does that make sense?


Now watching


Phil
No Phil. As usual, I didn't think this out. I literally sat there thinking of a base layout, thought it needed height so I just had a look at some videos, read a few articles online and used what I had to make a tree. Just kept adapting what I had seen to fit with the materials I had to hand.


I will now look further into it as I suppose a 'generic' tree shape isn't good enough, it needs to have some resemblance to a real tree (I know nothing about trees other than they are made of wood).


I have to get some better materials before I have a go at something bigger and more realistic but this one will do for the base I am planning as it is about the right height for what I want.


Trouble with1/35 trees is that if you make them to scale, they can be huge.


Tree Mendus do a tree making kit with wire and materials to make a decent tree, I had the scenic kit. However, I have just ordered some florist wire of a heavier gauge and am looking for more materials to do another tree just as a practise one. I may do a tutorial on that if I am convinced I can get it good enough.
 
F

Fenlander

Guest
\ said:
Now that's a tree! Great stuff Graham, I've often thought about trying the Treemendous products, and now I will :smiling3:
As above Patrick, Tree Mendus do a tree making kit that includes the wire. It is about £20 but has everything you need including the thin scenic glue etc. They do a pack of wire for £5 but I have ordered florist wire of Amazon for £2.50 post free to try. Not got my head around the gauges yet so I may well have ordered the wrong sort lol.


I have to admit, I was thinking that I wouldn't be able to do this but all it takes is time and a few materials and, for a model builder rather than a model maker, I have found this first crude attempt to be very satisfying and great fun.
 

PhilJ

SMF Supporter
Joined
May 14, 2015
Messages
1,114
Points
113
Location
Beltinge
First Name
Phil
\ said:
No Phil. As usual, I didn't think this out. I literally sat there thinking of a base layout, thought it needed height so I just had a look at some videos, read a few articles online and used what I had to make a tree. Just kept adapting what I had seen to fit with the materials I had to hand.
I will now look further into it as I suppose a 'generic' tree shape isn't good enough, it needs to have some resemblance to a real tree (I know nothing about trees other than they are made of wood).


I have to get some better materials before I have a go at something bigger and more realistic but this one will do for the base I am planning as it is about the right height for what I want.


Trouble with1/35 trees is that if you make them to scale, they can be huge.


Tree Mendus do a tree making kit with wire and materials to make a decent tree, I had the scenic kit. However, I have just ordered some florist wire of a heavier gauge and am looking for more materials to do another tree just as a practise one. I may do a tutorial on that if I am convinced I can get it good enough.
I'd like to see that tutorial Graham, considering you just cracked on I think it's decent.


How big is a 1/35 scale tree? Don't forget a 30ft high oak was once a sapling and everything in between so scale hasn't got much to do with it I reckon, as long as the tree is in proportion to itself i.e trunk size to branch size going up the tree and leaf size that's all you can do.
 

Robert1968

SMF Supporter
Joined
Mar 2, 2015
Messages
3,410
Points
113
First Name
Robert
Just caught up on this Graham and looks very good too and I like ye idea of a hedge too ( love to see that too ) ideas for my dios you know ( costing is a good plan of action too )


Very good tree and looks very authentic to me


Robert
 
F

Fenlander

Guest
Thanks again guys. Made a slight modification by adding some fluffier flock (sounds like a blow dried group of sheep!). The florist wire I ordered has turned up but, as I suspected, it is a tad too thick. But, no problem, it will have its uses :smiling3: .


Hope to start on the groundwork this week
 
Joined
Feb 14, 2016
Messages
1,211
Points
113
Location
Bridgwater
First Name
Stuart
\ said:
I thought that if I create this thread, I am committing myself to actually creating a diorama. It will not be complex but I will be making it without buying anything other than materials.
I have created an A4 base that fits into a thin black photo frame, so yes, I did by a photo frame..... failed already lol.


Anyway, I have given it a bit of a 3D look in that it has a bit of height to the rear which I hope to finish with a hedgerow (if I can work out how to do it:oops:smiling3: failing that, it will be a fence....


I decided that the left hand back corner needed height but not too much, something like a tree. As I have made the no buy rule, I have started to make a tree:eek:


Yep, I am diving in at the deep end but after reading loads of ideas and watching a few videos, I have gone with the twisted wire method. Why? Well, I had some soft wire that would just about enough to make a smallish tree with a decent canopy.


This is the basic tree made from 28 gauge jewlers wire from HobbyCraft


View attachment 153116


Here it is roughly where it will end up on the diorama base which has just been plastered with filler for the first coat


View attachment 153117


This shows the height relative to the UHU, ignore the weird colour, I have taken these with my phone and I have not altered the colour balance


View attachment 153118


Here is the tree with the first coat of PVA mixed with Tree Mendus Earth Powder (which I suspect is finely filtered soil, it certainly smells like soil!) It will need more coats to thicken it up and hide the twisted wire look. I hope that the PVA will remain flexible enough to allow a little alteration to the branches position.


View attachment 153119


Sorry about the duff pictures. To be honest, when I started making the tree, I thought it would be in the bin within minutes but it turned out better than I expected. Still a long way to go though;)
Always wanted to try and make my own trees but not attempted it yet.


You are doing a great job so far Graham,I will be watching
 

flyjoe180

Joe
SMF Supporter
Joined
Jan 18, 2012
Messages
12,393
Points
113
Location
Earth
First Name
Joe
Awesome looking tree Graham. That's going to really bring your diorama to life.
 
F

Fenlander

Guest
The base for the UHU is underway. I have decided not to use the two GI figures but to use the 'Reading Newspaper' figure, but he won't be reading a newspaper ;)


Also. I wanted to put a hedge across the back but haven't worked out how to do it yet, might become a fence but I really want a hedge.


Got to add some longish static grass to the groundwork and some other earthy ground effects. To help with this, I have made a static grass applicator tonight but, like an idiot, I don't have any static grass to test it :oops:


If the applicator works, I will show it, if not I will bin it.....


Anyway here we have the start of it.


image_5.jpe
 
Last edited:

yak face

Wossupwidee?
Staff member
Moderator
SMF Supporter
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
12,265
Points
113
Location
sheffield
First Name
tony
Superb looking tree Graham , If you can make a tree look this good then a hedge will be no problem, cheers tony
 
N

noble

Guest
That's a great job Ian just use the same material for the hedge as you used for the tree foliage.


Scott
 
D

dubster72

Guest
That looks great Graham, might I suggest that you churn up the ground behind the 251 along its track? Just to give it a sense of its travels ;)
 
A

american

Guest
Good job , again! Can't wait to see it finish. I really liked, the tree, soldier, armed car! I don't know what to look first.
 
D

Deleted member 4539

Guest
This really is looking good Graham:smiling3:.


The figure looks so much better in place(better than it did in the individual pics).


The tree is great looking to me it looks well like a tree:smiling3:.


And the vehicle is excellent.


Overall,coming together real well.
 
Top