WWI Combi Shadowbox /trench dio (pic heavy and a bit long - winded...) Now with replacement pics

[Steven]

Hello all
I am a new member on this forum. I have been modelling on and off for - Well, some time... I normally build modern AFVs - mostly IDF. However I have recently been dipping my feet in a new pound - The Grerat War. My two finished WWI dioramas will be posted in the completed section.
My current project is also WWI and hands down the most ambitious I have ever tried.
The content below is an abbriviated version of a build log on the (sadly) dying MM forum.
It will be a combi shadowbox/ trench dio: Its going to be a cut -through the surface, giving a sidewiev of a british dug - out batallion HQ and the trenches on the surface "meters" above.
Two officers will be seen arguing the details of the next major offensive , well one senior officer giving orders and one aide taking notes...
the aide's room is lit by a micro diode in a lantern and the larger room by 3mm diodes mounted on an outside frame hiding the the lights pointing inwards. Contributing to the lighting - albeit not much- is a stowe with a 3mm LED in it.
Filling the space topside will be masterbox' Germans and accomanying escort.

Some pics disapeared completly so here are some replacement pics:


All the details pretty much done:

Scratch build stove

 

[Steven]

Electrics: *sigh*

The soldering gods were with me in my second attempt to tackle the micro LED (cf pic below) and I was able to add one to the front lighting array. The micro LED is in the white housing. the front if all were to bear down on the room is two mm diodes and one micro diode ( colour temperature is "warm white" ) Micro LED

I was partial to just using the micro LED solo as it sets a "candle light mood" which is unsurpassed and can not be replicated by the 5mm diodes. However due to thier less than stellar operating history I ended up hedging my bets and went with one orange/yerllow filtered 5mm diodes and the micro (mounted in the frame).

 

[Tim Marlow]

Great work, loads to look at and a high standard. Like this a lot.
Cheers
Tim

 

[Steven]

Thanks a lot Tim greatly appreciated

I generally love working with Hornet's heads.The quality of the sculpturing is great and there are some great caracter heads. Thier "5 heds wearing WWI british steel Helmets" is no exception, curiously (to me at least) although all heads are wearing helmets,not all are with chinstraps. So a little tinfoil is in order

As can be seen from the picture the edge of the helmet is quite flimsy and all of mine had parts broken of or fraying upon reception, despite robust packing, a little putty or mr surfacer to the rescure....

[/IMG]

 

[Steven]

. Some pics to show the progress on the topside part of the dio:

[/IMG]

I felt that I was repeting myself a bit with one of the scenes topside. I did a scene with a german deserter being escorted to the rear in another WWI dio (cf. the completed one in completed section)
So, while retaining a similar scene in the current one i wanted to include more figures and scenes. Hence the guy carring a bucket , but I will also include more brits - two to be specific one lightly wounded, and one severrely, with an arm in a sling and blinded by gas, being led by his mate in a manner akin to this:

Bluetacked at this point but you ge the gist i hope:

[/IMG]

 

[scottie3158]

Steven,
Great work you have really caught the wet miserable conditions.

Scottie

 

[Steven]

Cheers mate

 

[Steven]

Still some bits and bobs missing (chipping on helmets, boots, mud on clothes and everywhere else....) but I am pleased with results so far:

 

[Steven]

Messing about a bit with positioning the figures and this is the set – I think I am going to go with - nothing is fixed in place but the figures are glued to the duckboards so I can only move duckboards - not repositioning the figure on the duckboards..

Story;

Support Trench British sector of The Western front, late winter 1917/ 1918 housing the brigade HQ (inside of which is shown in the shadowbox part)

Last of the snow is melting causing risng water in the bottom of the trenches and a need to reinforce rotting revetments with elephant iron and remove water. A soldier is being hailed by a walking wounded, leading his comrade blinded by gas, and coming from the front line. Behind them,a British guard (concievably, more than one but the rest are outside the scene) is escorting two captured /deserting Germans (one walking wounded German will be added to the scene, just in front of the guard) .

A sign guiding them to a casualty clearing station gives some context to wounded of both nationalities being led to treatment.
I am not totally happy with the CCS sign - should it be abbreviated? but not all onlookers might know...At the moment it sort of adds some detail for the eye to bussy itself with in the space between the bucket guy and the wounded couple - and gives context...

I have placed the walking wounded brits some distance from the bucket person because placing them closer creates impression of an argument between the two – to me he is now shouting something like

“Oi! Some help here!”

Our walking wounded hun - to be added to the scene in front of the escort:

Some positioning I abandonned:

 

[Steven]

I noticed that my sandbag wall had a small crack in it running lenghtwise. Rather than just putting more bags (I have officially reached my milliput limit...) I decided to put a small shelf with some bits and bobs from the old WWI sparebox: gasratle, mess tin and cup - not fixed at this point:

Some signage:

A (hopefully better) RMC CCS - sign and one showing direction to the Line:

 

[Wouter]

Great looking scene you got yourself there mate! So much to discover.

Cheers

 

[Steven]

Thanks mate
Posts up till now has been showing progress uptill now, spanning more than two and a half years. Going forward posts will show current progress

 

[Jim R]

Hi Steve
A very ambitious project. A mass of detail and little human touches. Looks great.
Jim

 

[Steven]

Thanks Jim
Indeed, - in all honesty, I am quite looking foreward to doing something a bit more low - key at the WWI GB

 

[Fenlander]

That is one hell of a diorama

 

[Steven]

Hmm the internet seems to be eating my pics.... will post newones in the posts where they are missing

 

[Steven]

lot of working not alot of building but I did manage to make some silent pickets whch will be used alongside some other supplies to fill empty spaces in the trench
some are glued togheter and will bundled
pic also shows the jig i used

more pics tomorrow

 

[Steven]

I bit of supplies filling an empty space between the walking wounded and guy with a bucket

 

[Steven]

the trench is being gradually populated only ones not permanently fixed are guard and head wound

Added a very essential piece of kit when you re entrenched - a ladder

and some silent pickets - not sure if they should be moved to the area around the crates

 

[Steven]

still detailing the trench further:

Pickets are fixed, tools are on trial - what do you think? I am thinking it goes well with the ladder and pickets - all collected and ready for some hapless working party to go over the top and repair - or enlarge - the Wire

connecting boards bridging the gaps between the duckboards - on trial - go no go ? gaps are not terribly large and would be easily crossed by taking a long stride but to the unattentive soldier moving about in a trench with no lights, a night they would pose a problem - I think I will keep them.

Thanks for looking - comments are welcomed