Rehashing Hurtgen forest diorama

[wotan]

Richard

Very nice surgery and costume design. I hope those Heads arrive soon to give you some more options.

John

[rtfoe]

Richard

Very nice surgery and costume design. I hope those Heads arrive soon to give you some more options.

John

Thanks John , and yes really looking forward to the arrival of the canoe and heads as some of the figures that I already modified have blank faces. They ought to be cheery and smiling seeing those heavies for support. Hence my title Sight for Sore Eyes.

Cheers,
Wabble

[Airborne01]

Well Wabble, your figure sculpts are certainly a sight for sore eyes!
Steve

[rtfoe]

Well Wabble, your figure sculpts are certainly a sight for sore eyes!
Steve

Thanks Steve, pun intended I suppose. I seem to like this putty sculpting malarkey. Perhaps I'm trying to avoid painting.

Cheers,
Wabble

[rtfoe]

Hi Guys, before I go any further, just to let you know I'm a regular guy who models for fun just like every member in this great forum. When I share my builds it includes the Oh Dear it's gone wrong bits too. So far it's been figure heavy for a Dio section but big dios equate to large population. I hope the figure modifications will inspire others to try this gory aspect of modeling. So here's for the guys who say they have a problem with figures...which incidentally I have as well.
Here are the surgery tools I use in the OR layed out on the operating tray aka workmatt. The nurse will hand me the tools starting from left to right during the procedure.

The tooth picks are highly machined tools for the delivery and attachment of putty and is used extensively. I will explain the other tools in the next post.

Cheers,
Wabble

[rtfoe]

Hi Guys,

I’ll explain the usage of the surgery instruments starting from the left which is the nipper, the butcher’s favorite. You are either doing replacements or filling the gaps in between the cuts so don’t be shy shy with this piece of handy appliance. If you’re lucky you’ll find the right replacement but to reuse and rotate limbs I usually cut off about 2-3mm at the shoulder and elbow joints to insert metal pins. Finer butchery like the wrist and heads are done with the next Instrument …the razor saw.

For quick cuts that remove less material I use this metal etched saw blade sandwiched between hand-made ice cream sticks. I use a jewelers saw for more complex cuts. The wrist is usually a straight cut but the neck I do a V cut to avoid slicing the chin. Metal pins again are inserted after drilling which comes to the next instrument …the hand drill.

Proper sized holes are drilled into the joints to insert wire pins, any wire of the right size to a pre drilled hole will do. Paper clips are a good source of wire. A tight fit is better than a loose one and secured further with CA. Decide on how much wire is exposed for maneuvering the limb. Once you’re happy with the pose we’ll move onto applying the putty with the next tool explained in the next post.

Cheers,
Wabble

[scottie3158]

Wabble, great description I really will have to give this ago one day.

[rtfoe]

Wabble, great description I really will have to give this ago one day.

Thanks Scottie, if you do I'm sure you'll do a great job of it.

Before I go on the next set of tools, I just added another figure with a replacement head from one of the surrendering German soldiers.

A good head gives good results and expressions. The left arm is also a replacement. Will be adding putty to beef him up and a new collar.

Cheers,
Wabble

[rtfoe]

Some progress with the smiling guy but first just to show how messy it is at the start of putty laying is...

But when the putty starts to harden a little then it's easier to sculpt...

I have here the rest of the mob including the smiling guy with his scarf blowing in the wind...


Cheers,
Wabble

[rtfoe]

In that mix you see the near finished MP that I have added to the Dio. I found him in the stash...

Then I worked on adding his heavy coat...and shifted his arms a bit.

Most of his top and sleeves will be covered with putty to beef up the thick coat. I wondered if the MPs drove thier bikes in winter?

Cheers,
Wabble

[rtfoe]

There was a huge gas leak fire about 8km from where I stay. Thought at first the blast was someone playing with a bamboo canon in the odd hours of the morning. While sending my daughter to Monash I noticed a huge plume of white smoke and thought it was the usual steam release from the sugar factory nearby but it turned grey and rose much higher. Two hours later when picking up my daughter the plume of smoke was still there and darker. Heard on the news that it was a gas pipe ruptured and even with the valve closed the remainder has had to burn itself off.
It's on YouTube and the news...Malaysia on fire.
Ground zero is like Gaza with houses gutted with most not occupied as many residents were out of town for their Raya holidays. So far no fatalities but a hundred or so had burn injuries from the intense heat. Pray that they get normalcy into their lives again.

Richard

[Jim R]

Lucky no one died and hope those injured recover quickly. The world seems full of disasters at the moment, both natural and man made.
You have great skill at this figure adapting lark. Thanks for letting us know how you go about it.

[scottie3158]

Hi Wabble, that's good news, it could have been a lot worse.

[rtfoe]

Thanks Jim and Scottie for the concerned replies. I hope what I show helps others to try modifying their figures to suite specific postures they have in mind for their dios instead of giving up the idea because they can't find the right figures.

Here is the smiley guy again...

He'll get his canvas ammo sling, spade, canteen and garande soon.

Cheers,
Wabble

[rtfoe]

Hi, I'm adding this group of four and have just modified the arm and hand position of the searching GI from Tamiya. Cranes his head looking low, switched his right arm with a spare from the stash, moved his left arm up and carved enough off his inner shoulder to tilt the arm inwards.

I have tilted the Germans head to look down at what the GI is searching for. It's been a while since my last Tamiya figure and was amazed with the fit and ease of build compared to the Dragon figures that I am also adding to the Dio.

Cheers,
Wabble