willc453
Junior Member
Member since: April 2017
Posts: 85
Apr 14, 2017 13:16:42 GMT -5
Apr 14, 2017 13:16:42 GMT -5
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Post by willc453 on Apr 14, 2017 14:17:15 GMT -5
Started building models on a regular basis back in 1974. Main interest has always been military because I grew up and served in the Air Force. Building was mainly (military) aircraft in 1/72nd, 1/48th & 1/32nd with a build rate of 1-2 models per month. Also did some 1/35th armor from WW 2 to Vietnam from time to time. Quit building about 15 years or so because of some stuff happening in my life and it just wasn't any more fun.
Then my modeling mojo started coming back, but didn't want to go back to aircraft/armor for right now because of the amount of time spent on getting things right. Then thought about zombies for some reason...maybe because it's a popular subject on tv/at the movies? And then it was, anyone building zombie/apocalypse type dioramas and was very surprised at the number of them on Google and YouTube. After looking thru Google for images of survivors/damaged cities/towns paintings & drawings, my modeling mojo went from a bare spark to a roaring bonfire.
All my dioramas will be 1/35th scale with the exception of civilian vehicles. There simply are too few plastic kits available, but there's a large variety of 1/32nd diecast cars & trucks. The problem with these is the interior detailing is poor/wrong/non-existent. But then they have a more of a play value direction. Hello YouTube and how to videos. Have a Chevy Astro van & VW bus that I've taken apart and will be making a 2 part mold of the main bodies. Only the driver/passenger doors open on both and I want to have the rear passenger door to be slid back & open. Have downloaded a lot of interior photos of both vehicles along with diecast vehicles I've bought. With a mold of the body, I can show these also as abandoned/stripped/damaged. Now I'm waiting for a 2 part silicone kit so I can start on this. Using Oomoo, but next batch will go back to Micro Marks version as it has a longer shelf life.
Figures is the hardest part of all of this. Got a lot of military figures, but what very few plastic figures are available are in 1940's style clothing. There are resin figures available (people & zombies), but they run from $10 to $30 each. When I'm looking at having several dozen figures in a diorama (mass zombie attack), this would get expensive, really fast. And don't want to be using the same figures as everyone else is using. ATTEMPTING to modify a bunch of Tamiya figures to look like civilians which I'll make molds of, but then modify those resin castings so the body is in different configurations. Women are even harder to find, so will be making molds from Master Boxes Zombie Hunter and Skull clan kits as my starting point. Altering military figures is not as easy as I thought it would be. Will also have kids/teenagers in the dioramas, so will be using O (1/48th) & HO (1/76th) scale train figures that I'll be altering/making molds of, etc. All weapons, backpacks and other things will be 1/35th scale.
Thanks for reading.
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Post by TRM on Apr 14, 2017 15:14:00 GMT -5
Welcome aboard Will! Also, welcome back to the hobby! A bit eye opening getting back into it from even 15 years ago. Looks like an ambitious project you have planned...looking forward to seeing your progress! I know this is right in the wheelhouse of a number of the guys here on MSC! Enjoy!
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Post by Leon on Apr 14, 2017 17:18:13 GMT -5
Welcome aboard Will! Looking forward to seeing your project when you start.
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joelsmith
Full Member
Member since: July 2012
There no winners in war, only survivors.
Posts: 1,404
Jul 5, 2012 22:33:58 GMT -5
Jul 5, 2012 22:33:58 GMT -5
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Post by joelsmith on Apr 14, 2017 18:55:08 GMT -5
Glad to have you back, love your icon.
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willc453
Junior Member
Member since: April 2017
Posts: 85
Apr 14, 2017 13:16:42 GMT -5
Apr 14, 2017 13:16:42 GMT -5
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Post by willc453 on Apr 15, 2017 0:09:43 GMT -5
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Post by dierk on Apr 15, 2017 3:46:48 GMT -5
Welcome to MSC! Looking forward to seeing your work!
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Post by Leon on Apr 15, 2017 6:15:12 GMT -5
That is going to look awesome!
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k1w1
Full Member
Member since: February 2015
Posts: 873
Feb 18, 2015 8:07:41 GMT -5
Feb 18, 2015 8:07:41 GMT -5
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Post by k1w1 on Apr 17, 2017 10:09:56 GMT -5
Welcome. Great to have another diorama builder here. I like your ideas. I really like the apocalypse stuff myself. I would recommend that you go to google IMAGES and type in Lori Nix Diorama. Her apocalypse dioramas are quite inspirational and well worth looking at.
1:32 scale vehicles. Have you had a look at the Arii kits. They do some great little vehicle kits in 1:32. Mostly odd little Japanese vehicles. There is a VW Beetle in the range. These Arii kits are not expensive and can be found on ebay or from Japanese online shops Hobbylink or Hobby search. I have brought many from an ebay seller who goes by the name of Tokyo Hobby who is in Osaka. His prices are good and combined shipping cost on a few items works out good.
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willc453
Junior Member
Member since: April 2017
Posts: 85
Apr 14, 2017 13:16:42 GMT -5
Apr 14, 2017 13:16:42 GMT -5
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Post by willc453 on Apr 17, 2017 16:06:24 GMT -5
Got the Arii Ebay web page listed in my modeling supply file. Went to diecast in part was cost and not only a larger variety, but more recent vehicles. As for Lori, oh yeah.....I've seen a lot of her built stuff. What surprised/shocked me was hearing she keeps what parts she might use in another diorama, tears them apart after photographing them, then off to the dumpster with them?! Since zombies/apocalypse stuff happens world wide, there's no country boundaries which is why I'm looking at this 3 wheel scooter from Arii. But doing other countries, that's down the road.
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moramarth
Full Member
Member since: March 2014
Posts: 455
Mar 17, 2014 7:45:01 GMT -5
Mar 17, 2014 7:45:01 GMT -5
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Post by moramarth on Apr 19, 2017 22:02:40 GMT -5
Hi, Firstly, a hearty (if belated) welcome to the group. They're a good bunch here. I'm glad you found the links I posted on the “WHO DOES THIS!!!!! ” thread useful, I've taken the liberty of adding a few below. Secondly, please don't take anything I post as criticism, I'm just trying to be helpful. Unfortunately, I sometimes express myself badly; I'm especially concerned about this in the light of the remarks about not discouraging new members expressed on the “the constant complaining of model accuracy” thread. (On another board, a prospective member disappeared after one of my misplaced attempts at humour... ) Thirdly, if you look towards the bottom of the Forums List, you will see “Group Builds Forum”; in there is an open ended “Post Apocalyptic Group Build”. It's not frequented much now, and you should certainly post in any forum that you feel fits – that's what most people do anyway... But there's a lot of inspiration and techniques there, and you might just be the chap to revive it. O.K., this is where I try to be helpful... Civilian vehicles: Takom and Diopark each do a couple of 1:35th civilian vehicles, but unless you get them on a discount you'll be paying an arm, a leg, and several vital organs for them. Currently the best value is from Meng Model, who have taken the two anonymous Japanese pickup trucks they issued with AA guns or other accessories as “Technicals” and boxed them together (but without the guns, bits, or figures) for the same price you'd have paid for a truck and a gun: www.hannants.co.uk/product/MMVS-007They also do some nice accessories, this: www.meng-model.com/index2_new.php?id=230contains two of the frame which contains the non-transparent (bottles) load items in this: www.meng-model.com/index2_new.php?id=179As you mention, civilian figures in modern dress are thin on the ground. I believe these are already released, but they haven't turned up at my regular pusher of the plastic crack: www.trumpeter-china.com/index.php?g=home&m=product&a=show&id=2964&l=enI reckon with the right head swops they'll do for any armed mob pretty much anywhere. I think Hornet Heads 1/35th HORNET MODEL (HH/36) “5 unkempt heads with beards” will probably work for survivor types. These also may be useful: www.zvezda.org.ru/en/catalog/tehnika-WWII-1-35/3621If you want to clothe figures, it makes sense to use ones which have the least clothing to start with... or none! How about these: www.mbltd.info/35183.htmwww.mbltd.info/35185.htmCheck out the pricey Preiser “Adam” and “Eve” multi-part sets, you'll probably need to “duplicate” some of the more useful torsos to get the best value out of these. www.preiser-figuren.de/searchmass.php?eigenschaft=&subid=&group_id=&massstab=1:32-35&sort=a.article_number%20asc&seite=3 Historex also do a pack of “Academy” figures (three male, two female) but most Historex is a bit on the large side for 1:32nd, I've seen it called 1:30th scale – but people come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so I'm not too bothered. Speaking of shapes and sizes, I'm not to sure basing children on smaller scaled adult figures is the best idea, kids vary in proportion as well as height. It may be better to find some child figures of the wrong period and revise them, even if there are only one or two usable kids in the kit: www.mbltd.info/3576.htmwww.mbltd.info/35148.htmwww.mbltd.info/3588.htmI'll leave it there for now, hope there's something useful for you in it. Regards, M
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willc453
Junior Member
Member since: April 2017
Posts: 85
Apr 14, 2017 13:16:42 GMT -5
Apr 14, 2017 13:16:42 GMT -5
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Post by willc453 on Apr 20, 2017 3:17:34 GMT -5
Thanks for all the info. Didn't know about the Post Apocalyptic Group Build. Can any of the moderators yank all the stuff posted here and put it there? The freedom fighter set is on Ebay for $22.50 which includes shipping. When I looked at them, gives me 2 great diorama ideas, along with using them as survivors. As to the 2 fer Meng pickup trucks, they're on my to buy list. Looking at the Master Box pinup set in a different light now....a lot less clothing to deal with. Not too sure about the Zvezda figures you showed, but then checked to see what others the company was offering....and there's a lot, especially the cops in SWAT gear, etc. Added 9 sets of figures to my cart. Now I gotta get a 2nd job to pay for all this stuff. Passed on the Preiser figures because they're suppose to be 1/32nd scale and trying to keep adults at 1/35th. Don't know how I missed those Hornet heads. I agree with you about the teenagers/children body sizes, but also plan on cutting' 'em up in hopes they all won't be the same size/look/shape. Took nothing of what you said as criticism, but feedback. You get a great idea, tell someone all enthusiastic about it and he tells you things that you hadn't thought of. That's the way I look at what you posted. Thanks again.
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