tiking

Thanks everyone. Ira, could you be more specific please?

This is a little weathering and transformation project I experimented with. I think you can see a significant difference between the before and after pics. I redid the paint job, added brake wiring and review mirror and some odd accessories as you can see. Just to show that just because it is a di-cast model, it too can look used. Some may have seen this before. The original:

Thanks.

Thanks.

Thanks.

Thanks.

I think the Hi-lux some of you may have seen. The other was meant for the 'Close Contact' diorama but replaced the pickup with the Merc. Hope you like the pics. Still need to do a little more up here and there but it is practically done. Sorry for the bad quality pics. I am waiting for my new phone to come. My present one, has a scratched glass on the front.

Thanks Charlie.

Thanks Jim.

Ok, here are pics of the diorama, which name has been changed to "...around the corner". The former name was, 'Close Contact'. The dio is pretty much done for the exception of one more figure to be added. The last figure will be a boy pointing to the corner of the building, alerting the insurgents that they( us troops) are coming around the corner. I am in the process of painting the figure, so will add that when it is completed and will post the pics. As you can see there have been some changes and addition to the diorama. As mentioned in my previous post, the insurgents get the spotlight for this diorama. As I was not completely happy with the outcome of the US camo, I decided to put it aside until such time I can improve on it. So, I hope you can still find it in your heart to like the dio, regardless of the sudden change. As you can see, the pick-up truck has been replaced with the new Mercedes from Diopark. Not a bad kit. A big plus with this kit, is that the doors can be closed or open in real-time. That's right. You can have the option to keep it shut or if you so desire you can open them on demand. Two thumbs up for this little addition. The downside is, it is not so easy to put together ans glue the part that makes this to work. Not a kit for the beginner, I can tell you that. Lots of mistakes and mishaps trying to get the doors to work perfectly. Unfortunately I only succeeded having one door work( the passenger side) The rest were glue into their respective position. Also forgot to mention that you need lots of patience, something I am striving to maintain. The next addition is the concrete canopy on the right. I simply used a piece of pink Styrofoam and glued it in place and painted it a concrete color. No biggy there. I also added another canopy made of corrugated material. Made the bracing of some pieces of white polystyrene and glued that in place after painting it blue. I think the variation of these two objects adds a little spice to the dio. I added a small sign which I took off the internet. That is in fact a pic of a real sign that one of the US soldiers were posting up. I just downloaded it and re-sized it in Photoshop. I thought it was a cool sign. As you can see I added another satellite dish and a mast for a antennae array on the top of the building. I was given a pic which showed many of these on one building alone but decided to limit the amount as I did not want to risk cluttering the diorama. I added another insurgent figure from Blast models. I hand bought it and saved it for a rainy day. I guess that rainy day came. I included MIG street lights, which are pretty good. I also went ahead and bought a dumpster to place the garbage in it at the side of the building. All resin and are pretty good products. I thought it added life and variation. Variation is the key. But you all know that already. Anyways, enjoy the pics and thanks for being patience and giving me tips to finally ( almost) bringing this project to a close. Lots of pics!!!!

Thanks to both of you. And Dave, I can understand. My respect to you and all men and women over there. I still think it was an unnecessary War for the US to engage but that is another story altogether, and of course, my opinion, which will not be discussed here. Much respect to you my friend and all allied soldiers. Things have been going slow as I have been busy with work and my family. Also, I had not been so impress with the US paint job on the uniforms. So, I have renamed the dio and will discard the US figures altogether until I am satisfied with the results of my camo painting.I just to want to bring the dio down just because the camo looks like a 3-year old had painted them. I am a somewhat of a perfectionist, in a way. Not to say that the insurgent figures are any better but they do not crave the realism as the us figures do. I will add them eventually when I am totally satisfied with the results. Although, I have added a couple more details to the building and added a third insurgent figure and a kid. The new name of the dio will be called, '...around the corner'. Unfortunately it will be the insurgents that get the spot- lights on this dio. I have also decided to remove the pickup vehicle as I thought it over-crowded the dio a little. I will add a garbage bin, street lights and few other details. Will post pics shortly. Thanks for all the great support fellows. I do appreciate it.

Thanks. I can't either.

Thanks for the zealous comments. I just hope the end results will meet with everyone's approval.

Thanks for looking. The piping and valves are from an Ho oil kit. They were modified just a bit.

Yep. You should see the ones during the Libya conflict. I got some pics that will make u laugh.

Thanks everyone for your comments. And Dave. None taken. I understand your thoughts although there are a very few in more or less good condition in these conflict zones. Just that they do not stay unscale for too long. But i am already working on doing some damage to it. It just I have not spent too much time on the pickup itself as i am still working on the adding more details to the building before tackling the pickup.

Decided to repaint the cargo bay of the pickup, white and added extra armor to the sides to make it more interesting:

Well, things have been progressing slowly as you all know. Less time for building due to everything around the family. But I do a little each time I get a chance. Here are some pics of the roof details and little additions I have added so far. Made some water tanks and piping taken from my box of tricks. The concrete support blocks were made from the same pink material, Styrofoam Remember, I am trying to do everything on a budget without putting holes in my pockets. I added a small generator from odd pieces from my bag of tricks. AS long as it looks the part, I am fine with it. Not a huge difference but details none-the-less. Will be doing some painting and refining of the details as I go along. I also added electrical cables around the building in a some-what sloppy manner as I was told this is common over there. More details still to come. A couple more Satellite dishes and what-nots. I have just bought another set of USMC soldiers and awaiting Tamiya paints. I lost the right arm of Blast resin figured I had already painted. It got lost in the snow. Could not find it since then. So, here we go again for another round of painting figures. BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH!!! I'm getting tired of this. Oh well. So sorry if you were expecting my next update to be figures but these things happen, for some, more often than others. More weathering on the facade will be in order as well.

Great to hear it. I appreciate it. I am still working on this baby. More details to come on the building an surroundings, as well as getting these darn usmc figures done, which has proven not to be an easy task. But i am getting there. ..hopefully with some cursing from my part.

Thank you for the really nice words. Like you I have been afraid but I got the calling. This was my first time working with this material and if I can get results like this so can you. Also, natural lighting is the best to achieve realistic photos. Nothing beat it. you are too kind. Thanks for the support and comments.

Thanks for looking.

I have been working on the figures for some weeks now, on and off, when the time permits. It has not been easy as I have re-done camo paints many times over. I now have immense respect for figure builders. It is the most difficult form of modeling that I know of. Getting the right skin tone is still an issue for me, as well camo painting. But I will get there one way or the other. It will take time. I have read many articles and continue to study the different variations one can achieve. But I am not going to compete with figure builders just as long my figures do not look like a 3rd grader as painted them, I am fine. So here is the results of my attempts at getting this camo painting job to look right. So far I am OK with the results after several weeks of trying to get it right. I still have four more USMC figures to do. More sweat and tears but the battle continues... I still have more details to add to the actual diorama. --------------------------