Large-scale modeling today
“Please write an article related to the difficulties of hobby for modeling - for example, I want to glue the Richelieu model of the battleship, but I don’t understand what scale is needed, what quality the model needs, what difficulties are involved in gluing and storage.”
Sergey, 25.06.19
Sergey, 25.06.19
I wanted to finish already a series of articles about large-scale modeling, but received in this message and could not resist continuing. Of course, one could just advise a person to ask a question in Yandex or Google: “How to assemble a model of the battleship Richelieu so that he could immediately stumble on the material“ Battleship Richelieu ”1 / 350“ Trumpeter ”: forum modelers ”, but it was thought that this was an excellent occasion to continue the story of large-scale modeling today.
The current level of development of large-scale modeling
Today we will get acquainted with the current level of development of large-scale modeling based on materials from the recently published issues of the Japanese magazines Armor Modeling and Model Grayfix. They literally have a lot of interesting things on every page, and the print quality is also appropriate. True, they have to be flipped in the opposite direction, and what is beginning in our magazines is the end in Japanese! In almost every issue there are articles on the assembly, painting and decoration of certain models. And all this is shown very clearly. For example, how do you like this model of the Bronco company?
Well, I want to start with the fact that the time that we all once dreamed about at the beginning of the 90s has finally come. EVERYTHING IS! Any models of many different companies. When I started to publish my Tankomaster, many models did not exist either in plastic or in resin. Well, the tar ones that were worth big money in foreign currency. For example, the English SPG A39 "Turtle". Her model company MENG MODEL 1: 35 today lies in my Leonardo store and costs only 2700 p. And there was a time when it was possible to buy it only in England and for ... 80 pounds! As, however, is our tank tractor “Ni” and “Ni-2,” although it is clear that we had only half of this amount. There are models of every conceivable scale, there are prefabricated models made of wood, polystyrene and various resins, there are models made of metal, additional photo-etched details, including tree leaves and flowers, there are gun trunks turned on lathes, since plastic bend and sticky marks can be seen on them . Finally, there are very democratic models of paper, and very complex ones, for example, the same battleship Richelieu.
However, we started with the Richelieu model of the battleship. And here she is in front of us. Made by Claudio Matteni in 1: 700 scale.
And here the question arises: why do all this at all? Because it is informative, it develops hands, and therefore the mind, since a person’s mind is at his fingertips, because it is “good leisure” or because he “did not play enough” in childhood. It is impossible to answer these questions! Like and that's it! And glory, as they say, to God. But ... you need to be aware of exactly how you need it and choose the best option. Because the same “Richelieu” can be assembled “right out of the box”, as it is written, and the whole short period - and such a trend is present in modeling today (!), But you can restore the model in the form in which its prototype was, say, in 1943 year. And then she will have to order additionally turned chunks, photo-etched handrails, and God knows what else.
On the Internet, it is described in detail how one of the modelers assembled this Trumpeter model and how everyone helped him, including by sending such photographs. By the way, the modeller can’t do without his own archive of film and photo documents either, because many companies make many inaccuracies and even mistakes in their models. Here, for example, an excellent photo of the same Richelieu and it can be seen on it that the embrasures of the main caliber guns on it are not quite the same as on the Chinese model. And the question arises: to correct or leave as they are?
That is, the one who decided to engage in large-scale modeling, you must first sit down and think. What draws him to? How much he can allocate time and money for this. Does he also have a place to store finished products? And how his family will react to his hobby. By the way, the workplace is also not cheap, especially with ventilation, if it is equipped in your apartment. Incidentally, the choice of scale also depends on this. Not enough money and time, and place, but I want to collect Tanks - choose 1: 100, 1: 72. More space, time and money - start collecting Tamiya, they now have a scale of 1:48. Then 1:35, and if you have a three-story cottage with 450 squares, then you can model in a scale of 1:16. There are those too!
The penultimate page of Armor Modeling magazine is always given to advertising. And what do we see on it? A model of the Panther tank appeared on a scale of 1: 16. Two models of Russian combat vehicles - the "Shell" and C-300. But below, there’s a completely unusual model at the 1 scale: 35 and with an abundance of photo-etched parts - the Russian tank robot Uran-9. Did not have time to appear, but his model is already ready! This is efficiency!
Russian tank robot "Uranus-9".
Again, you will not learn how to immediately make high-quality models. The same battleship Richelieu is not a model for beginners. But there are also cheap models, simple ones and you can perfectly get their hands on them. Again, a ship is not just a ship. If I were asked to start collecting models of warships, I would choose the models of the Brigade Commander (but she is not the only one who produces them!), A series of ships of the Russian-Japanese war. And interesting, and informative, and there is where to put your hands. Or, for the sake of comparison, I would expand the topic and include ships of all the states of the late 19 - beginning of the 20 century. But this is an expensive pleasure, even if you assemble models without the underwater part of the case.
On the next page is a description of the new model for BA fans of World War I - Royce Rolls in the scale of 1: 35. Moreover, the model is released in two versions at once. The first - 1914 of the year on spoke wheels (parts made by photo-etching) and the second, already the period of World War II, when this BA was used in Syria and Egypt and armed with two machine guns, anti-tank gun “Boyce”. The hatch on the tower also appeared at this time ... Very beautiful, as you see, decals. Especially on a sandy model, they look just fine. Yes, if you put it on the sand, and next to it are several figures of the British in shorts, a lying camel, a palm tree ... Excellent, in a word, a diorama can turn out!
It is very important to think about the issue of preserving models from dust and ... their own. And this means that ships need airtight cases, and they are very expensive. And where to put them? This issue will also have to be solved ... For tanks, a cabinet is enough, but for a battleship on the scale of 1: 350 or the galleon 1: 100, a special place will be required.
A true gift for all fans of experienced armored vehicles. They had never dreamed of this before. Model of the German light tank Leichttraktor. The first four tanks were sent to the USSR in Kazan to the Kama facility, where they were driven in 1930-1931. And also an excellent diorama can come out: this tank, buried its nose in the trench, and next to it are the officers of the Red Army in their long-field overcoats and budenovki and the German from the Reichswehr, in cloth jackets and caps, discussing what's what ... And next to the tankmen in leather jackets (figures "Stars ») Stand with a helpless gesture.
And here is his photo ...
For myself? For the public? For the competition?
Again, it is very important to think over whether you will make models “just for yourself” or become an active participant in model forums on the Internet and begin to showcase your “crafts” there. But you can, after all, participate in various international competitions of modellers. I had a chance to somehow participate in ... the 1996 International Competition of Photos of Models of Armored Vehicles in Turin. The conditions were as follows: you send photos of the model you assembled and the jury determines what, who and how. I presented photos of the model of the American tank Ford M1918. By the way, you can see them: https://karopka.ru/forum/forum261/topic17357/. It tells about how one of our modelers made a model of this tank from scratch, and someone to help him posted the pages from my magazine Tankomaster for 1996 year, No.2, p. 4. I had to make two such models: the first, from the ground up, and also the 80 tracks manually, but the second was already branded. At that time, in Russia, such a model was made of resin, and so I assembled it for participation in the competition. The result - 3 place, bronze medal and prize - also a resin model of the French BA Panhard AML 90.
Here it is - this medal, although it looks somewhat strange.
And this is a document confirming its receipt.
That is, participation in various competitions, too ... quite a worthy goal, why not. You will collect high-quality Tamiya models, send them photos - you will go to their pets, and this is very profitable!
The following is a very interesting material on the “pollution” of tanks using the example of the model of the Takom company MK.IV “Samka”. The sequence of operations is given, and with which colors and “powders” to use each time, and how to fix all this on the model. By the way, the use of “aging” and “exploitation” makes the model much more expensive, although making it so ... easier! You can not be afraid that you are sticking with glue. “Dirt” will hide everything. For example, I simply bathed my models in a dirty pool, most often in a clay pool, then I dried it with a hairdryer and sprinkled it with flour, which I tinted. The “dirt” was fixed with a colorless varnish.
Modeling Plus Journalism
You can combine modeling with journalism, as the English modeller Phil Greenwood does. In almost every issue of the Japanese magazine “Armor Modeling” he sends an article telling about how he made a model of a particular English tank along with her photographs. I don’t know if the editorial office pays him, but, for example, I have a “contract” with them for a free subscription from ... 1990 of the year as a fee for the same articles, and I won’t say that I’ve been too stressed with them. One or two a year and ... that's it!
Again, it’s very effective to issue any article “about tanks” in any magazine with photographs of their works. Just like a book, where the publisher will ask you for a photo “public domain”, that is, in public ownership, so as not to pay for them. And ... you still won’t be paid for them, but ... a good book with good photographs is a good thing and it will be quickly sold out, and you only need this.
An interesting topic for a tank modeller can be experienced tanks of all time. Yes, they too have already begun to release a little, but much remains in the drawings. So, take and make a series of T-34 tanks, what they could be if ... There are a lot of interesting things to come up with, in front of the KV-13 and others like it, and the “back” of the T-28 with an 85-mm gun, and T-29 ... - there’s where to turn around!
It’s always interesting to even just illustrate your own material with photographs of your own models. Although the model, and even articles on the militaryhistorical subject ... In my experience, for one person it is a little too ...
Here is one of the model competitions that are regularly held in Japan, and photos of the models of the winners. Moreover, the model in the center is the French post-war tank ARL44. And this is homemade! Over the course of many issues, Armor Modeling told how to make a model of this tank from scratch. And then there was a man who follows the advice of the magazine and made it according to his instructions!
Wood Models
Want to build ship models from wood? Why not, only here they take up a lot of space. By the way, I also tried it and even came up with an original technology for manufacturing cases. After all, how are such models usually made? First, the skeleton is assembled, which is then sheathed with slats of different thicknesses. And the gun ports either cut through, or they are already on the plywood parts, and cut through by a laser.
I came up with the idea of making two halves of the body based on the frames of the model, but each to be separate. The gaps between the frames are filled with plasticine and this way you get a body cut in half. Then you buy wooden stirring sticks for coffee. They are made of very high quality wood and are ideal for planks at once on several scales.
It is interesting that the models of our domestic armored vehicles constantly appear on the pages of Armor Modeling, and in the texts about them everything is objective, and there is no diminution of our dignity. Here again, the story of the new model T-15 from our company "Star".
We take them, cut off the semicircular tips, if necessary, with a bend and press them into the plasticine so that we get a solid wooden surface with cannon ports with a fringing. Glue at this stage is not used at all! Then, on the first row, with the help of glue, the second row of “boards”, velhouts, is installed and, if you want, pasted with veneer. But now, in general, it is not needed. The wood of the “mixers” is fully consistent with what is needed. And then you remove the wooden shell from plasticine and properly process it from the outside and from the inside with sandpaper. It remains to glue both “shells” and lay the deck on beams. And that’s all! You have a ready-made case in your hands, and it’s very durable and light. With such a case, it is not difficult to make the model floating, and even the ballast in it from the shot gets just amazing, so that no wind will turn it over on the water.
In general, our armored vehicles "there" are very popular, and the same company "Tamiya" willingly produces it. Here is the novelty of this company already - the Lendlizovskiy armored personnel carrier M3A1 with the inscription on board “We avenge the death of the commander of Guards. Lieutenant Irzin. " Obviously, the decal is made from photographs and, importantly, without errors! And the figures are very spectacular!
Alas, I could not finish this model, but the technology, as you yourself see, is very simple and easy to repeat in practice.
Earn on models!
This is all to the fact that engaging in large-scale modeling can be turned into a good source of income. But this will be discussed next time!
PS In the previous article, which dealt with the model of the T-24 tank, there should have been a drawing of it from the English magazine "Tankette" (No. 25 for the 1990 year). But then he was not found in the papers. But it was found now. This is how the first material in the West about this our Soviet tank looked like. A legitimate reason for pride, among other things. To create one that was ahead of the same British, tank trendsetters for a long time, it was worth a lot!
To be continued ...
- Vyacheslav Shpakovsky
- Large-scale modeling of the Soviet Union. Part of 1
Large-scale modeling: between the USSR and Russia
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