Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Armour Modelling No.101


MR. SUMITOMO TAKAHIRO built a superb diorama of Russian tank out of the 1:35 scale Stalin Heavy Tank JS-2 kit released from Tamiya. He describes the construction in detail. While the kit of the JS-2 was assembled simply, its construction was completed very tight similarly to other Tamiya kits. It is the remarkable specialty of Tamiya products as well as the proportion he says. Though the kit provides enough parts to complete the model, he added details to the model using other parts. The casting marks are emphasized by tapping down the putty. The lights cords are added. The damage marks are added to the fenders and spare tanks. The tracks are of Modelkasten instead of the kit for he set the diorama scene as the tank was passing through on the bumpy earth. He set the diorama scene as " the JS-2 tank of Polish Army runs up the muddy slope " and tried to make a scene which tank crew carefully looked into the lumbers laid under the tank. It was the first time for him to build such a sloped and twisted earth. It was very hard work he said. The loped earth was built by piling up the drainboard-like thin board strips, on which woodfolmo was heaped up. After dry, a garden soil was spread over them. To fix those garden soils, the woodworking bond dissolved in water was sprayed heavily over them with atomizer.