small diorama "Hetzer in Hinterhalt" / "Hetzer in ambush"

For this as for many other small dioramas I use small picture frames which I get for 1 USD.
I take the glass and paper out and fill it with a piece of foam board.  There i mark the dimensions on which I can place the scenario. With a air drying powder I created some small basics so that I can use them for different dioramas. Below is one with a wall.

The frame which I get for just 1 Dollar.

  You have only to consider that most air drying stuff is shrinking a lot. Therefore I had to extend everything later again. My mistake!

 

The finished mini diorama, a German Hetzer somewhere in the west waiting for "friends"

 

Cromwell recovery in 1-144 final part

In the last days I managed it to get the British tank crews  painted. So now they can take care for the recovery of this unlucky tank driver who came of the road.
For the recovery the HQ sent two crews. First the Scammel wrecker will get his chance.

The Scammel is from British Gramodels and looks nice. The building was a bit hard, my wheels were not as good as with the second Scammel I got. Finally I added the bar and some other details. 
But I like the model, nobody else has it in his program and the price is very fair!

While the crew of the Scammel discusses what's the best way to get the tank out of the ditch, the Cromwell recovery tank arrived. He should be able to tear his "brother" out f the ditch.

What's next?

At the moment  I build again a small diorama. I tried a different material to form the house fronts. So far I;m satisfied with the results. I only have to finish painting and have to decide which tank will be presented.

As I started with 3D printing, one of my first trials was a 5 ton Bilstein crane. In most cases it was fixed to a Buessing truck and not to an Opel Blitz. But for a test and as I do not have a Buessing or the Einheits truck I use one of my Opels.

Now for a much longer time on my bench, I have this unfinished Bergehetzer.
I started and then stopped with this project last year. At the moment I think about doing all needed parts with 3D printing so that the model will have a chance to get finished this year.

More progess with my first British tank crews. I urgently need them to finalize the diorama with the Cromwell recovery tank and the Scammel wrecker. Let's see how long it will take.

Cromwell ARV tank in 1-144 update

As I got the question what sources I used to build the tank, it"s quite easy, I checked a lot of Cromwell's in the scale 1/72 and wrote done what they had added. In the next step I generated a 3D drawing to get an idea about the dimensions. So take a look at the picture.
Maybe I will start and print some conversion kits with one of the 3D printer shops.

Cromwell ARV tank in 1-144

I just finished my work on the British recovery tank. As you can see on the pictures, the rebuild is not that challenging, all you have to do is

- remove the turret
- close the hole with a plate and two small openings 
- add the crane on the side
- add some boxes and additional stuff for the crew
- add the wire for the towing job

I hope soon I present you the tank together with some other stuff on a small diorama.

on my bench at the moment

As I do not have that much time at the moment I can show you only some stuff what is waiting for me.

- I started a diorama with a bunker with an Panzer II turret on it

- a diorama with some British tanks in recovery

- a Famo with an Bilstein crane on his back

- a mini diorama with a narrow gauge train 

Bunkers in San Francisco part III

I have uploaded all pictures on an online storage service. So if anyone of my readers is interested in getting access to them, please send me a mail or leave comment and you will get access.