History in Miniature

[LtNovakUSA]

I'm wondering if anyone else here is also into building historical models? I started as a young kid, as I'm sure a lot of us did, but never really stopped as a grew up. I mostly build 1/35 scale Armored Vehicles from WWII, and find it fascinating to research the vehicles and units they belonged to. It's a really great way to relax on a rainy day.

The photo below is of a 1/35 scale Italian L6/40 light tank. It had a crew of two, and was completely outclassed by the time World War II started. Nevertheless was pressed into frontline service. It saw combat in North Africa, the Balkans and Russia as well as being used by the Germans for Anti Partisan operations in France and Russia. I built this model to represent of an L6/40 assigned to the 14th Alessandria Cavalry Regiment in Albania at the beginning of 1943.

It was a small vehicle, and as a result the model is small too. It's about 4 inches long. I also modeled the interior of the fighting compartment and engine.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3789/12580982844_766e3902f2_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/80737626@N05/12580982844/)
025-A (http://www.flickr.com/photos/80737626@N05/12580982844/)

[Pork Chop]

That's really cool. You're damn good at that, too.

My father served on the USS LOS ANGELES heavy cruiser CA-135 back in the '50s. My wife found an old REVEL model of her on eBay and bought it for me. I intend for my son & I to try and build it, but I haven't done a model since I was very young.

If it turns out a tenth as nice as your work, I'll be thrilled. :)

[SilverBullet432]

Wow that is bad-ass! ;) Now that is skill! I tried making a model from scratch once.... Looked like a picasso :lol:, and by that I meant, deformed...

[Magic_Salad0892]

I want to make a miniature Reichstag one day.

[Pork Chop]

I wouldn't mind seeing more of what you've done, if you care to post it.

[montanadave]

Way back when, I had a buddy that was very talented at model building. Most were WWII models of similar scale to that in the OP. Incredible detail. He'd heat and stretch the plastic frame which held the parts to form whip antennas and spools of tow cables. Sets of tanks painted in proper camouflage for the Eastern Front, Western Front, and North Africa. He had stacks of mags that illustrated the unique designs and equipment modifications of different combat units and the techniques used to create authentic replicas.

And this was in grade school and junior high. After looking over his collection and watching him work, I took most of my models and tossed 'em in the trash. :D

[SteyrAUG]

When I was a kid I probably had about 25 WWII model airplanes suspended from my ceiling. My favorite was a large scale (about a 30" total wingspan) Corsair. When I went to school in Iowa my mother took the opportunity to throw every one of them away along with a lot of my other childhood stuff.

As much as I loved building models, that kind of took the fun out of it for me. Every time I was in a hobby store and say something interesting that I might normally buy, I'd remember I used to have one like that and eventually stopped going to the hobby stores completely.

[Doc Safari]

I would love this to turn into a diorama photo thread. :D

I built armor models well into adulthood. I got good enough to paint small details on 1/35 faces and install scratchbuilt interiors in tank models.

Then one day I discovered guns....

...and modeling was history.

[TMS951]

I don't build models myself but I would love to see you post up more of your work.

[CGSteve]

I like the idea of it but I know I don't have the patience or discipline to put forth the attention to detail that I would desire of them.

[sandman99and9]

I used to build models like crazy !! I can't even begin to count how many tanks, planes, and navy ships I built from snap together to giant versions of the battle Bismark and a B-52 that covered the ceiling in my bedroom. Once I moved to Florida and discovered the joy of fireworks my collection started getting progressively smaller and smaller :) I am sure that I went to school with an exacto knife kit in my pocket a few times when I brought models in to show my class.

I actually went into a store a while back to look at some models but they are stupid expensive now plus with 3 boys playing baseball I don't have the spare time at all.



S.M.