I thought you might like an update on the Plancenoit project.
Some of you when studying the Siborne model may have noticed in the Plancenoit section a complex building that falls away down towards the small stream and also has a right angular extension at a different base height to the remainder. This has proved a headache in modelling terms. The completed building has to be mounted on polystyrene which has to be cut and glued using wood glue to the wooden base.
This first photograph shows a birds eye view and the second the various heights of this 'fall away' building before painting of which more in a second note.
We use card in either two or three layers glued together with Uhu or wood glue. We don't over detail these models which after all form a background to the main human action of the fighting. Therefore don't use brick or stone plastic or paper mass -produced material and instead use scrap ribbed and rough cardboard to imitate weathered and damaged roof tiles. For more extensive battle damaged areas we expose underlying structures. Again with slates we mark out a piece of card with vertices lines and cut horizontal strips glueing down each one onto a backing - note the finished effort on the largest roof and the 'yet to be done' right angled extension - so that they overlap as per a real slate roof.
For windows there is a strong case for using factory produced plastic ones but there is the issue of size and also battle damage so again why bother with too much precision.
The diorama shows this area of the Siborne model
Next up is the outstanding series of Prussian cavalry done by one of the team (I don't name names, but their work is much appreciated).
Casualties are a key feature and we need literally thousands:
Finally, large numbers of Prussian infantry are approaching:
My thanks to all those who are making this project come alive!
Many thanks for your comments. Here are a few images updating your on progress. They mostly show the south side of the village around the Presbytery. You can see that the scenery itself is still pretty basic and needs to be brought to the same standard as the first two sections of the model. The tributary of the Lasne Brook will be much narrower, almost a ditch really. More on my blog at: http://generalpicton.blogspot.com
Amazing! What a battlefield. The pic with the field and the fire in the background is stunning! And the amount of troops. I admire your perseverance and discipline.
Many thanks all! The big question is whether we expand the village to the south along the ridge line which takes in a road and row of about 20 houses (gulp!). This would incorporate the classic picture of the Prussians advancing while being raked by fire from the windows of the village houses. Or do we spread east to allow for the mass of Bulow’s Corps to deploy - this is where the cavalry and artillery will largely be. We have to do both in due course, so it’s simply a question of sequencing.