Month: April 2024

Earlier I made three 20mm AAVP-7A1 for the JGSDF. These were the fully tracked versions for the land battle. However the assault will be from the sea in the for of an amphibious landing, so I needed three in water version of the amphibious vehicles for Historicon.

Modeling the vehicles

The first step was to buy three additional kits and cut them down to the in water height. This process was much easier than I expected. I firstly went on the internet and found some pictures of the AAVP-7A1 in water, and then I used a razor saw to cut down parts. Only eight parts in each kit needed cutting and the entire process only took just over an hour for the three vehicles.

I was thinking about using the models in this state, but with the bottom missing I was worried about how much handling they would be able to withstand. I eventually decide to base the models on some ABS plastic sheet. The first step was to cut the ABS leaving enough room for some water effects. Again I used a real life photo to decide where to place the model on the base.

Putting on the water gel effects

I then matched the paint color of the base with the color of the water on my terrain mat, this meant combining dark blue, green and grey. Once matched I painted the base and then glued the vehicles onto it.

The next stage was to model the waves and splash using the photos as a reference. I used some really neat products produced by AK Interactive, their “water gel effects” and their “water foam”. Here is a link to their products page.

Firstly I applied the water gel effects using a brush. This product goes on white but dries clear. It is used to provide the surface texture of the water and can be used to simulate waves. For the higher wave peaks I put on two layers and allowed it to dry in between. Putting it on too thick in one go may prevent adequate drying. In the following photo you can see the drying in progress. The top vehicle had the gel effects applied first and the bottom one last. The phot allows you to see how I applied it and what it looks like when it starts to dry.

Adding the foam

Once the product was completely dry and clear, I then wanted to add the foam. Again I used reference photos. The shape of the foam at the front and rear is exactly how foam forms in real life. On the sides, I initially modeled reality, but when it was complete it looked too much. So I decided to back off the foam on the sides, particularly on the diagonal waves. In the end it looked much better. This case is one of those times where modeling accurately just does not look right and I had to achieve a balance that I was happy with.

The application was again done using an old small painting brush and dabbing the product on. The process only took about five to ten minutes per model.

Amphibious vehicles for Historicon

This was the first time that I had used these products and I was very happy with the results. I now have my amphibious vehicles for Historicon.

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This week I have been making hills for the Senkaku islands project. The scale of the game is 20mm and I wanted to make rocky hills that are typical of the island’s terrain. This project is the first time that I have tried carving rocks from foam and I have spent a number of hours viewing tutorial videos on YouTube.

Making the base structure

I first of all needed to decide how many hills that I needed and what size they would be. Finally, I settled on one large hill with a footprint of around 30″ wide and 18″ deep with a two part structure – a large base and a smaller outcrop on top. I will also have a second hill that is around 18″ wide and 12″ deep. these sizes will have an imposing position on the 6′ x 4′ terrain mat, but will still leave enough space for the game.
I was looking to achieve some height on the table so that the hills are taller than the lower level jungle terrain.

The first photo shows the two hill bases on the left and the top piece for the larger hill on the right. I first cut the green foam layers to the shape and size that I needed using my hot wire foam cutter. I then stacked and glued the green foam pieces using my hot glue gun. Finally, I cut pieces of the pink foam to represent the rock faces and “glued” them in place using insulation spray foam. This spray foam had the added advantage that it filled in the gaps between the pink foam pieces.

Carving the rocks.

The next stage is carving the rock using a knife. After watching a few videos, this process was not as difficult as it seems. I also used an old large paint brush to beat up the surface of the rock and change the texture. This process also causes realistic micro-cracks. I then filled in some gaps between the foam pieces with Dental Plaster, which is not shown in the above picture.

Base paint

The next stage was to paint the structure with an umber acrylic paint from Blick. I modified the color by lightening it with white and mixing in a touch of black to make it a light grey brown. I diluted the paint with water to allow it to get into all the nooks.

Detailing the rocks.

To detail the rocks I used a black wash to put a shading into all of the nooks. I also added some dilute rust color to some rocks for added color variety. After all of this dried, I over-sprayed the top half with a light grey misting of paint and the bottom with a darker grey. I used spray cans for this process.

In a later step I added some green wash near the bottom indents to represent moss. I still need to dust some of the rock edges with a white dry-brush to catch the light.

I also then sealed the top and some land-fall areas with a mud effect.

Flocking

The last thing that I added this weekend was the flock to the top. I used two colors of flock from Woodland Scenics. More detailing will need to be added over the next week or two. I also need to complete the second layer for this hill and do the second hill. The scene will also need bushes, extra flock and some water effects. I will also do some dry brushing to add contrast. The second layer should prevent the top looking too flat.

Making hills for the Senkaku islands

Making hills for the Senkaku islands was a new process for me, but I am happy with the progress. I think that they will go very well alongside the jungle terrain and terrain mat that are already complete. In May I plan to put everything on the table for a test run, so I should be able to get some good pictures of the finished table.

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