I make especially models in plastic, but sometimes i make one or another one in paper, to brake the monotony of the traditional modeling. First a football one and them a baseball stadium to be diferent. At least more 2 football ones and 2 baseball. Yes, i have also a tank to do so that's right in this blog (man, that sounds difficult, so i don´t know when i will make it). And paper is different, so you go to net and prints what you want, exept some models you can't bring from some publications. I remember that my father made some great paper models from daily notebooks, and it is possible that modeling started with mills and stone houses. It´s more easy than plastic? I don´t think so, because i spend many time to disguised the bases and to hide de excess of glue (lol), and when i'm finally done the stadium i just think in gettig back for the plastic. Anyway, it is also an art, and if a stadium is not difficult (i've made two so far), a tank or a ship is, at least for me, it´s much more hard to do, and i have no ideia how some modellers make them so perfect, like it is real. Anyway, lets see the process and final work of my two diferent stadiums (the paper tank is next...lol).
Fig.1 - A paper tank from "battle of the branches". Only the idea of making several parts give me the creaps.
Modeling in paper was never for me an area with good results, specially in school, but after the aquisition of 3 football stadiums, i make the choice to do them, god or bad, but at least i tried (most of the stadiums in lego or 3d puzle are expensive).
Fig. 2 - "Luz" stadium were Benfica Lissabon plays in the past, was my first paper model. For me, a fine result since i never build paper models before.
About 30 years ago the newspaper "A Bola" made editions of 3 stadiums from FCP, SLB and SCP, with a very good price. Only in the last year i build the first one, since paper was not my school. For me the result was interesting, so i continue.
Fig.3 - Top view of the construction. Miss the cabines in the left top.
The "Estádio da Luz" (Light Stadium in inglish) in the model does not exist anymore. Was demolish to give place to the new one, much larger and with better conditions in time of the 2004 European championatship.
Fig. 4 - Structure and walkways put on. Miss the stadium wall.
Doing the model was not easy since the paper is not, how we say in Portugal, "my beach". Also the instructions were not very clear so the photographs were a good adiction to the missing directives, and there are a lot in the net.
Fig.5 - Part of the tribune is done, but in the rear is missed the elevators.
The fact that this was a unique stadium was a fine statement to the final result. Since the light towers and the absense of coverture were a good way to identify the "Estadio da Luz" i give special atention tho this item.
Fig. 6 - This is a construction from newspapper " A Bola" and " Telecel", now Vodafone.
An aerial view of the recint almost completed with trees and publicity put on the base. The adictition of other support material like sphincter balls and cartoon panels give's a better and more realistic persepction tho the exterior area.
Fig.7 - A image with some trees and publicity put on the stadium.
Not a single piece of glue see in this model. That's the spirit, and all the publicity helped covering the pieces were was used in excess. I don't like paper glue so i used the best one for my that is the UHU stick that we find in any local supermarket.
Fig.8 - Around the Stadium, with the iluminations towers put and the electronic painels.
Was he can se the name of the stadium is one the base. The fine quality of the model was a nice suprise since all the pieces came together without no problems, so the plans to do more ones was put on my mind.
Fig.9 - Another view of the public ramps.
Most of the trees were reforced with cartoon since they were to fragile to be in the right position (or erected, was i say...lol), but for the other ones was no need. Also the lights and presidential tribune was easy to complete.
Fig.10 - View from the tribune with some publicite
A fine experiênce in the end, without paints and oils, with just the old glue. True that i put much more publicite that i expected but was we can see, there's no principiant mistakes in the maquette, and is the first one in paper.
Fig.11 - Was not easy to make the protection wall around the stadium and public acess.
Cheap and true model in any good stadium colection. But was time for a new one, with a more rustic experiênce. I went to the net and print a model not seen in Portugal: A Baseball stadium in paper, just to do.
Fig. - 16 - Another paper stadium, this time the old one from the Chicago Cubs baseball team.
And there it is. Chicago Cubs baseball stadium made from paper from the company Paper Toys, directly from the Net. It was not a easy build since there was differences between the original field and the one from the download, but was made.
Fig.17 - The exterior of the recint.
Also the instructions were not easy so i made some improvements from the kit, with plastic and board. The photos are from the old and first stadium, since i'm working in the new one, a little different and much more big than the other. But if this one was interesting, i hope the other will be a blast.
Fig.- 18 - Entrace of the stadium. These detail was not in the original model from Paper Toys.
For me there' s only one Germany (like today) in time and space. The RDA and the ones from the Kaiser or Hitler, were part of the past from just one nation that see the day light in XIX century, so i make this demonstration with only one country. Being only one the nation with a very strong history were armed forces were present, especially in WW1, WW2 and Cold War, Germany had a very rich and a significant historical number of parades since at least 1910. Of course nazi is polemic era and for many RDA was a different history, but geographic the space and people were the same, so i organized all in Germany post, since the first record of images is only from the start of XX century (RDA had only about 50 years and the Nazis 12 years). The images speak for himself, and even with the facist regime, there's material and troops with a lot of great means, for example for modeling. Probably the Kaiser times are not also consensual, with wars and polemic situations, but again it's very rich military terms. Racism problems and idiologies are not the worst today for the Germans, as their armed forces face the weight of years of abandon after the end of cold war. Air Force, Army and Navy have only in service a small fraction of their material, and for example none of their submarine are operational (and probably they wont be in the next pair of years). Being a NATO nation there's a significant urgency to resolve this question, but the policy of German is much more economical than military. So, lets see the videos and enjoy without ideologic questions (because in this blog men and material are the most important).
I made the Stug IV from Revell some time ago, but only now i talk about what was one of my best tank models streight from the box. Working almost at 1/72 give me the possibility to mix planes with vehicles, like in a air base scenário or in a crash scene. So, in display he have de company of a kuwel in a medium base with some trops.
But for this publication i put on a EOL display, solo, with some soldiers from Matchbox, Esci and Airfix (i love old kits). The model was so good that in times i brought another one to do the second version (in the box), but time and money are short so i sold him to a friend (in the meen time, i recieve a lot of models to repear, and there it was a stug III and Jagpanther). Talking about the kit, it was a fine experiênce without any problems and were all the pices worked just fine, with a great detail and always the possibility of add new pieces if we want to, or removing shielding in the sides. In the end i like the result and i advise who like to work in 1/72 tanks or attack guns to build this one. Even the price is good, what not always is a important aspect by Revell. But let's talk about in more detail.
For a 1/72 model a lot of pieces and instructions. Several days in montage, and some of the areas like the weels or the main gun, requires some time and attention, even they match just fine. Probably the most dificult piece was the support of the machine gun, who broke some times, but nothing to worry about.
I don´t know why the machine gun never came with bullets or the boxes for them. At this time i resolved the problem making misself the boxes in plastic and the bullets with tape and cobert wire little pieces, but today Roco have all that staff in 1/89 what is fine por using in 1/72 kits. Sometimes i made the hand scracht but for 5 euros it´s much more easy to buy a full hand of acessories.
Stell plates are most important pieces in this model, so one of the reasons i chose this version was that de model have them with camouflage. I cut one of the plates like he was lost in the battle field and although the support is fragile they don't brake. And with the conclusion of this part, assembly was all made, so time to go the painting.
I used Tamiya and Revell acrylics in my Aztec airbrush and i was very happy with the result. After, and to give the final touch in some parts, i applied enamel paints with a brush. A final step using dry brush 3 or 4 times in some parts, and finnito . Great the way that paint basically went good to the fist round, with only a minor nead to make some corrections.
After painting came the oils, who give that old and use aspect to the model. First the black and then in the some parts more close the ground, the dust efect with burned siena and umber. In this fase i never used dry pastel, wich is one of the main tecniques for me today (but not in that time, since was new to me, and i prefer a more confortable way to doing so).
Troops were painted with enamel from Revell. This old Esci and Fujimi figures are very good to put in the tanks, with some modifications using Hasegawa parts and ajusting the arms with a stileto and plastic glue. Today, some marks make crew from most everything in a number of different poses, like in 1/72 and 1/48.
The base was alredy done and i brought from EOL in Paris, probably one of the best physical stores that i enter. From kits to paints, passing by vacum form and also Rc models, there's a unique diversity that is a gift to all the clients. And the personnel? 5 stars and a special simpathy to the tourists who like to read and speak about military history.
I'm not a fan of ceramics bases, but this one is very good and much of the work is just fine. I remember that the display at the store had several ones, in different size and cenário, but the money was always short, so i brought just one. The curiosity: They were all civillian bases, so i chose one that could be used in a military cenárium.
In the end a good and detailed model (at least for 1/72 scale), made from a Stug IV series from a "people's company", the Revell (not a specific or hard one model company), with a nice price and completed with international material from a french super store. Old figures from ancient marks only made my modeling more happy. And salute to all o make this hobby out there. Cheers.
Since the 40's that Portuguese Navy uses the 40 mm Bofors Gun in their ships, first has a anti-aircraft gun (AA) in Frigates and Corvettes, but in the Colonial War the 40mm caliber started to be used as the main gun in patrol and landing craft ships (the gun substitute the Oerlinkon 20mm). After the war, 40 mm was used in the new OPV from Viana do Castelo class but only for a short time, since was substituted in a par of years for the 30 mm Marlin (3 millions each), operated with remote control from the main bridge. But when Portugal brought from Denmark the ancient SF300 class, the ships came without the main gun, and the solution was only to put a manual 0.50 caliber with two sailors operating the gun, because there's no money for more. Since the Navy has a lot of 40 mm Bofors from for example Cacine class (and others who are not more in service), a cheap way to resolve the problem and at the same time have a good firepower could be modernize the weapon with a kit (or more) that transforms the ancient wepon in a full automatic gun with auto loader and a coverture against the weather. Let´s see how (special atention to the 2 PDF links, who explain all the process in detail).
Fig.1- Bofors 40mm L70 with a coverture to protect the gun from the weather conditions. This is a upgrade since that the original model his opened.
Fig.4 - The CDU view in the main gun. The weapon can be controlled also from the bridge if the client request to do so. The L70 model could receive a similar system.
Fig.5 - The land model use by Indian Army modernized. We can see the digital console at left. This is a modernizations that could be done in most of the least models of the gun.
Fig.10 - Another Patrol Ship in a African River , during a real fire situation. The problem with this model was that was not auto, so needed a crew of 3 or 4 sailors.
Fig. 13 - Viana do Castelo OPV were initially armed with a slight modernizations of the bofors 40 mm. All the system was electrified só de crew only had to put the munition and fire the gun.
Fig.14 - A modernized L70 model in tha brazilian navy. Some navies like the Finland and Norway have modernized the weapon to put in torpedo and patrol boats. Others they prefered to buy the new Mk4 model made by BAE.
Most likely, after the Berlin Wall, the most spoken barrier is what we call the "Trump Wall" in between México and the United States of America. I don´t like Trump presidency, but the wall was there since Clinton times, and the actual presidente wish to fortify and extend the one that already exists. Of course Mexico doesn´t want, but himself made one huge wall in border with Guatemala. And all around the world the reality of the fence or wall, is present, from Europe to Africa, passing by Asia and ending in America. So, is not only between USA and Mexico, but a global problem in the planet, that the midia hypocrisy only talks about one or another, acording to the ideology or geopolitics situation, when is a global reality, and maybe beguins in the personal nead of safety that wich one of us have in is personality. Reasons are varied: Since security to imigrations problems, passing by the need to counter the population to run away, or also an ancestral state of war, there are thousands of reasons who leaves to the construction of a fence or wall, especially in border areas. Is only the seccond chapter about walls and fences, but i think if we want to talk seriously, much more will come.
