Quad tractor

Something Odd!

Now, this...
this is,
well...
Odd.

I had a spare jeep - they're so cheap - about £5 each, and they come with a trailer.  I've already made one, without the trailer - so i had a spare 1/35 scale US Wiley's jeep, and two trailers.

I sawed the back half off the jeep, and used both trailers to make a rear flat bed unit.  I rigged up a double rear axle, and cobbled the whole lot together.  A real cut and shut - it's totally fictional, made up from my imagination - in reality it wouldn't work - but I wanted to build something different.

I then wondered what to use it for, and I imagined a couple of British soldiers driving around during WWII scavenging kit and supplies to "sell" on or trade.

And this is what I ended up with.

German machine gun crew

This was a mini project...
1. I needed more practice painting figures
2. I had some spare figures.
3. I needed something to do while I was waiting for the paint to dry on another build!

1941 Gaz AAA plus field kitchen.

Hi, well, this is going to be my next project...

I wanted to deviate from my usual comfort zone of US or UK, plus, something a bit older looking.

First comes the engine block, then the read differentials and wheels.  Each wheel is made up of something like 7 parts each!

Building up the chassis now, ready to add the wheels.  I've already painted in the ironwork with a good amount of rust wash on the leaf springs.

So, it's now starting to look like a truck now.

Running boards and rear compartment added - all wood, so base coated with a wood colour to start. Then some kursk earth colour "sprayed" on by mixing kursk earth, some talc powder and a little burnt sienna acrylic - dip the top of an old toothbrush in and drag a thumbnail over to flick it over the base to simulate mud splatter.

Need to work on that woodwork...

... base coat brown, add knotting with burnt sienna and a 000 brush, scuff some areas and add highlights...

... emphasise planking, steelwork and so on.

Then to add some "life" to the setting...

A few ammo boxes, tarps (made from das modelling clay), the field kitchen, and some figures.

And here's the finished diorama.