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101st AIRBORNE AT CARENTAN, JUNE 1944

Unintended Consequences, or Not.

Just a heads up, I’ve run across a fluke, or unintended consequences, that can't be changed and will now become part of the narrative. The plaque has already been ordered and reads accordingly.

At this stage of the game one might panic, freak out, soil one’s drawers, or go berserk, but I pulled some heavy G’s climbing out of this mess and it looks like I got lucky with an additional useful effect completely by accident. HA!

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I knew there was something up when I used Rust-Oleum Matt Varnish to secure some of the ground work. I would normally use Dull Coat, which has a much finer spray, but the Rust-Oleum was just handy at the time. I went a little too heavy on the spray leaving a beading effect on the Heki grass, but a surprising effect was created when I continued on a few days later.

I won’t reveal it now, but I’ll give you a hint, DEW. I don’t think I’ll become a hero of the creative effects world or make a mint from discovering this accidental effect, but it could prove useful for other applications, who knows. Regardless, it stays now, too late to change.

More to follow soon and thanks for watching. Cheers, Ski.

P.S. I’ll need to work the path from the tracks and wheel, and maybe even some footprints, but this shouldn’t be too difficult to adjust.
 
Lol, thanks, Ken.

A rather simple mistake and poof, I've created a monster, HA! I'll cut loose with the process as soon as I can duplicate the effect. One more ingredient and you got it. It's easy to overdo or go too far, so practice seems to be the watch word on this process. I'm not sure how it will work on the smaller scales, but it seems to be ok here in this scale.

I had to add a bit more, hope I didn't jack it all up.:blush:
 
The DEW Effect

This diorama has been completed and is on the photo bench, so now I will explain how my freak discovery occurred. As mentioned before, I inadvertently mixed a few chemicals that reacted unexpectedly and came up with this DEW effect. Again, I say, completely by accident. However, the results appear to be acceptable and this may turn out to be a decent effect, but there should be some refining of the process.

How did I do it? The three ingredients in the photo below are all that is needed to experiment with this process further. Items needed: Rust-Oleum Matt Clear, 90% Isopropyl Alcohol, Heki grass. I also used a small spritzer bottle and an old hair dryer.

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After the Heki grass is secured to the base/test board, spray the grass using Rust-Oleum Matt Clear with a “light coat.” Let that set over night. The next day, using a spritzer filled with 90% Isopropyl Alcohol, spray the grass again and immediately start drying the area with an old hair dryer on low temp. You will begin to see a white DEW-like effect start to appear on the Heki grass.

Remember, Rust-Oleum is a heavy spray right from the can, but Dull Coat is more of a mist and should be more suitable for smaller scale effects. Be aware that the heavier you spray the Matt Clear the more out of proportion the effect will appear, so you’ll need to be measured in your applications to avoid a heavy overdone appearance. Play with this technique to see how this will work for you.

Lastly, I simply do not have enough Heki grass to make a full investigation into whether this will produce consistent results every time, but you can try this for yourself and let me know how it works.

That’s a wrap! Final pics coming soon and thanks for watchin. Cheers, Ski.
 
Embarrassing Moments In The Early Mornin Dew, Carentan, June 1944

120mm Airborne Resin Figures Sculpted by Maurice Corry, offered by Mitches Military Models, Freedom Model Kits 1/16th German Sd.kfz.2 Kettenkraftrad Typ HK 101.

Resin figures painted in oils over an acrylic base. Scratch built outhouse and fencing with standard ground work applied over blue construction foam.

Bob was not expecting guests this fine June morning when he made a quick stop to take care of business. Freddie and Billy, however, were pretty giddy when they found a prize souvenir and plenty of chow and booze in the back of the track-bike. Sgt. Hank kept Bob under guard while the booty was tallied. Poor Bob!

This was a really fun build with a great set of figures and some good old scratch work as well. This is by far the quickest I have ever produced a Large-Scale figure diorama, just under six months.

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All comments welcome. Cheers, Ski.
 
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