"Not Happy About Getting a Haircut"

[JamesOLeary]

I have been out of the loop for a while, so I am glad that I did not miss this group build. For my first entry, I want to do a diorama that I started a few days ago that until now I did not have a title for. It will be henceforth be known as, "Not Happy About Getting a Haircut". It will feature two figures that I sculpted, a Royal Models conversion, and 4 Bravo 6 conversions...or at least that is how it will be starting...

The first thing I did was take a piece of wood and cut away some of the block to act as the foundation of a facade of a bunker. I decided to use a bunker that my dad was supposed to use when Bearcat was under mortar or rocket attacks that was near his tent because it was on the large side that would be perfect for a backdrop for these figures. After the rough shape was cut out, I added a door frame with balsa wood. When that was dry, I rolled out some Magic Sculpt putty for the tarp that covered the doorway. I painted this and added the top part of the door frame to create some depth. Then the stacking of the sandbags began. I used Magic Sculpt to form the sandbags and textured them with the grid pattern on the handle of my model knife. After I had made the bunker, I realized that I had forgotten the tarp that was used on the roof after it was realized that the bunker leaked during the monsoon rains. I added that with another strip of thinned out Magic Sculpt. Once that was completed, I used sheet styrene to seal off the back of the base which I will paint black later on.

 

[JamesOLeary]

Next comes the painting of the sandbags and tarp. I won't be adding groundwork until the figures have been painted and the accessories gathered and prepared.

I used acrylics for the sandbags. In order to obtain the various colors of the sandbags as the real bunker had bags that were dark khaki, light khaki, and this weird bluish green color, I drybrushed the colors onto the bags after they had received their base coats, shading, etc.

 

[JamesOLeary]

So what figures am I going to use for this diorama? From left to right is a figure I sculpted of a guy popping open a beer, then a Bravo 6 conversion and this guy will be holding a beer, the Royal Model conversion, the second figure I sculpted of a guy holding a canned beverage, a Bravo 6 conversion made to represent the guy getting a haircut (he does not seem very pleased about it), the barber who is a Bravo 6 conversion, and finally, another Bravo 6 conversion of a guy leaning on the sandbag wall. In these photos, I was just getting the figures, poses, and placement figured out. I have since done some additional work on the figures to complete their posing and prepare them for painting. Photos of those will be forthcoming.

 

[Piet]

 

[moon puppy]

textured them with the grid pattern on the handle of my model knife

That's awesome, I was wondering how you did that.

 

[JamesOLeary]

Some progress on the figures. We have the smiling squad leader figure that I added some hair to his head and some patches to his uniform. I still need to come up with a right arm holding a beverage can.

This fresh casting of the figure I sculpted of the guy in the doorway will be used for that figure. Note the two puncture spots on the can where the church key can opener was used to open the can.

Then we have the unhappy Soldier who is being made to get a haircut.

Here is the barber with hair. I have a new right arm for him and put scissors in his hand but hadn't taken a photo of it yet.

And last but not least, we have the Soldier leaning up against the sandbags. I added hair, cut away the shoulder holster, and added breast pockets.

I drilled holes into the bottom of each figure's feet so I can mount them onto platforms for painting and hopefully I can get them primed by tomorrow.

 

[moon puppy]

Love the last guy's expression, like "what da..."

 

[JamesOLeary]

Some progress...I attached the right arm to the guy giving haircuts. The scissors are photo etched brass from the WW2 German barber kit from Bravo 6.

 

[Sherman 18]

Nice

 

[SA Dave]

This is awesome

 

[Duke Maddog]

Man I love seeing you bring these guys to life! Way to go man!

 

[JamesOLeary]

Thanks, guys. Here is a progress update. I got two more figures painted. The barber and the guy standing and leaning are both underway now (no photos yet).

 

[moon puppy]

OMG, that's Black Label beer?

 

[centaur567]

Great work so far!!! It's kinda what happened to me. My hair had gotten a little too long and when I got off of the Huey at Phu Loi without my hat on some Col. saw me and called my CO at Lai Kae. So when I got back, my platoon Sargent paid me a visit and chewed me out about my hair and to get a haircut right away. Gary S.

 

[JamesOLeary]

Great work so far!!! It's kinda what happened to me. My hair had gotten a little too long and when I got off of the Huey at Phu Loi without my hat on some Col. saw me and called my CO at Lai Kae. So when I got back, my platoon Sargent paid me a visit and chewed me out about my hair and to get a haircut right away. Gary S.

Then you can really identify with and appreciate this diorama, Gary. When I was a Recon Marine, there was a period when my platoon was conducting operations down south and we were temporarily allowed to grow our hair longer than normal so we wouldn't look military. We were preparing to go on another series of missions and were back at our battalion. While we were on the last one, we had gotten a new Sergeant Major who was not from the Reconnaissance community and apparently did not quite grasp what my platoon was involved in and why a non-Marine appearance was critical to our mission. He stopped one of my buddies as he was going to draw some radios from Commo and said something like, "What do you think you are? Some sort of Rock and Roll star or something, Marine?" My buddy replied with some smart ass answer which almost caused a mass haircutting session. Luckily our Platoon Sergeant was within earshot and convinced the Sergeant Major that such an action would jeopardize the lives of our platoon. Then back in our area he smoked the crap out of my buddy for being a smart ass.

 

[JamesOLeary]

Speaking of haircuts, the barber is done.

 

[Brokeneagle]

Looking excellent. Love it!

 

[Steve Ski]

Excellent scenario, great figure work, and woof, that's a lot of sand bags, Bro. Ruck On James!

 

[JamesOLeary]

Thanks, guys. Been working on the guy receiving the haircut. I should have him completed tonight.

 

[moon puppy]

I knew a guy who got a LOR over a stinkin' hair cut. First shirt told him 3 different times to get it cut, he just didn't want to do it. Dumbass...and no it wasn't me!