AT-ST niesen ESB diorama

[Scott Graham]

Hi all,

This is something I posted on other sites back in May of last year. Finally, I'm going to get off my butt and get back into building. Here goes...

Here's a Steve Niesen produced AT-ST from ESB with some 1/18 snowtrooper figures. I know it's sacrilege to use the action figures with an approx. 1/24 studio scale model, but I couldn't scratch new snowtroopers. They're action figures with their joints glued and puttied, with some additional painting.

I wanted to show them on the ground directing ground operations while the AT-ST walks past a generator (from an old speeder bike chassis) and some ammo containers (scratched).

Actually I can remove the snowtroopers from the base. They just sit in footprints sunk into celluclay. I'm thinking of making a rebel turret that's been blown up in place of them. That way there won't be a scale continuity problem.

By the way, this was photographed before I painted that viking-like symbol red.

I also did a composite with my crashed AT-AT and snowspeeder flying by it. I'll post that separately.

I'm currently about to start work on a metal armatured replica. It will have all the kit parts used to build it too. I'll post that as it progresses.

I hope you like it. Any feedback is appreciated.
Scott

[JAWS]

Holy crap Scott you have been seriously holding out on us brother! That is sensational. The whole thing looks that good its hard to tell any scale differences. I love it.

[Scott Graham]

Thanks Jason. I don't have much of a problem with the scale differences either - except when you try to figure out how the guys would fit inside the head...luckily there's a lot of distance between the head and the guys on the ground!

I know I've pretty much disappeared lately. I've been really burnt out. Work had been keeping me over busy in the latter half of the year. I hope to get back to being a builder instead of a kit collector.

EXCUSE 1: One thing always in the back of my mind is that I've developed an allergic reaction to super glue. From what I've read, it doesn't go away. What happens is that a few hours after using it I get asthma symptoms. My throat swells, I wheeze when I breathe, and my head gets stuffed up.

EXCUSE 2: If I didn't live in a studio apartment I might be able to leave the room. I have to spray outside too. And it's the middle of winter here. Oh well...excuses excuses...

[JAWS]

I can understand those excuses as all the stuff needed to complete these models is toxic. So just post what youve already done when its lkike that so we can admire your work!

[scratchy]

I've admired this build for some time on another site. May I ask, are those snowtroopers scratched?

Great job!

[427 Cobra]

(01-04-2010, 08:19 AM)Scott Graham Wrote: Thanks Jason. I don't have much of a problem with the scale differences either - except when you try to figure out how the guys would fit inside the head...luckily there's a lot of distance between the head and the guys on the ground!

I know I've pretty much disappeared lately. I've been really burnt out. Work had been keeping me over busy in the latter half of the year. I hope to get back to being a builder instead of a kit collector.

EXCUSE 1: One thing always in the back of my mind is that I've developed an allergic reaction to super glue. From what I've read, it doesn't go away. What happens is that a few hours after using it I get asthma symptoms. My throat swells, I wheeze when I breathe, and my head gets stuffed up.

EXCUSE 2: If I didn't live in a studio apartment I might be able to leave the room. I have to spray outside too. And it's the middle of winter here. Oh well...excuses excuses...

This is why I try to use the smallest amount of glue possible to join parts, and still have them be strongly bonded. Do you have an organic vapor filter respirator?

(01-04-2010, 10:09 AM)jasonwright.1972 Wrote: I can understand those excuses as all the stuff needed to complete these models is toxic. So just post what youve already done when its lkike that so we can admire your work!

Very toxic! That's why they have labels telling us to use these things outside. The problem is that you can't always go outside! Right now it's raining here. I'm just glad that I painted my clients' project yesterday. It's in the middle of winter where I'm at too,but we're going through a heat wave right now - about 50 - 55 degrees the last couple of days. This is the reason I took of advantage of this. I'm also glad that I didn't have a lot of spray painting to do!

[DarthDuck]

Looks fantastic to me!

And like you mention, anytime the larger figures (scalewise) are in the foregorund of a picture it's merely "forced perspective" and we all know that's actually a tool employed to trick people with photographs. There- for now on it was all on purpose and you are a genius!

[427 Cobra]

You know, I forgot to say the obvious - Great idea with the snowtroopers! I love the generator, and the background looks oddly familiar.

[DarthDuck]

^^^
Yeah,
Those modified SnowTroopers alone came out darn nice.


EDIT:
Dang, I just goofed! I was trying to acknowledge my appreciation of your work Scott and when I went to "rate" the thread I clicked too soon on one star????
I might have just skewed your overall rating downward? I am so very sorry.

[427 Cobra]

I voted for five stars,but it only went up to three stars. We need someone to vote one more time to make it five stars across. Don't worry Duckster - we all know this is a cool thread,and an excellent build!

I love the snowtroopers,which look like actual people in costumes, and not mannequines with boards shoved up their asses like the original action figures did!

[Scott Graham]

To answer scratchy: No they aren't scratched. They're aciton figures that I repainted. The joints are all filled in to make them look more real.

And thanks for the compliments guys!

[swfan78]

Love this build!! Nice to see one of these finished.

Isel

[Scott Graham]

Thanks Isel. Were you part of the mastering of that kit? That's how I remember it. It was fun to build. Now I've got the armature version to build from scratch too. Love that design of the ESB at-st.

[swfan78]

Scott,

I mastered it for Steve before Jason came out with the new pics. I'm working on a new version with an armature for myself now.

Isel

[JAWS]

I will be producing this kit now.
Hope to have it available early next year.

[Scott Graham]

PS: that diorama is for sale if anyone wants to offer for it. I haven't put up a sale post/thread yet, but have to make room for newer AT-STs! (Not sure about the figures though. I'm very happy with the conversions and might want to hold onto them.)

[bg_451]

Great idea with the Snowtroopers and awesome diorama!

[Cylon-Knight]

Amazing work, Scott!
How did you make the snow on the ground? It is spot on, I love the AT-ST footprint.

[Scott Graham]

Thanks guys! I used celuclay-like paper mach for the ground build-up, then painted it white and light blue. Over the top of those were sprinkled micro balloons for the final snow effect. If you use micro balloons, use a mask. They get everywhere and are as light as dust. You can inhale them easily. They're made up of glass balloons and some of them aren't formed completely. You don't want that stuff in your lungs!

[Red III]

Nice Work Scott! You're absolutely right about those micro balloons! But they sure come in handy. I mix them with epoxy resin or polyester resin and mold parts out of it or fill gaps and it sands very easily.