1:35 BBQ garden grill

Garden grill for a diorama in 1:35 scale

The 1:35 scale is the domain of military hardware, but it is exactly there that civilian props are scarcest. A garden grill on a doorstep or behind a fence works as a counterpoint to a machine — the viewer realizes at once that the scene takes place in an inhabited spot, not in a vacuum. The accessory is from the manufacturer Hauler. The material of the parts and their number are stated on the box.

What the accessory is for

It is not a kit of a machine but a piece of scenery. It suits a yard, a garden behind a house, a terrace and a suburban scene. It works well as a deliberately abandoned object too: an overturned grill in an overgrown garden says more about what is going on in a scene than a whole extra figure.

Building and painting tips

A grill is largely made of thin sheet, so check first whether both the grate and the bowl are symmetrical in shape; any deformation shows in 1:35. A painted surface is done with a gloss base and a fine gloss at the end — a matte grill looks as if it were made of concrete. The grate, by contrast, should be painted dark and matte, because it is fouled with fat and soot. Make ash inside the bowl: gray pigment applied dry, a few darker grains in it and one or two pieces of charcoal in a very dark brown with a drop of gloss. Dust the legs and the lower edges with a shade matching the ground of the scene, so that the object sits into the terrain visually and does not look laid on top of it.

Who the accessory is for

• Builders of dioramas in 1:35 scale who need civilian props
• Modelers who want to give a scene a contrast between hardware and everyday life
• Those who build scenes of suburbs, gardens and yards
• Figure modelers looking for a setting for a small vignette

This is a diorama accessory, not a model of a machine. A base, figures, glue and paints are not included in the package.