1:35 BOTTLE CRATE, 6 PCS.

Bottle crates 1:35, six pieces, ELEFANT

According to the name the set holds six bottle crates in 1:35 scale. It is neither a model of a vehicle nor an addition to one, but a stand-alone prop intended for dioramas and vignettes. It is exactly such small things that give a scene a civilian dimension: crates of bottles belong in yards, outside pubs, on the beds of trucks, in stores and beside field kitchens, and thanks to them a finished scene stops reading as a pure display of military hardware.

What the accessory is for

A diorama lacks scale and story until there are objects in it that the viewer knows from everyday life. A crate is ideal precisely because it has an understandable size, it stacks, it can lie overturned and it takes any degree of wear. Six pieces in the package also let you build groups and let them read as a store or as work in progress, rather than as a single isolated object. Whether bottles are part of the casting or are supplied separately is stated on the box of the set.

Building and painting tips

First wash the castings in lukewarm water with a drop of detergent and let them dry well, so that no mold release agent stays on the surface and the paint takes hold. Cut the remains of the casting blocks off with a saw or a sharp knife and sand the surface back; when sanding resin, work wet and protect your breathing. Choose super glue, because cement for plastic will not take on this material. Lay the base down with primer, suggest the wood in thin coats and let the undertone show through, bring the grain of the planks up with a dark wash and the edges with a dry brush. Finally add dust and mud according to the setting you are placing the scene in.

Who the accessory is for

• Makers of dioramas and vignettes in 1:35 scale
• Modelers who build a civilian setting around military hardware
• Anyone interested in small props that give a scene scale and story
• Those who want to practice imitating wood on a small area

The accessory is supplied unassembled and unpainted and is neither a model of a vehicle nor a kit. Paints, glue and a base are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.