1:35 Německý zdravotnický set

The small things that tell a story

Medical equipment has a different role on a diorama than vehicles do. Stretchers, bags, bottles and crates do not look at anything themselves, but they say at once what has just happened in the scene. Set out in a half circle around a lying figure they create a focus toward which the gaze converges from everywhere. That is exactly why it does not pay to scatter all thirty-six parts evenly: a stronger picture comes out when some of the objects are heaped up by the casualty being treated and the rest stays set aside, as though nobody had got round to them.

The tie to figures and to a vehicle

The set comes into its own best where two levels of action meet. An ambulance or a carrier with the rear doors open gives the scene a large volume, the medical small things add a human sense of scale to it and help explain why the vehicle stopped. The sheet of decals has a crucial share in that: the marks and lettering on the containers and crates are the only thing that tells the viewer on a small area what kind of material it is.

Resin and the preparation of the parts

The castings are separated from the casting blocks with a saw or the cut of a sharp knife, not by snapping them off, because the thin sections crack easily. Before painting it is a good idea to wash the parts in lukewarm soapy water and let them dry properly, otherwise the mold release residue will repel the base coat. Decals hold on a glossy base, so gloss varnish belongs on the places under them and a matte coat over the whole assembly once dry. Keep the remaining castings aside, the small containers will come in useful in later supply scenes as well.