1:35 GERMAN TRAFFIC SIGNS 1930-40s

German traffic signs of the 1930s and 1940s in 1:35 scale from MiniArt

This is not a kit of a vehicle but an accessory for a diorama. The set covers German road signage of the 1930s and 1940s in 1:35 scale. It serves to give a scene a clear place and time: a sign by the road often does more for the believability of a scene than another vehicle.

Use in a scene

• Establishing the place and time of a scene without any need for further text or a label.
• Completing a road or urban scene at a junction, a bridge or an entrance.
• Creating a vertical element that breaks up a flat diorama composition.
• Leading the viewer's eye toward the main model of the scene.

Building and painting tips

The posts and stands are thin, so separate them with a file or a knife with a fresh blade and reckon with their bending easily. For a firm setting in the base it pays to drill a hole and sink the post into it rather than just gluing it to the surface. Paint the face of the sign separately and attach it to the holder only at the end. If the set contains decals, lay them on a glossy surface and once dry cover them with a matte layer, so that the glossy frame disappears. Believability comes from slight wear: a dirtied lower part of the post, fine dust and a barely noticeable fading of the face turned away from the road. Never set signs perfectly vertical and new — out in the field they do not look like that.

Who the set is for

• Builders of dioramas with a European road and urban theme.
• Modelers who want to give a scene an unambiguous context of time and place.
• Those interested in accessories that take up no room and still move a scene on.
• Those building display-case scenes in a consistent 1:35 scale.

This is a diorama accessory, not a model of a vehicle. It is supplied unassembled and unpainted; glue, paints and a base are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.