The shape of the Wespe Models cab of the Ford G917T truck just didn't look right to me, too wedge shaped and wide at the rear, especially after it was put next to my scratch built pick up truck bed and running boards.

My AMS (Advanced Modeler Syndrome) kicked in and I had to do something about it. I was dreading making the modification, hoping it would not take too long and be too difficult. My drawing showed a cab width dimension of 60" (1.524m) or 1.25" (3.175cm) in 1/48th scale. The Wespe cab was 1.45" (3.683cm), .2" (5.08mm) too wide. I had to remove .1" (2.54mm) from both sides of the cab.

With my calipers, I scribed lines .1" from the engraved lines on the back of the cab. I cut through the engraved lines and again at the .1" marks. I marked and cut small triangles from the roof.

After sanding the mating edges straight, I CA glued the sides to the roof.

I think it better represents the shape of a Ford 1939 pick up truck now and it took about an hour.

Thanks Louis, hotrodders chop the top down, I had to chop the sides lol. The paint is a weird cream/ivory color with a hint of green. I'll have to custom mix.

You're right, if I hadn't fixed it, every time I looked at that truck I would have regretted it, even though it would be off to the side and not the focal point..

I'm going down the "Rabbit Hole". Even though the pick up truck isn't the focal point of the diorama, it is on the outer edge, closest to the viewer so it needs to look good with detail.

The kit's door and hood trim is flat (see photos page 3) and should be 3 stamped half rounds, going to 2 on the hood going to 1 near the grille. I removed the kit detail, sanded smooth and used super thin CA to glue the .020" styrene rod to the door and hood. The capillary action of the CA wants to pull the rod towards the applicator, so I had to be careful to keep a straight line.

Experimenting with simulated green shed roofing felt for the flat roofs of the buildings on the diorama. It consists of green construction paper, irregularly over-sprayed with Rustoleum green spray paint, misting some un-thinned Vallejo black acrylic paint and a wash of thinned white acrylic.

Edges sanded with course grit sandpaper on the backside of the paper.

As Tom says, building a diorama needs an equal hand across all components. Like the movies themselves, there has to be a narrative that demands a ‘wilful suspension of disbelief’ to allow the viewer to enjoy the illusion. After all, we know that these miniatures are not real, the same way we know the characters in a movie are actors. When something ‘jars’ it takes you out of the scene in a diorama; this project, I suspect, will have no difficulty pulling the observer in. And keeping them there for a while.

Your attention to detail is mesmerising, and if ‘Advanced Modeler Syndrome’ is a disorder, you have a chronic case, Michael. I could watch this stuff all day long. In a previous post I cited Shep Paine as an inspiration; in your case he is more a contemporary.

“Down the rabbit hole” - beats reality all day long, for my money. Hope you are having as much fun building as we are watching.

"The Gas Shack is a little old place where we can get together
Gas Shack, baby (a-Gas Shack, baby)
Gas Shack, baby, Gas Shack
Gas Shack, baby, Gas Shack (Gas, baby, that's where it's at)" Paraphrasing the B-52s. No. Okay. Anyway...

For the weathered wood effect, I thinned Grumbacher Raw Umber Oil Color with 90% Isopropyl Alcohol. The Iso evaporates quickly and won't warp the wood. It doesn't stink as much as Mineral Spirits either.

david, @dirtylittlefokker, touch'e. The tin roof rusted is coming with the Grocery Store when I do the corrugated sheet metal roof.

Man - don't know how I missed jumping into this thread! What a ride! Love all your small touches that just bring every detail to life.