Hi Everyone - I hope that you're all well today!

Now that Euro Militaire is over for another year, I thought that those that weren't at the show may like to see the completed diorama that was debuted at the show for the very first time. Now entitled 'The Workshop' this new and ridiculously time-consuming model is based around a TV film crew filming the owner of a restoration workshop, for an upcoming television show. As you can see, it's split into two, one half being for the machine tools, benches and the like, the other for the restoration of the vehicle - in this case an M4 Sherman.

I hope that you like it! The model will feature in the next few issues of MIS where I'll try and explain in detail how the diorama came to be. But before I sign off I would like to thank all of you who came to speak to me over the weekend and who were so kind about this new project. Your words really meant a lot to me and I am so pleased that so many of you enjoyed seeing this model at the event. Thanks a lot!

Laters! Spence

http://www.militaryinscale.com/

I love the idea, the execution, the photography.....

HOME RUN my friend.

David

This would have been a dream setup to have had when we did the rebuild on the Sherman in Chino. It was outside in the weather and we had to try to work around the aircraft guys in the workshop.. they figured that since it was an air museum that they had priority. 8^D

Could get pretty warm in the open engine compartment chipping rust and trying to get the fuel tanks out (think transmission fluid and a fork lift). So, having it in a shop like the one shown would have been the tank reconstruction equivalent of heaven. The only thing I see missing is all the aircraft parts you had to wade through....

Very believable...

Bob

always watched this project with admiration, but the finished article is awesome, in the true sense of the word.

An inspiration for us all.

regards

Paul
Torquay
England

.
Don't mention The War, I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it....

This is absolutely the best ever I have seen for diorama. the Power sockets, the tools and all the details are simply fantastic! I am so happy to see such a delightful work here!

Thanks for sharing!
Alex

That's cos it's fantastic! Quite possibly your finest ever work Spence. There is so much detail to take in that you could look at it for years and still find things. Awesome is a word used a lot here (usually by me) but in this case it's quite apt.
Superb!

Regards
Andy K

--------------------------------------------

www.notaussiefloyd.com

very nice to see it finished now. As didn't see it in Mol, it was worth every time for waiting. The pics looking great and about all the small things I said enough in your last posts. But the scene is great and wonderful with all parts togehter. Also I love this faded OD of the tank.
Very nice !

cheers Erik

Hi,
just back from Euro. I spend a long time staring at the superb details. Wonderful!
Pekka Nieminen

Great work Spencer! I couldn´t make it to Euro, so I´ll have to do with these bits of eye candy.
Very, very nice. I think I want to pick a copy of MiS one of these days

Cheers, MartinD

what a great model. The detail is crazy.

this must be the best diorama I've seen the last year,from idea to execution..You can just smell the oil in there...
but, in every workshop,there must be a poster of a........playmate on the wall
still some room for improvement there ?

Excellent !!

..is really required to be able to finish something like this. My god so much detail!! There are som many nice touches, it's simply unbelivable. The realism in all those tiny, tiny parts is fantastic! Skintones are a bit to orange/red for my taste but apart from that...WOW!

To bad I missed the show, but I'll hopefully catch up with this dio somewhere else along the road.

Congrats to a superb dio and the well deserved Gold medal.

Ulf Andersson

Hi Spencer

I can only repeat what I said at the show, it's a fantastic piece and without doubt deserved nothing less than the gold it got.

Simply fantastic work!

Alex

Fantastic piece of work Spencer, the metal shavings nad the overspray marks on the work bench seal the deal for me.

Thanx for sharing

Ray

Hi mate,
As a fellow dio maker, I am still overwhelmed ... fantastic.

And you've beaten us all to it, so we can't copy this one - unbeatable !

Well done etc,

Andrew

PS Shropshire Scale Model Club rule !!!

Great work Spencer,

You have an eye for detail, and the small Jagdpanther in the back is a nice touch!

best regards,




Marc Brandes

...the whole brilliance lately on this forum is killing me, but to be honest, this is my favorite yet. I can´t get over how real this looks and what I really like is the colors you chose. It´s a wonderful piece of work and you should be proud of it.
Congratulations on your, well deserved, first place!

Best regards
Markus

So far, probably the most authentic looking dio I've ever seen

Like Johan said, I swear I can smell it, its so real! The dusty floor, the fuel and paint fumes, they seem to be wafting through my LCD here!

Each of the smaller models is great in their own right, but this is a clear case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

I see the restorers have 'hidden away' their RC tank behind the Sherman.

When it comes time to write the article, please do a detailed SBS of how you achieved the worn metal effects.



GD

Ey mate, hope you had a safe trip home. Congratulations once again. Your attention to even the smallest details makes the workshop so remarkable. Fantastic work ! Very inspiring as usual, looking forward to see it in the pages.

Sven

Spencer,

You never fail to amaze with these 'STUNNING' projects.

marvellous!

John

Stupendous. So many things , little things, greasy things make this killer!!!
I reminds me of my shop. Kudos, Superdope


btw I can smell the oily rags from here!!!!!

Stunning work Spencer, stunning.

Well done on the Gold


Alasdair (AJ) Johnston
ali1kj@aol.com

Very impressive....something old, something new!

Great details....love the laptop with the USB cable and the camera.

I think the fella doing the interview should have a little tiny Sherman model in his left hand.

I think I´ll use some of them for my future project. Or maybe all of them? I guess you won´t mind?!
Anyway a really fantastic model. Congratulations for that!

Best regards,

Robert

Hiya Spence;

Congrats on the gold! Well deserved, I would say.

Your work both kills me & inspires me at the same time. You are, without doubt, one of the very best modellers in the hobby today.
I could stare at this one for days, and still be picking out new details.

Defies belief, Spence. Now......go get some sleep, for God's sake!!!

Awesome awesome awesome work, Spence.

Cheers me ol Chum, Pat

That looks fantastic. yep very very nice indeed.

Rob

truly incredible work!!!

!!!

I understand now why you finished so tired, lots of details to look at. Everything is fantastic but I like a lot the painting of the tools and worbenches.
And congratulations for a well deserved gold!

Antonio


www.afvplanet.com
www.onefortyeight.com

Hi Spence,
Great to see you at the weekend, and it was a treat to see this piece close up - I could have stared at it for days! Simply incredible piece of work, so full of clever little touches and observations, extremely cool. Will you be bringing it to Telford so I can stare at it again?
Cheers,
Marcus

I don't think I can say anything here that hasn't already been said. But this is the true art of the diorama to my eyes.
I can spend hours just slowly going through the details you've put into this masterpiece.
What a job Spencer. What a job.

all the peanuts there. crazy!
Top job!

cheers
Edi

... much appreciated Spencer and was great observing all those minute detail in every cornel and the RC Jagdpanther in the back, was nice speaking with you last weekend!

Looking forward for another masterpiece!

Ivan

awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


malc.

This reminds me a lot of glory we saw in the Verlinden dios back in the day, yet with all of the latest finishing techniques and processes applied. Like I said, no stone left unturned, every nook has something to look at.

Magnifique!! Here's to the "Pollard-way"

Best,

Mike

one of the most detailed, realistic model scenes I have ever seen - Like Mike R said, "something to look at in every nook and cranny"

I keep finding new details every time I look at the pics - Spencer, how many hours would you guess that you have into this magnificent project?? Do you consider this your best work ever?

I cannot wait for the mags to come out.

I am kneeling on the floor right now bowing to you.

JOB WELL DONE SIR!!!!

Tony Matteliano
Tony Matteliano's Scale Model Index
http://www.scalemodelindex.com

Hey Tony!

To answer your questions, I guess that I spent around 450 hours on this scene over the last three months - and yes, I do think it's my best work - at least in my armour modelling career..! I think from now on though I will be building slightly smaller, less complicated scenes!

Spence

It´s the only thing that your Dio needs to be perfect!!!!!!

The rest is just stunning and a delicious to see!!

Spence....
you knocked me out with this!!

Absolutely stunning work... so much uncountable details... so real painted...

Reminds me to the workshop of my grandfather I played in as a child, some decades ago!
I can even smell the rust and the old and oily metal!!

Congrats my friend, I'm overwhelmed...

Volker

This is so well done, every bit exactly painted and placed, i think this is unnormally good.

Hey, i just notice that one important Garage item is missing!

A Pinup calendar!

Or maybe it is simply hidden in all your stuff.

Greta work and congratulations

Claude

Hey guys - thanks once again for your kind words on my workshop - I'm so pleased that you all love it so much!

Still feeling humbled by your words...

Spence

but then - what next to better it ?

That 'railway' project you had in mind ? Or finish the PT Elco scene ?

Or 'Now For Something Completely Different' ? Totally opposite ?

You deserve the credit.... whatever.

Cheers
Andrew

It reminds me of how far I have to go- and what it will take to get me there- hours and hours of practice!!!


Absolutely amazing-

What more can be said- it looks friggin' real!

I too see some Verlinden and Letterman in this one- Those magnificent dios of ages past where we thought "How the hell do they do that?"

Well Spence- "How the hell do you do that?"


In a word-


... PERFECTION!

JD

...

yet so real. Amazing and inspiring work, congrats.

WOW. Congrats on a beautiful job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob

Congratulate you once more with this superb piece of work. It looked every bit as good in the flesh.
You have an excellent eye for detail which makes this diorama a real joy to look at... and look at... and look at... and...

Well done!!

Best regards,

Mario.

Hello,
Just to say (like all of the above ones...) that your workshop is a delight for the eyes! A truly masterpiece!
I saw your early post on this, and all the pieces together really turned out on a brilliant model scene. I love all the tiny details.
Best regards,
Luis Alho

each time i see one of your masterpeices i ask myself if they could get any better
the answer is yes, yes yes