No Checks!
by Gil Gonsoulin
Welcome to the Chemboyl Salvage and Scrap Yard. (That’s how the Russians spell Chernobyl.)
The original concept for this diorama was a scrap yard for damaged space craft. Then Pegasus released the Short Range Saucer kit with an alien and the whole dynamics of the idea shifted. The alien has his checkbook at the ready only to be told by the cigar smoking owner, “Look Buddy. We told you, “NO CHECKS!“
Meanwhile a father and son are looking over a blown up Mechanized Infantry Suit to see what parts could be salvaged.
No junkyard is complete without a dog, and this one is keeping a wary eye on a bird perched on the “hand” of a destroyed Mech. A side note: the fingers on the hand are articulated and can be positioned.
The recovery vehicle started out a Bandai’s M353A4 from their E.F.G.G. MS(G) platoon briefing set. It was modified by adding a scratch built interior using plastic, resin and photo etched parts from the spare parts box. The two front seats are modified resin F-14 ejection seats. The molded-on tie downs and handles were removed and replaced with brass wire ones.
Next the four lift fans were replaced by an eight wheel drive system This was done by using the wheels from an old Renwal Teracruzer kit. The wheel hubs were cast in resin and then Grandt Line bolts were added. Mounting brackets were made of Evergreen sheets and Plastruct.
Axles are K&S aluminum tubing. The large crane is from the Hobby Boss AAVR-7A1 kit and the small crane is from the Academy Fitter kit. The alien Flying saucer is the Pegasus Alpha Centauri UFO Short Range Saucer.
Most of the parts in the junkyard are from various Bandai kits. The fence is K&S corrugated aluminum sheet with aluminum tubing for posts. Runners are bass wood. The fence was first painted with Floquil Rust, then weathered with Burnt Siena and Raw Umber.
Some of the bare silver – the original color of the fence – shows through. The fence was “pinned” to the basswood cross members used Evergreen plastic rod. I used a soldering iron to flatten one end, pushed it through the fence and bass wood, then flattened the other end.
The base is a picture frame with Styrofoam covered in Woodland Scenics Subterrain asphalt top coat and real dirt. Further weathering was done with Mig Pigments. Floquil, Model Master and Tamiya paints were used on the vehicles. The figures are from Bandai, Nemrod and Pegasus.
They were painted with Tamiya, Floquil and Model master paints. Weathering is a combination of Windsor & Newton oils. Mig Pigments and Floquil Paints.
The saucer is base-coated with Testors Model Masters Magnesium and streaked with their Burnt Iron. The dials on the control panel were first painted silver followed by a top coat of Tamiya clear red, green, or blue.
Photos by Jeff Junker