Snow V2.0

This is an update to last year's post about snow bases. 

TLDR: put down a coat of Woodland Scenics Foam Putty. Once that is dry, use another layer of AK Interactive's AK8011 Snow mixed with water.

Previously I had done most of my snow bases using Woodland Scenics Foam Putty. As a material, it behaved somewhat like miniature snow when semi dry. This made it easy to add footprints, tracks (treads or wheels), or other disturbances.

It wasn't perfect though. The color is a little off-white and the texture is not quite smooth enough to be "perfect". After experimenting with a few new units, I've figured out how to use AK8011 Snow by AK Interactive to solve both of these problems. Unfortunately AK8011 comes with some of it's own problems. 

[When I'm home again I'll post a side-by-side comparison of the two methods here]

AK8011

Positives:
+More pure white color (this does not always show up in photographs)
+Smoother texture

Negatives:
-Sticky/tacky. Makes it difficult to apply. Required more work to avoid unrealistic accumulation around non-static items (Soldiers moving through the snow).
-more difficult to achieve snow-like disturbance effects.
-Needs to be watered down to achieve anything like a smooth finish.
-When watered down, can not provide "bulk" or be used to "build up" a base. Drying can also cause issues due to water separating or cracking when drying

The first two issues mean you will be doing significantly more work for only slightly better looking results. For that reason, I think many people will be happy to stick with my original snow tutorial. If you still want to best snow bases possible, read on...

The main problems caused by using AK8011 are in building up bulk and absorbing the water. As it turns out, our original snow material, foam putty, is great for this. The foam putty can be used to create a bulked up base layer on our bases that will absorb the excess moisture we are adding to our watered down AK8011 snow. The process is detailed below...

Snow Bases Tutorial V2.0

Step 1: Miniatures are painted and based. Prone figures are not glued down at this point.

Step 2: Bases are painted white. Edges in whatever color you like. Note: prone figures are not on there yet.

Step 3: static grass is added, followed by foam putty. Use water to smooth out. Let dry.

After the third step you'll add logs, or other scenery you want to be only lightly covered in snow.

Step 4: Glue logs or other debris. Apply AK8011 Snow and water mixture. See below for details.

Mix some AK8011 Snow with water into a container of some type on the side. I'm not sure what the portions are, but you'll want to add water until it the mixture will settle even. Take a large brush and apply the mixture to the base. You may find it easier to put a large amount down with the brush, then push it towards hard to reach areas. Go back with a smaller brush and fill in the hard to reach spots.

You'll add foot prints and prone figures much like you did in the older tutorial. The difference with this material is you will have to wait longer, and your window of opportunity will be smaller. Because the medium is sticky it will need to be fairly dry before you try anything.

Once the AK8011 Snow is dry, you may want to brush on a satin varnish to give it a wet look.

Room for improvement
I still don't think these bases "perfect". One issue I run into is the snow is not quite a smooth as I would like. Maybe this could be fixed with multiple small layers? Let me know if you have any improvements or suggestions.

Finnish SMG Platoon

 Final infantry platoon for my Finns. 

I've slightly evolved my method for snow bases. I use a base of Woodland Scenics foam putty to build up the base and create a water absorbent surface for the next step. The top coat is AK 8011 Snow mixed with water to thin it down. A brush on coat of satin varnish give it a little luster. 

prone figures are added after the top layer of snow is partially dry

Good view of footprints on this one. These are added with a toothpick once the snow is mostly dry

Good view of the bases

Finnsih Heavy Mortars

 

Here's a Finnish 120mm heavy mortar platoon.This was the last of the infantry support weapon platoons I've been working on. I've also hit my stride using the new snow basing material after experimenting with slight variations on the last few units.

might have to touch up the mortar base plate. Looks like there's a little "super glue frosting"

Snow basing was done with a combination of Woodland Scenics Foam Putty and AK Interactive Snow (AK8011). I'll get into more detail on this updated  method in the future. 

I went for the effect of several feet of snow being removed so the mortar base plate would rest on the frozen ground below. These bases ended up being rather larger. I wish I had more "stuff" like that create to fill the space.

You might have noticed that Battle Front miniature has never produced a 120mm Mortar for the Finns in winter uniforms. The mortars themselves are from the newer plastic Soviet set. The crew are a mixture of leftover artillery, infantry, and gun crew I had left over. 

Better view of the bases

Finnish T-34s

 

Completed tanks with extra turrets

I've completed the T-34s for my Finnish force. One of things I like about the Finns is you can easily use the same force for all three periods. Extra turrets were used, allowing be to field a variety of options:

• 1x T-34/76 in EW
• 2-3x T-34/76 in MW
• 3x T-34/76 or 85 in LW
• 1x T-34/85 HQ in LW
  

Inspiration for camo scheme

I used the above image as the inspiration for my camo scheme. The camo was done with Washable White (AK751). Snow effects on the tracks were done with AK8011. 

I decided not to build the proper Finnish fenders or headlights, but I did make a few modifications. 

Turret after rough texture has been added

This first was to create a rough, cast texture on the turrets. This was done by dabbing on plastic cement in little dots over the area and then stabbing at it with a stiff bristle brush. Make sure to use a brush that you don't care too much about for this (or maybe one you actually hate).

 

Before the white camo was applied. The T34/85 on the right had has addition grab handles added along the side and back of the hull.

The second bit I added was to add wire grab handles. I followed a procedure pretty close to this tutorial. I used 26 Gauge/.40mm floral wire. It comes with some sort of green coating on it that seems to take paint a little better than bare wire. 

Details of HQ tank. Many extra grab handles along the sides. The saw was removed.

Close up showing weathering on lower hull and tracks.

Close up of rear details. Mud and show added to lower hull and rear fenders. Good few of the grab handles added to top rear.

T-34/76 Platoon for MW or LW. You can also run a single tank in EW.

T-34/85 Platoon for LW.

HQ Unit for LW.

All the different winter camo schemes so far.

Finnish HMGs

 Another infantry support platoon is complete. 

I'm still experimenting with AK8011 Snow. Previously, I had heavily water it down to get a smooth surface. However, it did not do a good job of creating "bulk"; the layers ended being rather thin.

In an attempt to solve the problem, this time I spread the snow material on with a brush and tried to smooth it out with a web brush. The results were...not great.

Overall, the snow looks too lumpy.

The final batch of infantry support weapons will be a trio of 120mm mortars. Last chance to get the snow "perfect".

Finnish Lahti L-39 Anti-tank Rifles

 This month I'm trying to wrap up some infantry support weapons for the Finns. 

 

Doing small batches of three or four teams also give me a change to try out different approaches to using AK8011 Snow, rather than Woodland Scenics Foam Putty. 

The closest guy is actually a tank rider. Figures with no base are placed in after the snow mix has partially cured.

Looks like the guy with the AT gun is missing his lower jaw. Don't do smokeless tobacco, kids.

The guy on the right was placed in the snow and wiggled around a little. It creates the impression of him moving his legs around, disturbing the snow.

Not sure if anyone will notice, but I discolored the heat shields with a little Reikland Fleshwash. Most reference photos I found showed similar discoloration (I guess from the heat?)

Finnish PaK40 7.5cm Anti-tank guns

 Completed some PaK40 guns. Two units of four! 

I tried out a new material for snow on these, AK8011(snow) by AK Interactive, instead of the usual foam putty by Woodland Scenics. I would say the AK product does yield better results, but is a little more difficult to use. More details about that coming soon.

 The first pair is based in a log fortifications, similar to how I did my 76mm howitzers.

 The second pair has trees. These are actual twigs broken off so at about 1 inch so it will still fit in a foam tray.

Finnish KV Tanks

 Recently, I completed a couple of Finnish KV Tanks. 

What can be better than crushing your enemy under the slowly grinding tracks of your heaviest tanks. We have hundreds such weapons ready to...

...what?  Oh, really? ... That's all we have?

We have not one - but TWO such unstoppable beasts!

The Finns are known to have operated two KV-1 tanks. One KV-1 and another KV-1e (with extra armor). Read more about it here. You can even see both of these at a out door tank museum in Finland #bucketlist.

If was looking pretty hard for a good winter camo scheme I liked and finally came across these photos.

 

Like a baws

Supposedly, they show a KV-1 which is freshly captured by Finnish soldiers. Likely, this was more of an brown on green scheme, but I felt inspired by it. I used to be way too uptight about historical accuracy and have learned to relax a little more and allow aesthetics to take priority from time to time.

The KV-1e kit is an old metal & resin deal. The KV-1 is the newer plastic ket from Battlefront. This ended up being an opportunity to compare the to a little bit. 

In general I would say Resin parts have the best detail and metal has the worst, with plastic somewhere in between. This means your "old school" resin and metal kits will have a hull and turret with amazing detail, but details on parts like the tracks are pretty bad. 

 

Cold!

The plastic kits also have a few other perks.other than better detail on the tracks.
1) no broken resin
2) Plastic makes for easier magnetizing of turrets
3) easier to customize (remove/add parts, bend fenders, ect)

I noticed the plastic surface was a little easier to paint. You probably can't tell from the pictures, but the two tanks have slightly different shades of green and white to them. 

track details on the plastic KV-1 are amazing!

PAINTING:

1. Tanks were given a basecoat of Vallejo Russian Green, 73.609
2. Highlights applied using Vallejo Refractive Green, 70890
3. Tracks were painted German camelblack brown, 822 and dry brushed gunmetal grey, 70863
   
4. Gloss coat, decals, and another gloss coat
5. Enamel pin wash with AK 045, Dark Brown
6. Another gloss coat
7. AK 751, Washable White was used to stipple on the camo pattern. It was then distressed with water and a stiff brush
8. painted a few details like tools and headlights
9. yet another gloss coat
10. Panel line wash with AK677, Neutral Grey. This was for recessed areas that would NOT accumulate white wash like vision slits or doors.  
11. some dirt added to lower hull with AK017, Earth Effects
    
12. rub down tracks with a #2b pencil 
13. matt coat
14. Snow added to the tracks and lower hull with AK8011, Snow

 

It's all coming together now...

Now this new stuff, the snow product by AK, is pretty freaking sweet. Up until now I've been achieve a pretty convincing snow effect using foam putty by Woodland Scenics. I expect stuff to now be my go to for making snow bases in 15mm from now on, but that deserves it's own right up.

Finnish Armored Cars

 Latest addition to the Finns are these armored cars. I like the look of the BA-6 a little more over the BA-10. I decided to make a mixed platoon. If I ever get to play another game some day, I suppose they'll just all use the rules for the BA-10.  

 

 I took inspiration for this camo scheme from several images I found around the web. I'm pretty sure these are actually Soviet BA-10s, but I like the camo scheme. 

These were given an overall basecoat of green, followed by an application of AK's Washable White with an airbrush. If I were going to do this again, I would probably do another coat or two. You may not be able to tell from these pictures, but these are not very "white". I tried to wear down the Washable White with water, but I believe I let it dry for two long. I also found the paint easily wore off the metal parts, leaving exposed pewter. I covered it up with more white and moved on.

The green camo was applied with over the white wash. In real life I assume this would have been places where the white was not painted on. Next was a gloss coat, decals, and another gloss coat.

The right-side spare tire is missing on the BA-10. I filled in the gap with a little putty during assembly.

Final steps were a dark grey wash for panel lines. Some light brown earth color was added to the lower hull, fenders and wheels. Washable White was added around the tires and wiped away before it could dry, leaving the effect of snow stuck in the tire treads.

The BA-10 is the only one with a radio antenna. I also added an extra metal hull MG.

Overall, I things these came out just OK. Not by best work, but still looks OK. If I were going to try these camo scheme again, I might add more coats of white, like I mentioned earlier, or just paint on the white with a brush, leaving the green lines.