June 20 2008 | Fixing the armour plates

First i bent them with the fingers and secured them in place using superglue

June 20 2008 | Using some clamps..

I can remmeber actually spending some time fixing all of those because there should't be too much joints betweeen the plates. Anyway, here it is.

June 20 2008 | The top ring

That top ring has to be the most challenging photoetch fret i ever burnt.
It looks good! The thing is, I will have to destroy it a bit as the turret roof has been blown out.

June 29 2008 | The gun pieces

What a splendid picture of hope, there seems to be all the pieces needed to build a 138.4 gun. looking close it seems that I forgot a couple of things -indeed no loader, breech mechanismù or those wheeles thathelp the ammunitions coming to the gun.
I started already to build it, put some 100 rivits  on the body of the gunb, but short afterwards I began to do some gross mistakes. So it's time I take a bit of hollidays from this diorama -as with every big project, you've got to relax at some point or you do some failures.
Back early september on this one -but i will probabaly start a little one in july as I will have some time on my hands  :)

August 16 2008 |

I don't have to tell you that your work is splendid! I too make buildings,trees,etc for dioramas but never made my own photo etched items. My partner and I have a web site at; www.battlesceneproductions and I build most of the props unless it is a sponsors product which we are promoting on the diorama. How or what is the process? Thanks for your time. Nick at, nnastajr[nospam]optonline.net

August 25 2008 |

Man, I love your stuff! Weird, but in a good way. It suggests some kind of strange post-apocalyptic alternate history (or future), possibly with subtle alien overtones. You probably don't see it that way but I do. Very cool!

September 01 2008 | Webmaster_jba

Sorry guys there seemed to have been a little problem with my "improved" website in that the messages didn't appear straight away. Anyway it is fixed now though I can't get your names back eh.. Anyway, yes this is alternate history! History filtered through my own life and the way I paint it :) thanks for this! Nick there seems to be a little problem with your own website as I can't activate any link :( Please fix up this and i will gladly add your own website to my links page :) When it comes to the photoetching making process, it's quite a long and difficult one. well "difficult" is not really the word but there is a lot of things to take care of. i prepare an article and something else on the subject but it's notr for tommorow yet! In the meantime just Google a bit becanse there is quite a lot of very good reference on the subject. I started that way, and then I refined what I found out! thanks and the masséna diorama will be back soonish :)

October 13 2008 | Back again

So that's more than 3 months I let the Masséna down, why may you ask?
One pretty good reason, man I was beginning to do some big failures on it, I failed the gun most notably and will have to do one part back again. When i realized that I was up to 5mm wrong in some measurements, I thought it could be wise to go to another smaller project from the time being.
This is why i  took the best of 1 month alone at home and did the Galilée which is currently posted on the galleries left of the screen; I happen to quite like Galilée, there is some movement on it, and I perfected the light work I first worked on Koktebel and then Sokol..
So yesterday evening I cleaned my garden shep and wiped out the spiderwebs that were on Masséna's hull and here I start again. the worst part to do, the most difficult will be the crane for boats that you see below..