Xmas Holiday project - Scratchbuilding a Saxon Longhouse

Hello Folks,
In the last couple of week I felt very (extremely) lazy about all my hobby projects.
I got a laser (Femtolasik to be precise) surgeon on my right eye just to correct some degree of myopia and I keep off painting as much as possible.
Now I'm looking forward to the incoming vacations in order to keep up with my several WIPs...

On the top of all of them are my saga warbands, which I'd like to complete in a short time. I'm working on three of them, Anglo Danish, Anglo Saxon and Early Saxon. They are more or less based on similar kind of figures which I bought from Gripping Beast (nice, but not the best: rating 3 on 5) West Wind (very good sculpts, I like a lot the command set with Sutton-Hoo-ish warlord. Rating 4 on 5) and, best of all Footsore Miniature Early and Late Saxons (I really like these, 5 on 5 as they are extremely well sculpted, very good pose variety and well researched. Really, give a look).
Second, I'll dedicate some care to the Lebanon '82 project, which is a huge 3mm scenario with the outstanding Oddzial Osmy's minis but I'll came back on this another day).

Anyway, the most part of my hobby efforts will be dedicated to the project on title: I want to build from scratch a well researched, historically accurate Saxon Longhouse in 28mm (1/50 scale). And I want to build it in a sort of living archaeology manner. Using only natural materials taken from my treks and wandering (I'll do a lot of trekking and mountain walking during my vacation, usually).
I mean, I do not want to be 100% accurate with material (I will not use scale wooden plugs, but a more comfortable vinyl glue), but I don't want to make a fantasy/nordish house/mead hall/ Skyrim castle as we usually see on wargaming tables.
I want it realistic AND playable.
Will I success? I don't know yet, but I'll keep you posted.
here some examples of what I'm figuring...

German Infantry Guns

Infantry Guns are among my favourite close support weapon (who doesn't has a favourite support weapon?).
German infantry guns have a very nice look, small in size, cramped with crew.
They are not so effective in truth, both in game and in reality. Less agile than a mortar, they are cumbersome to deploy and transport (requiring towing) they suffer also from a low production efficiency, as a lot of work is needed to produce those beauties (mortar, instead, are hollow tubes on bases...).
In game they suffer from their number (2 per platoon is not enough to deliver some serious damage).
But, nonetheless, I like them a lot!

here come a couple of platoons I did some years ago (2013...) and I still like the result.
They are Forged in Battle 15mm German 15cm sIG33 and German 7.5cm IG18. Quality is top notch and I appreciate when poses are reasonable and you can easily understand what they are doing. I really hate when you get artillery crews with shouting poses (to whom are they shouting and why they need to shout in middle of a bombardment) and, worst, with officers intent to look far away with their binocular or with the hand over their eyes... (what do they think to be? Napoleonic artillery officers overlooking their direct fire on enemy battalions?).
In both these sets people is busy with their work of loading, aiming and firing their ordnance without too many distractions...

I'm sorry for the quality of these pictures. They were done in a sunny morning with my old cell phone.

A new post and some Israeli Tanks for 6 days War of 1967

Hello guys,
It's a lot since my last post, 2 whole years without any posting.
In this meanwhile, I've continued on my neverending path to wargaming Painting Nirvana, where is told you manage to paint your minis the same days you got them... No lead pile, no queques, no stress.

Anyway, I feel again in a blogger mood, so please take a look to some of my works.
These tanks come from a new mania for modern era wargaming I'm feeding with various projects, from Sinai to Iraq from Indochina to Afghanistan. Israeli are on top of my interest since beginning.
Therefore, here comes some 15mm tanks from Battlefront Flames of War Arab-Israeli range.
I've painted them with the excellent Life Colors Acrylic range, which I raccomand, and pigments from the same brand.
In the whole a very nice models, with a lot of details.

Centurion Sho't Platoon




AMX-30 Platoon



and M50 upgunned Shermans



As ever, you can click on the pictures to get a larger shoot.