How I build large scale dioramas! (1 Viewer)

"Hanging The Left Hand Aileron"Vignette
This is a good example of a storyboard vignette.The aileron on the workbench and the ladder pretty much tell the story.The floorboards give a nice 3d effect and perspective that helps lead the viewers to the sign of human presence, as represented by the boots. For those who are really knowledgeable about uniforms, the hat indicates that this is more than likely, a German hangar of WW1.
 
Albatrosfinalassembly051-1-1-1-1.jpg
 
John,

That's a beautiful piece of work.

You obviously put a lot of effort and thought into it.

I don't know why, but for some reason, I thought it was much bigger.

Being smaller than I thought it was, I'm even more impressed with the detail.

That is a pretty piece,

Michael
 
Most of these shots will be lost once the diorama is finished.I took a few days out from building to play with the camera.I really don't know that much about cameras so I take lots of shots at different settings and then delete what I don't want.Using film would have forced me to "read the instructions"(as my dad would always tell me) a long time ago or go broke buying film.
Digital cameras allows guys like me to fool around and really not know what they are doing . I would rather build than read instructions anyway.
 
Yes, digital cameras are one of the most amazing things to have taken hold in the past 15 years.

I went out and spent a ton on a Sony Mavica camera back in 1997. It was a disk drive camera, clunky but pretty efficient. It was about $750.

I studied photography for a few years and was great in the darkroom but to have the ability to DELETE images and re-shoot them over and over again was too tempting.

A few years ago, I sold off my Nikon F-1 and Canon A-1 35mm's and all the lenses. That stuff is just not needed anymore.
 
The lane out back.
I am starting to make a lane way(dirt road) out back of the hangar .Here I have started to build up the raised portion that normally lies between the tire tracks.I have used ordinary sand for this,sprayed with alcohol as a water tension breaker and then soaked with the usual 75/25 water and white glue mix.Once dry I will add the fine sand,earth ,vegetation and a few rocks here and there.
Next I covered the sand mound with the earth and measured the dirt roads width using the Ford T truck as a guide.I then covered the the width of the road with the earth,sprayed on the alcohol ,and put on the water /glue mix ,drop by drop. I then took one of the trucks spare tires and rolled it down the dirt road to create a few tracks.The road still looks a little whitish as the white glue hasn't dried yet.
 
This vignette from the "Keepers of the Flame" diorama depicts three individuals, one military,one ex-military and one civilian. They represent a cross section of society who were responsible for keeping the dream of aviation alive during some very difficult times following WW1.
After the Great War airplanes represented to the public at large, something that they wanted to forget ,death and destruction.A relatively few individuals risked their money and even their lives to keep it going.1918-1927 was the wild and wholly teenage stage of aviation where just about anything was tolerated.It was in all less than ten years long but what a wild ride it was.
Out of work ex-military pilots who just couldn't settle down,who had the love of flying in their veins ,tried to scratch out a living as barnstormers ,stunt pilots or flying the mail.All very risky positions indeed!
On the civilian side ,a young fellow who dared to tell his parents of his dreams to become a pilot, might have just as well have told them that he was off to join the circus.There were only a few far- sighted businessmen who would dare get involved in aviation and their names are all well known to us today.
By 1927 when the first air regulations started to take hold ,the public's attitude was beginning to change.Of necessity this wonderful short-lived period of real "freedom of the skies" was coming to an end and today unfortunately, it is mostly forgotten.
To their memory this Keepers of the Flame diorama is dedicated.
 
Hangar doors and ramp area.
I have added a little more wear and tear in front of the hangar where there would be the most activity, especially when rolling the aircraft in and out.I did this simply by adding more of the dirt from a shaker ,spraying with alcohol and then dropping on the 75/25 water-glue mix.I have left off the wooden planks that would be used for roll out, as this aircraft is obviously not going anywhere soon.They are stashed on the floor on either side of the hangar doors near the wall.
I don't plan to have any junk laying around as most pics that I have seen of German military airfields they are very neat and orderly.(too bad as I love doing junk ).I plan to break this rule a bit by putting a couple of vacated wheel chocks just off to the left of the hangar doors to add a little to the sense of loss, as represented by the crashed aircraft.
On the R/H side of the pic the earth has not been properly blended yet,hence the straight lines.
 
Your attention to detail is most impressive, the photos look like real life!
 
Albatros hangar's chimney.
The chimney is temporarily installed.I made it from hard maple dowel, sanding it very smooth so no grain is visible.The roof guy wires will be secured down to eyebolts after I remove the roof for the last time.The chimney is actually in two pieces so the roof is easily removable.The chimney cap was made from an old cigar tubes end piece.I will finish the weathering later.This diorama is now nearing completion.
 
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