How I build large scale dioramas! (1 Viewer)

See my Albatros Dv album in photobucket for the following pics:

08-2 The gap.Double check that the plywood edge has been well sealed as this fix requires the use of water.I use lacquer for this.

06-1 2 sided carpet tape.

07-1 cut the tape in strips.

05-1 tape is applied along plywood edge.A second layer of tape was applied over the first beause of the width of the gap to be filled.

01-1 all materials are soaked in achohol before applying

02-1 apply your earth or fine sand'

03-1 apply your thin glue/water mix.

04-1 add turf then more of the thinned glue mix.

05-1 remove tape backing and de-stick the surface using dry earth or fine sand as you want the panel to be removable from the other panel edge.If this is a permanent fix carefully line up both edges and stick the panels together. to be cont........
 
11-1 put wax paper under both panels.

12-1 add more wax paper between the edges of the two panels and begin laying down your soil or sand.

13-1 continue filling until gap is filled and level,then spray with alcohol.

14-1 apply glue/water mix drop by drop.

15-1 fold over wax paper and fill the other side .

16-1 both sides should now be level,let dry overnight.
 
Some of you guys must be wondering why does he keep posting this stuff when hardly anyone ever responds ? Well in the beginning ten years ago I wondered the same thing myself and almost gave up.I build every day so I don't have a lot of time to socialize on the net, other than sharing my work and techniques with you guys, which I find extremely rewarding.So why is it I don't quit ? well my photobucket tells me a different story.Sometimes over a five month period I can get up to a million hits ! Recently it has been running around 600,000.I post my stuff on about 35 websites; aircraft ,RR,cars and ships, some more than others depending upon what I am working on at the time.It is very time consuming but I love the opportunity to do it.You see I am almost 70 years old and I remember how it used to be years ago when most modelers built in isolation from one another, except for the occasional phone call or snail mail.Now I can instant communicate with other modelers, on a day to day basis, and show my stuff in real time.Until now this was never possible, before the era of computers, digital cameras and photobucket etc....I show it, if you like it fine, if you don't that is fine too ,but at least the majority of the official gatekeepers, as I new them,are pretty much irrelevant today and thank goodness for that. Cheers! John.
 
I am sure there are many viewers of your threads on here also John, I for sure following along watching a true master at work !! Keep it up, it is appreciated.

Regards
Scott
 
Some of you guys must be wondering why does he keep posting this stuff when hardly anyone ever responds ? Well in the beginning ten years ago I wondered the same thing myself and almost gave up.I build every day so I don't have a lot of time to socialize on the net, other than sharing my work and techniques with you guys, which I find extremely rewarding.So why is it I don't quit ? well my photobucket tells me a different story.Sometimes over a five month period I can get up to a million hits ! Recently it has been running around 600,000.I post my stuff on about 35 websites; aircraft ,RR,cars and ships, some more than others depending upon what I am working on at the time.It is very time consuming but I love the opportunity to do it.You see I am almost 70 years old and I remember how it used to be years ago when most modelers built in isolation from one another, except for the occasional phone call or snail mail.Now I can instant communicate with other modelers, on a day to day basis, and show my stuff in real time.Until now this was never possible, before the era of computers, digital cameras and photobucket etc....I show it, if you like it fine, if you don't that is fine too ,but at least the majority of the official gatekeepers, as I new them,are pretty much irrelevant today and thank goodness for that. Cheers! John.
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Sorry guys this was not meant to be posted here but only to some of the newer sites that I post to .I had gotten some inquires recently so I answered them.
 
I enjoy your posts very much. I never felt the need to post a commit, however maybe I should have. Thank you for sharing your great experience and examples of your skills with us.

Please keep them coming.:)

King's Man
 
I had a long awaited visit from the museum tech services director and a electronic technician gentleman today and we finally got things straightened out,so I can go ahead and finish the first three dioramas now.They have decided to move them themselves in the finished state ,as is, no crate.On their way to Montreal they surveyed the road conditions between the museum ,which is located on the east side of Ottawa,just a short drive to the Trans-Canada highway,and from the Trans Canada to my home, which is also a short drive and decided it would be the safest way.When they contacted their regular movers that are supposedly used to moving art and delicate pieces,after accepting to do it the next question was "and how much insurance would you like to buy?" That gave them a bad feeling.
Now I have to do the old jiggle test and a couple of 90 deg tips to ensure everything remains in place,then it will be up the steps and out the door and not my responsibility anymore.
Now that I know where I am going ,it should be just a matter of a couple of weeks to finish all three dioramas and sent them on their way.If the 90deg tip test fails and something comes adrift ,well all bets are off !
The fourth diorama, the backyard flyer, will be picked up sometime next year after it is finished.This is modular and can easily be broken down into five separate units for transport.(I did learn something over the years)
Cheers!
 
JohnReid said:
I had a long awaited visit from the museum tech services director and a electronic technician gentleman today and we finally got things straightened out,so I can go ahead and finish the first three dioramas now.They have decided to move them themselves in the finished state ,as is, no crate.On their way to Montreal they surveyed the road conditions between the museum ,which is located on the east side of Ottawa,just a short drive to the Trans-Canada highway,and from the Trans Canada to my home, which is also a short drive and decided it would be the safest way.When they contacted their regular movers that are supposedly used to moving art and delicate pieces,after accepting to do it the next question was "and how much insurance would you like to buy?" That gave them a bad feeling.
Now I have to do the old jiggle test and a couple of 90 deg tips to ensure everything remains in place,then it will be up the steps and out the door and not my responsibility anymore.
Now that I know where I am going ,it should be just a matter of a couple of weeks to finish all three dioramas and sent them on their way.If the 90deg tip test fails and something comes adrift ,well all bets are off !
The fourth diorama, the backyard flyer, will be picked up sometime next year after it is finished.This is modular and can easily be broken down into five separate units for transport.(I did learn something over the years)
Cheers!
Click to expand...

John,

I hope that there will be some "final" photos to look at. ;)

Jeff
 
Finishing seams,gaps and screw heads.

The pics in photobucket are almost self explanatory on the final cosmetic stuff.
The screw heads are covered using round felt pads the tops of which were covered with white glue and then dipped in the original earth soil,glued on using contact cement and blended into its environment with the materials shown in the pics.You just have to play around with this until it looks right to your eye.
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I woke up this morning to a hairline crack about half way along the repaired gap.Rather than re-do anything I think that I will just take a little of the vegetation, soak it in alcohol,place it on the crack in a random manner,and add a little of the glue/water mix which should take care of it.Because of changes in humidity there will always be a tendency for the wet soil type of repair to crack a bit.The overlying vegitation will expand and contract with the wood and should make it totally invisible.
 
I have mentioned this book before and it is now out of print but my good modeling bud Ken Hamilton has given his permission to put it on the internet.
Ken encouraged me to get into doing landscaping,making good looking junk and super weathering when I needed a lot of encouragement.Ken's work along with Shep Paine are the two rocks that my stuff is built upon. Thanks guys!

See Ken's book here:

http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a2/mercman51/DIO Book/

Enjoy!
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"Once upon a time......." Storyboard dioramas by JohnReid.
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/
 
Today was the official door opening day for the Albatros dio.The bases are glued but the door holders are not glued to the hanger, just in case they wanted to close it up again someday.
My workstation now is reduced to a little mobile table as I work my way around finishing the dioramas.The last thing to be permanently installed is the wood stove's chimney ,which I have avoided till now as it easily knocked off.Then it is on to the Jenny.
 
I have added a bunch of new pics to the Albatros album.They will probably be among the last ones I take with the lighting as I intended it to be.I installed it years ago with the intention of doing the maintenance myself.Well things have changed and the museum will be lighting them from now on to suit their own purposes.
 
Final Niuport 28 pics
I have added about 140 new detail pics to the Nieuport 28 album.While not yet a shadowbox that is one of the options they will have for displaying it.My original idea was to light it both inside and out, just because I always loved the natural lighting in old barns.It is a little artistic license that I took but personally I wouldn't want to work in such a drafty environment.
 
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