How I build large scale dioramas! (2 Viewers)

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Well I have decided to add a few more months work to the project.I was originally planning to save a little time by just weathering the exterior of this car but because nothing looks as good as the real thing,wood, I now plan to board it up instead.I have also opened up all the doors both interior and exterior for better camera angle shots of the interior.I will retain the red framed windows and stain the siding about the same green.
On the roof it is presently what looks like a fine sandpaper type surface.Does anyone here know what may have been used on the real thing ? A tar paper or canvas material ?
I could use a cloth backed sandpaper of appropriate grit and just paint it .Any ideas ?
 
JohnReid said:
Well I have decided to add a few more months work to the project.I was originally planning to save a little time by just weathering the exterior of this car but because nothing looks as good as the real thing,wood, I now plan to board it up instead.I have also opened up all the doors both interior and exterior for better camera angle shots of the interior.I will retain the red framed windows and stain the siding about the same green.
On the roof it is presently what looks like a fine sandpaper type surface.Does anyone here know what may have been used on the real thing ? A tar paper or canvas material ?
I could use a cloth backed sandpaper of appropriate grit and just paint it .Any ideas ?
Click to expand...

I believe the roofs were actually tarred canvas over a frame.
-Sandor
 
Ok, so here is what I found out: The roof was w wood structure covered in heavily treated canvas and tarred.
Hope that helps,
Sandor
 
Hi guys,

I have just joined this forum as dioramas have recently caught my fancy! I expect to learn a lot from all you experienced fellows!
 
Please note:

I have moved all the pictures in my photobucket taken up until now ,from the General Album to the G Scale Trains Album.Moving pics will cause them to delete in the General thread but they are still available on my G scale album for those who may be interested.

Bending stripwood:

Bending wood is simple for a rectangular roof such as this,shipbuilding is another story.I just use plain old warm tap water and soak the area that I want to bend for a few minutes in this case.(The thicker the wood ,the longer the soak) .I then take an old stick type hair curler and put it in a holding devise,I use a clamp. I then let it warm up to hair curling temperature which seems to be just perfect for bending thin strip wood like this.I hold the dry end in one hand and with the other wet end I use a pencil with an eraser on the end and apply increasing amounts of pressure with the eraser until I get what I am looking for.

Why the eraser end ,well it helps as a tool for bending instead of your fingers and tends not to slip on the wet surface.Keep checking that you are getting the proper bend and re-soak and do it again if necessary.You will want to slightly over bend it as there is a certain amount of spring back when the pressure is remove.If the piece of wood you are working with keeps breaking turn it over and try to bend it the other way.Use only straight grained wood running lengthwise on the strip as cross grain simply won't work without breaking.Most hobby woods bend without any problems.I used the thin long type coffee stir stiks used to stir the extra large double doubles.Your local coffee shop manager may sell you a box for a few bucks especially when you tell him what your using them for.He probably built models too in his younger days !

Most stiks and tongue depressors are birch wood ,which is in the hardwood category. So depending on the thickness they will require more soaking time in hotter water than say basswood , popular or pine.Have fun and good luck !

The above is in answer to a question I got from a another modeler.
 
Life takes some strange turns,just when I thought I had built my last 1/16th scale diorama, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum is back on my schedule.I have put all other projects aside about a month ago and will now be doing a fifth diorama for them in commoration of the beginning of WW1. So this thread is once again open and I hope you guys enjoy it.Cheers! John.
 
Diorama #5 a shadowbox for the CASM.

"The Contenders 1917".
The Camel and the Triplane

When I first started thinking about doing this shadowbox diorama the words "the contenders" immediately came to mind.When I think of fighters (boxers) I think of the famous phrase from a long forgotten movie were one of the characters says, "Ya know I could'a been a contender".This ultimately became the theme of this diorama, human fighters- aircraft fighters.
1917 was also a critical time both for the outcome of the war and aviation in general.Two aircraft were fighting for air superiority over the trenches,the Camel and the Triplane.The Camel figures prominately in Canadian's minds because of Billy Bishop,and the Triplane because of Snoopy and the Red Baron.If I had called it by it's proper name the average person wouldn't know a Fokker Dr.1 from a 747.
1917 was also a critical time in aircraft design history .Fokker was experimenting with a high wing monoplane design that would eliminate all the drag of the external wiring of the biplane.Three wings proved to be pretty much a dead end but the monoplane's thicker wing for increasing lift seemed promising.
The hangar research facility that I am building is from my imagination.The story is a Camel has run out of fuel behind enemy lines and the Germans are retrieving it to take it apart to see if the British side has come up with any new innovations with its later model Camels.Also in the hangar will be a Fokker Dr.1 being examined for wear and tear on its new triplane design.Both aircraft therefore will be without fabric.
The research going on there will be more recognizable as I am planning to do a 1/48 scale Fokker E.V high wing monoplane as a wooden wind tunnel experimental design.Luckily for me the German word for experiment is experiment ! The kit comes with two wings,one I will use on the wooden wind tunnel model, on which will be written "experiment" and the other hung on the back wall with the same wording.That should help the viewer figure out at least part of whats going on.
 
Very nice! Are you building the planes from scratch or will you be using kits?
Regards,
Sandor :salute::
 

please click on thumbnail for a larger pic and more pics in this series.Cheers! John.:smile2:
 
I have decided that instead of commemorating the beginning of WW1 I will be placing it in the museum to commemorate the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 19 1917 and the aerial war that was fought over the trenches.I will store it here or at the museum until that time.Being a shadowbox there will be nothing to put together that would require my assistance.
This arrangement will also take the pressure off of any time issues and allow me not to rush to complete it.

I am doing this for a very important personal reason as my father-in-law fought and was wounded and gassed at the battles of Vimy and the Somme.He was one of the first "over the top" and out of the trenches at the start of the battle as an officer with the Royal 22nd (Van Doos)Regiment.In honor of that fact I want to dedicate this diorama to him.
Historically,while the battle at Vimy many be just another story from the war, it is very important story here in Canada, as it is said to be the start of our countries independence from the British Empire.
 
Battle in the air
An observer of the Royal Flying Corps in a reconnaissance aircraft

The Royal Flying Corps launched a determined effort to gain air superiority over the battlefield in support of the spring offensive. The Canadians considered activities such as artillery spotting, and photography of opposing trench systems, troop movements and gun emplacements essential to continue their offensive.[65] The Royal Flying Corps deployed 25 squadrons totalling 365 aircraft along the Arras sector, outnumbering the Imperial German Army Air Service by 2-to-1.[65] Byng was given use of No. 2 Squadron, No. 8 (Naval) Squadron, No. 25 Squadron, No. 40 Squadron and No. 43 Squadron, with No. 16 Squadron permanently attached to the Canadian Corps and employed exclusively for observation and artillery support.[66]

Aerial reconnaissance was often a hazardous task because of a requirement to fly at slow speeds and at low altitudes. The task was made all the more dangerous with the arrival of additional German flying squadrons, including Manfred von Richthofen's highly experienced and well equipped Jasta 11, which led to sharp increase in Royal Flying Corps casualties. Although significantly outnumbering the Germans, the Royal Flying Corps lost 131 aircraft during the first week of April alone.[66] Despite the losses suffered by the Royal Flying Corps, the Imperial German Army Air Service failed to prevent the Royal Flying Corps from carrying out its prime objective, namely the continued support of the army throughout the Arras Offensive with up-to-date aerial photographs and reconnaissance information.
 
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