Air Hockey Propellers Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 I just wanted to share the progress on this rather simple diorama. It will be just sand... However, it will also have an airplane attached to it. Originally, I had copper or brass tubes and epoxy in mind but as I'm a bit impatient I just made the aircraft's base with pieces of plastic I had lying around. The aircraft is attached to the stick at the back of the inside of the bomb bay. It's quite sturdy already. Now it's time to find some sand............. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badder Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Dioramas/vignettes for flying aircraft have always bothered me. The rods used for supporting them are always a horror, no matter how thin/transparent or clever they are. The only way to make them completely invisible is to have the aircraft flying so low that it's actually skimming trees/hedgerows etc and have the aircraft mounted on rods that are mostly or completely buried or disguised amongst the foliage somehow. And then you'd have to consider prop damage... and in the case jet aircraft, the engines would suck in tree/bush debris leading to catastrophe. In other words, there is no really great way to support a flying aircraft. So, one may as well use something solid and strong, as you have. All dioramas have their limits... they all have edges, for instance, where a building, stream, forest or road suddenly comes to an abrupt end. (usually with a nice bit of wood veneer) Nice Stealth fighter/bomber Nighthawk F17-thingy-whatever it is btw. Rearguards, Badder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Air Hockey Propellers Posted August 25, 2016 Author Share Posted August 25, 2016 Thank you for your comments! And yes, talking about making near invisible rods, the problem I'm seeing (or not seeing) here is that the F-117 stealth bomber has little contrast with the background and hence I have to lean forward or to a side to appreciate it. Talk about stealth! I was going to put just sand but decided to buy some plasticine and make some undulations. I'm also considering the possibility of expanding it by adding another tank but I have to think of it carefully. If I get inspired enough, I'll add US soldiers somehow. If I get wood veneer, I'll also want to enclose it in glass or acrylic, in which case it'll definitely need expansion and hence a second tank. So thinking about it, this diorama is set to grow somewhat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 Acrylic rod is always an option.....It's surprisingly strong and easy to work with too: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLEAR-ACRYLIC-ROD-2MM-12MM-LENGTHS-ROUND-PERSPEX-SOLID-BAR-100MM-500MM-LONG-/360760507225?var=630168888656&hash=item53ff007b59:m:mpk1TAG3756EYzDRmn_pe9w I use 3mm, 5mm & 8mm for my own stands. Just grabbed a random example from eBay.....No connections with seller & so on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Air Hockey Propellers Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 Acrylic rod is always an option.....It's surprisingly strong and easy to work with too: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLEAR-ACRYLIC-ROD-2MM-12MM-LENGTHS-ROUND-PERSPEX-SOLID-BAR-100MM-500MM-LONG-/360760507225?var=630168888656&hash=item53ff007b59:m:mpk1TAG3756EYzDRmn_pe9w I use 3mm, 5mm & 8mm for my own stands. Just grabbed a random example from eBay.....No connections with seller & so on. If only I had known before, Do they adhere well to plastic by using the same old Tamiya plastic model cement or is it a little different? Well, I have here guys some progress on the diorama... I used some plasticine to make the texture of sand dunes... But it didn't come out to my liking... So I did what I had in mind from the very start which is much more simple. I still have to finish the Blackhawk that's attached to the diorama before covering it with "color powder" as I haven't found sand yet... And because the cardboard its on is curling upward, I also have to find a piece of wood and have it cut that size, etc etc... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 You need CA or Epoxy to glue acrylic rod. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Air Hockey Propellers Posted September 1, 2016 Author Share Posted September 1, 2016 You need CA or Epoxy to glue acrylic rod. Noted. I like epoxy BTW, gave me a lot of confidence when building a balsa glider back in the day.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Air Hockey Propellers Posted September 2, 2016 Author Share Posted September 2, 2016 (edited) I decided to finish the diorama today and was looking around the house for something to use as a sturdier base, one that wouldn't bend and it was the CUTTING BOARD. Muah ha ha ha haaaa... Familiarizing myself with the putty for the sake of using it.... Painting the edges. I'll later realize it was pointless and the paint scraped off easily anyway. Painted the plasticine in frear I wouldn't have enough powder to cover it all and so to prevent patches of white. I was way off in my calculations... Generous with the white glue. Fixing the details. Still have a lot left... Harmless home made dope spray to be sure... Nice and wet... PATIENCE PATIENCE oh, an a lot of pressing too. I spent the next hour or so fixing those details and cutting off that strip of brown painted plastic you see there. So much for steps one and two... : ( For pics of the finished diorama, I'll drop a link in a moment! Here it is: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235008300-simple-entry-level-diorama/ Edited September 3, 2016 by AlbertoYagi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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