Ever evolvin dio. ft. 'THE INDESTRUCTIBLE TREE' as ft. on youtube.

[Badder]

As is my habit, I have changed something. Again.

 

The colour of the 'ivy'.

 

All along I have liked the lime green, but seeing it in the light of a summer's sun it really does look too bright. In the photos above the bright sunlight accentuates the shadows and actually makes the ivy look really good. In electric light though, all that contrast is lost. I did try to tone the green down a bit more with further washes, but then I didn't like the patchy effect this gave. The leaves are just too sticky-outy 3D for washes to work well. So, mix up a different shade of green (I'm calling it a Brussel Sprout Green) and give the ivy a going over with the airbrush pointing almost vertically down the walls and horizontally across the porch roof.

 

The ivy now looks to have more variation in colour, from the lime green to sprout green with a few underlying darker patches. It's not perfect, but I think it's better than just the pure lime green.

 

I've learned a valuable lesson- though. In future I will paint any ivy the darkest colour first, then apply the lighter colour at a raking angle over the top.

 So, the final shot of the ivy before I move on to the final architectural details.....

 

TFL

Badder

 

Edited February 4, 2018 by Badder

[Avereda]

Every day I check this out and every day I forget to comment on how amazing I think it is. I won't keep on saying it every day but, trust me, that's what I'll be thinking.

[Badder]

Just now, Avereda said:

Every day I check this out and every day I forget to comment on how amazing I think it is. I won't keep on saying it every day but, trust me, that's what I'll be thinking.

Well, I'm glad you got around to commenting and I am very humbled.

When I first joined BM nearly two years ago, I was gobsmacked by the quality of the models/dioramas on display, and I still am. I am nowhere near the level of some of the members... especially when it comes to painting/building AFV's with all that tiny PE and amazing weathering, and my figures' faces leave a lot to be desired as well, but I think my dioramas are getting there. Mainly because I am prepared to spend a lot of time on them!

I decided that I wanted to build a large one and that being the case I wasn't going to rush it and 'make do' with 'the adequate'. It was going to be my 'once in a lifetime, best ever diorama'. So, yes, I am pushing myself with this one. I've learned a fair bit in the process, and I'm hoping my vehicles and figures will improve too otherwise none of this will have been worth it!

 

Thanks again for taking the time to comment, it really IS appreciated,

Rearguards,

Badder

[Badder]

And now back to the MiniArt kit itself and its poorly designed parts...

I was going to have a little rant about their stupidity in designing the railings for the front steps, but I was half way through a paragraph and lost the will to live. Needless to say that once again, extra work had to be done to get the parts to fit together, and yet again the so called instruction sheet was as useful as a chocolate Sabot Round.

 

Anyway, I've fitted the sloping railings together and have fitted the two sets of square railings for the platform at the top. That's 4 parts in total. They come on 4 separate sprues........................

 

Wooooohoooo!... I was just interrupted by a low flying Herc! And when I say low flying, I mean I could have hit it with a well aimed stone! It would have taken off from RAF Lyneham where they were once based. Nowadays they are an uncommon sight, but they always seem to practice their low-level manoeuvres when they do pay a visit., right over the top of our house and banking sharply over the wooded valley. Great sight!

 

Where was I? Ah yes. 4 sprues, with 42 parts between them, 38 parts of which are not used in this kit. Talk about a waste of plastic. (Only of course, I will be using the extra parts in other dioramas.)

 

So, I gave the parts their undercoat. Guess which colour? Yep, Brussel Sprout Green. Simply because I had some left in the airbrush. I will of course paint them the same blue as all the other blue things.

 

No photos, because I bet you're all bored stiff of seeing green things, even if they are Brussel Sprout Green as opposed to Lime Green.

 

I may be going fossil hunting tomorrow, in which case no progress will take place until the evening. It will be quite rapid progress though... with the railing to paint and fit, and then the exterior wall lanterns. (I'm going to make two as I have a spare or four)

 

 

TFR, (Thanks for reading)

 

Badder.

[Badder]

The railings have been a minor pain with them being so fragile and with tiny tiny areas of contact for gluing them together. Miniart supply the railings with some extended posts that are supposed to be sunk into holes which the modeller is supposed to drill into the steps. A couple of the posts snapped off during handling. The bottom rails though, are supposed to lay flush upon the stonework (According to the instruction sheet, anyway) So what's the point of the extended posts? I cut them all off and will be gluing the bottom rails directly to the stonework.

 

The uppermost metal rail, the one below the wooden hand rail, also snapped off at the end where it is supposed to join the upper metal rail of the next section. There is now a gap. It's too tiny a fragment of railing to be able to replace IMHO, so I'm going to cut the adjoining rail's end off as well.

 

But the railings are all painted up, and are ready now to be fitted. I won't be fixing them in place until the very last, as I don't want to risk damaging them through future handling. In the photo they are just dry fitted. You can see the snapped metal railing where the slope meets the level.

 

 

Meanwhile, the drainpipe at the rear of the building has been painted up and also awaits fitting.

 

I've also tidied up the walls of the building a bit. I got rid of some Brussel Sprout Green overspray which was lurking within the spaces between the ivy, added a few more leaves to the area directly above the steps, and gave all of the exposed walls a going over with Tamiya Light Sand Weathering Powder. This last process was very light, and it's effects very subtle. I'm pondering whether to weather it some more.

 

Next job... the lanterns.

 

EDIT.

Actually, I just realised that I don't have to cut off that other bit of railing. I'm going to hang something over the rails to hide the damage.

I'm thinking a flag possibly? One to welcome the liberators? Or how about a floor rug, hung out for a beating? Or a coat maybe?

INTRIGUED? WINDY WITH ANTICIPATION? CAN'T THREAD YOUR DARNING NEEDLE BECAUSE YOUR NERVES ARE SHOT AND ARE FIRING WILLY-NILLY?

WATCH THIS SPACE!

 

TFL

Badder.

Edited February 4, 2018 by Badder

[Badder]

 

Yesterday it was a very low flying Herc, this evening it was this:

 

Nice.

Badder

Edited February 4, 2018 by Badder

[RichO]

You must be up to no good with that kind of black aircraft flying over your house.  Nice rails!

[Badder]

Just now, RichO said:

You must be up to no good with that kind of black aircraft flying over your house.  Nice rails!

Thanks Rich,

The railings were painted a bit slap-dash to be honest. I painted them with base coat of lime green purely because I had a fair bit left over in my airbrush. And once it was given the blue and wood colours and a coat of gloss varnish I got bit impatient and applied the washes before the varnish had dried. It got a bit messy, but somehow they turned out like that!

 

As for the Osprey, I managed to snap that photo then went to the 'what's flying over your house' thread in the aviation forum. And quite amazingly, the previous post to mine was someone sighting an Osprey an hour earlier and about 80 miles away, heading south.... where I live! I'm sure it must have been the same one.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

 

[Badder]

The lanterns.

I had lantern parts from this kit, and lantern parts from the previous 'village house' kit. MiniArt though, do not supply 'clear glass' for the lanterns and so I had to source some 'glass' and fit it myself. Never mind, I could make 2 lanterns and fit them to the front and rear of the building.

So, on with the construction.

Surprise, surprise, hardly anything fitted neatly, or even properly, and everything had to be worked with files and scalpels to get them to fit together. Another inconvenience courtesy of MiniArt. Never mind, I got it done.

Now to the fitting of the 'glass'. I don't know what MiniArt were playing at when they designed this kit, back in the day, but they would have you build the lantern with no glass, and no interior details.... no gas lamp, no electric bulb, not even a candle. Pretty stupid really. So even WITH glass, the thing is useless. You have to build your own light source, whatever that might be.

Well, I couldn't be bottomed with any of that, so I went for a 'frosted glass' look rather than clear glass. Problem solved. My frosted glass was sourced from a 1 pint milk container which I salvaged from the wheelie bin. I cut a strip from the flat side of the container and immediately wished I hadn't. The stink that assaulted my nostrils was almost worthy of an upchuck. I really should have checked that there wasn't 'soured clotted cream' in the bottom first.

Anyway, I had to fit the glass to the lantern frame AFTER it had been constructed as, as I said before, the parts didn't fit together too well. I couldn't just fix glass to the insides of each frame and then stick them all together. They just wouldn't fit. I had to tailor each piece of glass to fit the whole thing. And then I fluffed the lantern up, spilling CA all over it. Grrrr. Bin that one.

Having learned my lesson, the second lantern went smoothly. I'd pre-painted it blue, and had scuffed it all up a bit, in preparation for a good old rusting and chipping, so here's how it looks prior to those last processes.

The roughness of the framework was simply created by running a 'diamond' file over the blue paint. The paint flakes were left to texture the framework and were fixed in place by a thin coat of blue.

 

TFL

Badder

Edited February 4, 2018 by Badder

[Badder]

Here's the lantern after the final weathering. Following the photo above, I gave the thing a coat of gloss varnish, then dabbed rust weathering powder in those areas where rust would occur.. mostly at the weld seams/joints. I then dabbed around with a dirty thinner 'pin wash' and in some places allowed the rust to run. Once this was dry I took a toothpick and used it to dab, scrape and spread the neat blue around before adding a satin coat of varnish and a final wash with dirty thinners.

 

 

There's only a few things left to do on this building now. There's going to be an electrical cable coming into the building via 'telegraph poles', so that'll need to have an entry point. I've also realised that I have to add an outer door to the porch, otherwise why the need for a barred window?

 

TFL

Badder.

Edited February 4, 2018 by Badder

[Badder]

Health issues have gotten in the way of progress this week...I've been alseep a lot! Late onset type one diabetes really does take it out of you at times.

 

I have constructed a door for the porch, but haven't gotten round to painting it. I need a break from the building. Those leaves really did do my head in! So, I'm going to switch to a different area of the diorama.

 

A TREE

And it's going to be a whopper! I'm talking at least 12 inches tall. And yes, I know that's going to involve more leaves, but the method will be different. I won't be having to stick leaves to a vertical/near vertical surface for one!

 

So, let me go through my basket of twiggery and get my 'tree-making' materials together and I'll be back soon!

 

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

 

[Major_Error]

I wish you the best, @Badder!

 Get well soon!

 

8-) 

 

[Badder]

3 hours ago, Major_Error said:

I wish you the best, @Badder!

 Get well soon!

 

Thanks mate, but I don't think there's gonna be a cure any time soon! I have good days, bad days. All I can do is grin and bear it. GRIN. BEAR. See?

 

Rearguards,

Badder

[James G]

Brilliant work!

[Badder]

3 hours ago, James G said:

Brilliant work!

Thank you James,

All such comments are greatly appreciated. Hopefully work will recommence this weekend.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

[kpnuts]

This is all looking superb, there's always so much to learn from this build, thanks for posting it.

[Badder]

4 hours ago, kpnuts said:

This is all looking superb, there's always so much to learn from this build, thanks for posting it.

Thanks KP,

I'm learning stuff from me as well! But then, that's the whole idea isn't it? I've always said there's no point in me just sticking with what I know.

 

And if my blooming hands weren't playing up, I'd be cracking on. Maybe a few beers will help... now there's an idea.

Rearguards,

Badder

 

EDIT.

Damn, I fell asleep moments after posting this and just woke up 5 hrs later grrrrrr.

Edited July 15, 2017 by Badder

[Pete in Lincs]

Right.

I've just done a major catch up starting around May 8th.

So now I have to remember the bits I like and comment on them.

Oh wait. All of it! I liked it all.

The only comment I might make is;

Which way is North? The mouldy bits would be that side, You should

have seen the state of our North facing guttering & soffits/barge boards before

I painted them the other week. They were last done about seven years ago.

 

Badder this is an epic build in the traditional and common sense of the word.

 

Diabetes is a bu&&er. A work colleague has it but diet and hard work has it mostly under control.

You and he have my respect for coping with it. I'm hoping to avoid it!

 

[Vince1159]

Those railings and the the lamp are fantastic Badder ....

[Badder]

9 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Right.

I've just done a major catch up starting around May 8th.

So now I have to remember the bits I like and comment on them.

Oh wait. All of it! I liked it all.

The only comment I might make is;

Which way is North? The mouldy bits would be that side, You should

have seen the state of our North facing guttering & soffits/barge boards before

I painted them the other week. They were last done about seven years ago.

 

Badder this is an epic build in the traditional and common sense of the word.

 

Diabetes is a bu&&er. A work colleague has it but diet and hard work has it mostly under control.

You and he have my respect for coping with it. I'm hoping to avoid it!

 

Hi Pete,

Glad you had the hours to catch up! Thank you very much for taking the time to comment. I'm glad you like it.

As for the mould/moss etc I'm afraid to say that 'moss grows on the north side of trees' is an old wives tale. Mould certainly grows indoors, in basements etc and will grow on any wall. And you will find trees completely encircled by moss. Moss obviously prefers damp conditions, although it can survive for quite a while during drought. Actually, I gathered some moss for diorama material, and I stored it an opaque tub. It's still green and fresh after more than a year. I think your moss/mould just happened to end up mostly on the one side of your house due to prevailing wind conditions? Don't forget that Moss, mould, lichen, algae etc are spread by spores, which are airborne.

 

So I did consider all of that before I started adding them to the building. To be honest, I was actually more concerned about the position of the 'ivy'. That would be more likely to grow better on well lit walls and again, with access to water... which is why I put it on the end walls where there is no guttering above. I have in my head therefore that the building is facing south.

But thank you for voicing your concerns, because you COULD have highlighted and oversight on my part. Maybe next time eh?

 

 

As for my diabetes, I'm late onset type 1, which means I have to take insulin, but unlike 99.99 percent of type 1 diabetics (who are born with it), I was diagnosed in my mid 40s. My body just stopped producing insulin out of the blue. That puts me in the 5,000 sufferers who have late onset, rather than the hundreds of thousands who have it from birth. So you'd be VERY unlucky to get late onset type 1. Type 2 is most often diagnosed in later life where the sufferer DOES still produce their own insulin, but it IS COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE, and/or reversible with a good diet and a healthy lifestyle.

 

Thanks again for all of your comments and the excuse for me to explain a bit about type 1 diabetes. A lot of people (not yourself) think it's just a minor 'ailment' to do with eating too much sugar, and that cutting down on sugar will cure it. They have no idea that it's an auto-immune disease where the body kills the gland that produces insulin, and that it is an incurable disease which can be catastrophic and deadly if not treated properly.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

Just now, Vince1159 said:

Those railings and the the lamp are fantastic Badder ....

Thanks Vince.

I had a minor disaster with the lantern, literally moments before replying to your post! I cut out a slot in the wall to accept the bracket and fix the lantern in place, then glued the lantern in place. But the bracket was slightly twisted. So I thought I'd straighten it with gentle heating, only I overdid it and caused the thing to twist and curl up. The lantern itself was undamaged, and I can laugh now because I do have a spare bracket from the other building.

However, while I have taken a backwards step with the lantern I have done some little bits of work here and there today...just a general tidying up, a few more leaves, a bit of repainting/touching up, and a bit more work on the door for the porch.

 

Hope you are well.

Rearguards,

Badder

[Pete in Lincs]

Badder,

Well explained on both subjects.

I was warned about type 2 a few years ago by my Doctor

but, as you say, diet and lifestyle have helped me to avoid it.

 

Looking forward to more detailing on this great diorama.

Pete

[Badder]

Just now, Pete in Lincs said:

 

Looking forward to more detailing on this great diorama.

 

Hi Pete,  

I'd best post something I suppose. BM and HostingPics must be wondering what the hell is going on! 

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

[Badder]

So, here's the lantern with the new bracket and fixed in place. I have a little tidying up to do on the stonework around the bracket. I don't know why, but the colours aren't showing up so well in this photo.

Here's the 'wicket door' which I had to sand down a bit and repaint because I discovered it had a blob of dried CA on it. No idea how it got there. But I'm happy with the rework.

 

And finally, the door for the porch. It will be given one more wash, but now I'm having doubts about whether to use it or not. I could always use it on an 'out-house'.

 

Having said that, I tried swapping the wicket door and porch door over, and they look really good that way!

 

Hmmmm what to do?

 

TFL

Badder

Edited February 4, 2018 by Badder

[Badder]

Here's the porch door in place of the original wicket door. It will actually fit flush in the space but I didn't want to damage the paint on the edges of the door or the doorway itself.

 

 

This door would make sense, letting light into the building.

 

I could resurface the lower half of the door to match the barn doors.

 

WHO THINKS THIS DOOR LOOKS BETTER THAN THE KIT'S DOOR? NEW, OR KIT?????

PLEASE VOTE NOW!

 

TFL

Badder

Edited February 4, 2018 by Badder

[RichO]

Love the look of the new door!  Also, it dose not need to be reworked, by the way the photos look online anyway. Vote #1