Diorama Content

Love all this! Great detail that is being added in. I especially like the paperclip chair. Going back to Uniter buildings, I believe one of these is still extant at Watton, which isn't a million miles away from you.

It looks very nice. Some of your older photos are not visible to me (I only see dead links..) I dont know if it is just this work PC that is doing it..? How do you display these? I too love architecture, and would like to build a few buildings (things like Fallingwater, Savoye residence, Farnsworth house etc.), but the problem is what to do with them when they are finished! They are bigger in volume than for instance planes or cars and dont really fit on shelves.

As above with plaster, but for the scale effect use a cube of sponge and dab it. You’ll use all 4 sides as it will clag up, so make sure you have some more available. The painting will make it though

Pollyfilla, or the equivalent in your area. Home DIY repair ready-mixed plaster

I've tried doing real things, and it's difficult because of a lack of information. Some parts of things are well known, right around the corner maybe no photos. So I find it easier to make my own, and I can make it more stylish too (hopefully)

You could try a mix of mod podge, plaster/grout, water and a squirt of the basic colour of choice. Mix it into a paste and trowel it on.

I am working on my Lynx helicopter and it’s about time I build a structure at this stage. I know nothing on diorama making but would certainly want to do it for all my models, at least a decent base. Can someone kindly suggest how can I make this cement structure? I am thinking of building a shell of this structure with foam but not sure what material can I use to coat the outer surface to achieve that “Stone” effect.

Amazing buildings. It would be nice to see you build the Neuschwanstein castle.

That is a very complex model. Good show! Mike

The new model got changed a lot, having difficulties getting all the towers to point in the same direction, no matter what I see to do with it (the one at the back).

I think this is excellent. To my mind you've caught the essence of the reference picture exceptionally well. It looks absolutely realistic.. i can almost smell the seawater and the seaweed. I've done a couple of dioramas for aircraft posing.. quite simple stuff really. nothing as good as this though! Thanks for showing this. It's exceptional in my humble opinion. Regards, Andy

The Fimo and foil suggestions are clever ideas. I was looking at Google just now and there is a Youtube video called "How to Model Water Lilies from Scratch" in which Kathy Millatt demonstrates some techniques: a sheet of paper, acrylic paints and brass tubing are involved, though I guess you could use other suitable materials you have to hand. From brass tubing, Kathy made her own "punches" to manufacture several different sizes of lily pads, but I suppose you could use some kind of hole punching device to make the round discs. She took inspiration from an article in the "Model Railroader" issue dated March 2001 by Gerry Leone where he shows how to make water lilies, cattails and pond scum. [For once, the term "pond scum" sounds like a nice description, at least to a modeller!] Additionally, on her website "Kathy Millatt Modelling", Kathy further describes these techniques. Gerry's own website covering his Bona Vista Railroad also seems a useful resource. You could check these various sources as they might add some value to your project. I notice in the Youtube video Comments section that someone has considered using light green printer paper (presumably that handily reduces the need to wet the paper with paint and I assume also lessens the risk of crinkling). Finally, I notice Noch (as mentioned by Kathy), and other companies such as JTT Scenery Products, make tiny water lilies suitable as scenery for dioramas and the like.

@Mark Cassidy I had another thought; you could make out of thick aluminium foil. Not the usual kitchen type but the thick stuff used on food trays. Cut the rough circle, bend up the edges, use a modelling tool to add veins et cetera and then paint with enamels

Ah yes, fire extinguishers. Had a green one with wall bracket for years. I guess it would be a wall bracket set of CO2, foam, powder and I think there was a red hose real inside the main doors on the wall. I will have another look at that training video for extinguishers

Fire extinguishers. They were everywhere. Can't remember if you have any? Back then we'd have small green BCF extinguishers on vehicles. Sometimes in brackets on walls. They were banned in the nineties I believe. Toxic! Cream extinguishers. Foam for fuel fires. Black CO2 extinguishers used during engine starts Blue extinguishers were dry powder for Aircraft brake fires and, IIRC Electrical fires. Apparently yellow is for wet chemicals but I can't remember ever seeing one. Red ( water) ones were only for domestic or office type use.

I was looking at the Cabin and HAS and thought it was time to refit the cable tray. All looks to line up quite nicely The only thing that occurred to me is that the cabin seemed to sit up a little with space to lift it on a fork lift. So I put some supports underneath. Might paint them but you won’t see them. The air duct also just sits proud of the cabin roof And with it sitting up Will need to set it all up and maybe put a jet in the HAS too just to check it all. Anything else needed for now? I have seen a couple of extra a/c unit style boxes on the roof in front of the air duct. And hooks on the front with aircraft warning signs hung on them, but now I guess it’s down to modelling a specific HAS rather than a general model. But I did see trays over the ducts further back. Just not sure what would be on them.

Little bit of green stuff to cover any gaps. Man for scale And a quick prime. I prefer a coat of spirit prime before putting water based paint on card. Stops it getting to soggy Could do with going a bit more cream rather than grey

Cheers , I hadn't thought of using clay , thank you very much I will give it a try and report back my results , thanks again

Cheers @Pete in Lincs I was always intrigued by the RAFG bases & the clam shell HASes. It like the army back then, the best gear always seemed to be out in Germany. As for having fun, it’s a nice distraction from the double Phantom with lights build. It is somehow easier to get time to cut up a cereal packet than to get stuck in to converting a hard wing Phantom to a slatted wing. I guess you can get away with more on a diorama build as the building and stuff are the background. But the more ‘clutter’ or detail if you prefer, the more real things look.

Get yourself some green FIMO or Sculpey polymer clay. If you don't know it, it is a by-heat hardening plastic clay. Its like plasticine, but after you make your shape you cook it in an ordinary oven for a about 15 to 30 minutes to harden it and then the shape is permanent Shape up your lily pads and cook them Cut a big circle type shape, use your fingers and modelling tools to form the rim, add veins et cetera. When you are happy with it, cook it If you don't like the way it is forming, just squeeze the polymer clay together again and start over, as often as you want. It will only harden when you cook it. The clay is available in a multitude of colours and these can be mixed together as well A 58 or 60g block costs around £3 and will make many dozens of lily pads When hard the polymer clay can be painted with acrylic paints as well

You're obviously enjoying yourself and the result is looking great. I only really spent time in HAS's in Germany when we had exercises. And one night in a HES when the temperature went below -20C so the exercise was put on hold. Nevertheless, it all looks right to me all these years later.

Folks, Can I probe the hive mind for a solution to a problem please. I was wondering if anyone might be able to suggest a way to create water lillys and lilly pads, I have seen a video on how to do the smaller water lillys but I wondered if anyone had any ideas for the larger lilly pad type? https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Victoria_boliviana_Kew_portrait.jpg#mw-jump-to-license I think the hard part is getting the lovely rim round the edges. I have no real idea where to start tbh would a press work, or do I need to cut out a circle? Ideally I need to be able to do different sizes as well as they aren't uniform. What materials would you consider. I should add I am aware of the commercial ones that are expensive for a small pack so if I can I would like to make my own Regards Mark

Did the vents today And fitted them. I really should do some more for the other side now so they match. The other side just has the vent holes that were see on the ventilation in some HASes I soldered up the lights power supply too so the cabin is done While the vents were drying I couldn’t help noticing the card tube that is the start of the Yarnold Sangar. It needed a top and bottom disk That corrugated card needed edging and the slots and entrance cut Now I intend to skin it with card to get the three part effect. So with no paint this is how it looks I was going to give it a coat of emulsion based paint for that concrete look. Quite like it though!

Magnolia for the window frames would work very well with the blue and green of the wallpaper. The white trim wouldn't affect the colours and it "should" be okay in contrast to the red of the exterior brick work. Thank you for your suggestion Paul.

Very nice. A suggestion for the chap jumping from the tray (he's late, BTW, all his mates are already in action. Was he having a snooze? ) would be to drill through his hand and the tray side, and insert a brass pin (and if needed, another through the left knee - careful positioning and paintwork would hide that one). It's just a flesh wound! No-one in their right mind is going to leap from a vehicle onto a box or stack of whatever - one of the biggest inbuilt fears that we have is falling, and human beings are very good at instinctive self-preservation - making sure of our footing is one thing that we do without thought, even in stressful situations. I'd even go so far as to say that he's in danger of twisting or breaking an ankle on that gutter edge... And a nit, if I may. Your boys need safety glasses or goggles. Standard equipment for most modern militaries, and an absolute must have for small forces operating remotely, the last thing they need is a debilitating eye injury that could've been prevented so easily.