First diorama since 1988...starting small...

[John Masters]

This will be my first 'diorama' base since way back in the last century--1988!  Eventually I want to create a series of bases I can use for RFI images on the Forum with different basic looks: snow, greenish grass, desert sand, etc...nothing too crazy yet.  So I am starting small.  This will be a simple dry dirt road with some grass on the side, etc...you get it, right?

 

In the old days we use Plaster of Paris or that stuff for train sets that was mostly vermiculite.  You had to put down a mesh screen first so it would stick.  I am hoping this acrylic mix will work without the mesh.  🤞

 

 

I mixed a few spoonfuls with a very small amount of tap water and now I have this.  I will let it set up a bit and sculpt the road running through it, then when it is dry I am hoping to be able to sand it some and so forth.  

 

It looks like MacArthur's Park, i.e. someone left the cake out in the rain...

 

 

Wish me luck!

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John Masters]

After almost 24 hours, it is dry enough to handle.  I am not sure I need to thin the mixture.  Also, I am pretty sure I can get this stuff (or something similar) at the local DIY for a small percentage of the price that AK charges.

 

 

The cracks are due to uneven drying.  That's ok.  I'll use them as texture.

 

I was able to press with my fingers and create a basic 'road' area, then took a wide sanding stick and shaped out a bit more.

 

 

When it is fully dry (tomorrow) I will use some flat light brown acrylic spray (DIY store) to begin the base.

 

--John

 

 

[John Masters]

It was nice and dry so I sprayed it with the Clay colour.  I didn't notice that the paint is gloss.  Hmmm...I think it will be ok.  I can always give it some matt spray to fix it.

 

Looks good though, I think.  Nice base.

 

 

--John

[John Masters]

OK.  I broke out the sand, flock, glue...etc...

 

I did this.  Meh.  Not the right substance, but at least I have a clearer idea of where the road is supposed to be.

 

 

Glue...I have plenty.  This is excellent stuff.  It also works on small cracks in the walls after earthquakes.  

 

 

I thinned some with some water, and dabbed it around with an old stiff brush.  The colour is from the AK mud left on the brush.

 

 

Then I used a small mesh sifter to sift real sand, real dirt from here on the island, sifting out the bigger chunks of rock and so forth.

I gathered this the other day while hiking.

 

This is what we have around here.  Something tells me I might be using this for a future diorama in another GB next year!  👍😉

 

 

And this is what I got...

 

 

Then I dabbed some more thinned glue around the areas without sand and sifted two different Noch flock colours (light and dark green).  

 

 

Then...I shot the moon and applied my old nemesis, hairspray, to keep it all in place.  I carefully knocked off the loose bits.  Then (sorry...no in progress pictures, I was inspired and moved quickly) I put some droplets of glue mix in a few places and dropped chunkier bits of the outdoor terrain around, otherwise known as rocks.

 

And this is the result.

 

 

I'll let that all dry and tomorrow I will use it as intended: for better RFI images for the GB galleries.  I think my next base will be something wintry, as Christmas is just around the corner...😁🎅

 

--John

 

 

[Muchmirth]

Looking good John!! Would it be a desert gb or a Southern European flavoured one by any chance?

[John Masters]

16 hours ago, Muchmirth said:

Would it be a desert gb or a Southern European flavoured one by any chance?

Thanks MM...HoHo!  Wouldn't you like to know?! 😉

 

No...it's no big secret.  I haven't built a decent diorama in decades and if you go to the Desert GB Chat you'll see what I am gathering.

Think 'VW Repair'.  It'll be fun.

The next base I am going to make, however, will be all grassy field for aircraft photos.  Pretty simple, really.  Tonight or tomorrow.  

 

[Muchmirth]

26 minutes ago, John Masters said:

Thanks MM...HoHo!  Wouldn't you like to know?! 😉

 

No...it's no big secret.  I haven't built a decent diorama in decades and if you go to the Desert GB Chat you'll see what I am gathering.

Think 'VW Repair'.  It'll be fun.

The next base I am going to make, however, will be all grassy field for aircraft photos.  Pretty simple, really.  Tonight or tomorrow.  

 

Looking forward to see how it turns out in the end!  The grassy field is a good idea as well, handy to have and can be interchangeable with models.

[John Masters]

3 hours ago, Muchmirth said:

The grassy field is a good idea as well, handy to have and can be interchangeable with models.

Exactly the point.  Even the little 'road' base will serve that purpose.  It's a much better set up than my cutting matt on the bench.

[spruecutter96]

This looks really convincing, to my eyes. 

 

Thanks for sharing your techniques with us. 

 

Cheers. 

 

Chris. 

[John Masters]

On 12/3/2022 at 1:35 AM, spruecutter96 said:

This looks really convincing, to my eyes. 

 

Thanks for sharing your techniques with us. 

Thanks Chris.  I have another one getting ready.  I'll keep it on this thread since these are just small bases, not dioramas per se...

 

This will be a basic grass field, suitable for any 1/72nd scale aircraft that wouldn't necessarily need tarmac.  

I didn't thin the AK goop so it should dry faster.  Once that has happened, I'll smooth it out a bit with some sandpaper and apply the flock.

 

\

 

--John

 

 

[Londoner]

That's really good.

 

Is the AK goop just texture so you don't have an entirely flat board? I don't want to sound mean* but it might be similar  and cheaper to use modelling past, airdry clay or polyfilla  instead?

 

* I am mean. I can't help but feel a lot of of the small pots of hobby texture etc are very expensive

[John Masters]

9 hours ago, Londoner said:

Is the AK goop just texture so you don't have an entirely flat board? I don't want to sound mean* but it might be similar  and cheaper to use modelling past, airdry clay or polyfilla  instead?

 

It is textured and you are right as well--and not mean!  I will use this AK stuff up and shop at the local DIY (or scrounge in the toolshed) for other mixable substances.  I think the fact that the AK is an acrylic base is preferable to something else.  And here in Greece if there is one thing we have is a thousand types of plaster, filler, stucco, etc...I mean, acrylic plaster mixed with a little sand or small gravel will work too.  And at pennies for the cost. 

 

Here is the base dried...

 

 

And here it is from the side.  Pretty low profile texture.  I am not going to sand anything.  I think it's fine as is.  Btw...I tried sanding some off the edge and it's pretty tough stuff.  

 

 

I have given it a base coat of 'clay' coloured spray.  I'll hit it again later with some darker/lighter shades of brown to give it some life.  And, of course, two or three types of grassy flock will go on top and soften the surface.

 

 

To be continued...

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

[Londoner]

I used a mixture of airdry clay, plaster, modelling paste and polyfilla (the last was lying around, I'm sure my other half didn't need it....) to create our mountain textures recently, and was pleased with the results. I did look at pots of "stone texture" and thought it would cost a  small fortune for no real advantage.

[John Masters]

40 minutes ago, Londoner said:

I used a mixture of airdry clay, plaster, modelling paste and polyfilla (the last was lying around, I'm sure my other half didn't need it....) to create our mountain textures recently, and was pleased with the results. I did look at pots of "stone texture" and thought it would cost a  small fortune for no real advantage.

Very true.  I do like trying out new stuff, however. 

 

Here is is with some other brown colours: dark earth, Portland stone and another brownish.  Nope.  No green.

 

 

--John

[Londoner]

Those colours are fabulous

[John Masters]

7 hours ago, Londoner said:

Those colours are fabulous

Thank you.  At this point now it is all but covered up, but I imagine if it was just bare wood beneath, it would show...

 

A bit of flock, some thinned wood glue, a sifter and something to stick it on.  What more could a boy want?

 

 

I brushed on the glue and then sifted the light green first.  Then I dribbled glue about and hit those spots with the darker stuff.  After that, any gluey spots received a bit of brown flock.  When using the sifter I push the stuff through with my fingers.  It doesn't really sift very well.  But sifting it separates it in the air (about 15cm above the board) and so it distributes evenly.  The darker green flock sifts and what is left is kind of curly green bushy stuff.  So I dumped that on there and then hit the whole thing with liberal amounts of hairspray.  Then I up-ended the board and not much comes off, but what there is, needs to.  

 

I'm left with this.  Those whitish spots are undried glue, which will be clear when dry.  

 

 

There you go!  All ready for my 19 Sqn. SPAD VII..

 

--John

 

PS: winter is coming...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Londoner]

Looks very good. How many bases are you intending to make in total?

 

What is the hairspray for? 

 

"What more could a boy want?" OO gauge sheep. That was the response from my 8 yr old boy. He's developed a passionate desire for mini sheep.

[psdavidson]

32 minutes ago, Londoner said:

OO gauge sheep

You can never have too many of those

 

45 minutes ago, John Masters said:

 All ready for my 19 Sqn. SPAD VII..

It'll look grand on that base

[John Masters]

1 hour ago, Londoner said:

Looks very good. How many bases are you intending to make in total?

 

What is the hairspray for? 

Thank you!  I will make at least 3 more: a winter field, a desert and a base that, I hope, resembles something with mud and puddles.  I will try to use more geological textures on the next three—rocks, shrubs, etc…

 

I use the hairspray to fix any loose pieces of flock.  I hold the can above the board about 50cm and spray vertically down.  That way it settles evenly and any propellant that might jet out doesn’t blow the loose bits all over the table!   

1 hour ago, psdavidson said:

It'll look grand on that base

Thank you!

[Londoner]

So the hairspray helps fix loose flock?

[John Masters]

20 hours ago, Londoner said:

So the hairspray helps fix loose flock?

Yes, just as it would flyaway strands of hair.  I cannot vouch for the lifespan but I think as long as I don't bother it it'll be alright.  It also seems to work well on fine grains of sand.  It's basically glue.

 

Here's the newest base, with an older Fokker DVII from Roden I built (scratch built struts all around).  It is supposed to be Emil Thuy's aircraft and when I built it the fuselage band was supposed to be light grey.  Peter Jackson says it's light blue.  I might go back and fix that. 

 

 

 

 

I have been gathering small rocks that might look authentic at 1/72 and 1/48th scale for my Desert Base and possible future desert diorama for an upcoming GB...!

 

--John

 

 

 

 

[John Masters]

I had an interesting idea yesterday about how to build rock outcroppings or even just corner pieces to secure the look of a diorama--if that makes sense.  I'll test my theory and post what I can here.  It involves using recycled plastic ear bud bins.

[John Masters]

On 12/5/2022 at 3:52 AM, Londoner said:

Is the AK goop just texture so you don't have an entirely flat board? I don't want to sound mean* but it might be similar  and cheaper to use modelling past, airdry clay or polyfilla  instead?

 

9€ for a kilo of this stuff at the local DIY.  Slightly gritty, dries medium quick, it can be spread very thin or thick, sandable, carvable...acrylic based. Can be thinned with water.   I think this is the same stuff as AK but thicker and a whole lot less expensive.  I've used it on walls, etc...and all of this is true.  

 

 

--John

 

 

[Londoner]

It looks similar but an awful lot cheaper - let us know how it pans out? I used a mixture of modelling paste and an old tube of polyfilla that Dearly Beloved had left where I could find it and swipe it, and that worked well for texture on a mountain side.

Edited December 7, 2022 by Londoner

[John Masters]

21 hours ago, Londoner said:

let us know how it pans out?

I will indeed.  This weekend, I hope.