"How I Build Aircraft Dioramas"

[gcn]

Hello John going back to your brickwork. Did you cut brick sized shapes from standard card stock and then added a texture or is that a textured card you have used.

I'm looking to create my 1st diorama and I will be attempting to add a small L shaped wall and your brickwork fits the bill.

[John W Reid]

Hello John going back to your brickwork. Did you cut brick sized shapes from standard card stock and then added a texture or is that a textured card you have used.

I'm looking to create my 1st diorama and I will be attempting to add a small L shaped wall and your brickwork fits the bill.

Hi! it is artists watercolor paper and is available in all textures.All art stores carry it. Cheers!

[John W Reid]

Talk about going from one extreme to another! From aircraft engine to windows.On a long project like this you have got to keep learning something new.Dioramas provide lots of room for learning and is one of the main reasons I do them.

The above pic is Ken Hamilton's almost finished window.Mine of course will be an exterior window so therefore will be a little different but basically it will be his methodology that I will be using.

Looks simple doesn't it? and I guess like most things it is after you have done the first one but you would be surprised just how much planning goes into it.(thanks Ken)

Well here we go!

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

Windows

The above pic was taken with a flash so the facade looks washed out.

The window jambs have already been installed so I will be required to build each window right on the facade rather than in a jig.I used 1 inch insulation and then wound around a large rubber band in order to get the facade to lay flat .Over the facade I have placed a cardboard sheet to protect the brick and then cut a hole in it for the window to be worked upon.

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

The above is a fully working window that slides up and down .I make mine from wood but plastic could also be used.The window panes are 1/16th Lexan that I cut from a sheet and then with a fine blade in my scroll saw,I cut out the rough shape .I then use a small belt sander with fine sandpaper to trim the rest.Any further shaping that is required to fit the panes into the individual window openings is done by using hand sanders.

The end on view gives you a good idea of how the whole thing is put together.

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

Now I have just another 11 windows and two doors to build.The way it is going more time will be spend on making up the supporting cast than the main event! But I expected this,I guess it is a lot like the movies where lots of time and money is spent on scenery in order to make the storyline more believable.

I think in future I will do only small 1/16th vignettes a la my fellow modeler Chuck Doan.I will spend more time on detail and less on big scale(size) productions.Four large dioramas is three more than I originally set out to do anyway.

The following is an example of Chucks work which I call extreme weathering .A great theme for example ,would be a modern day barn-find of an old aircraft or even aircraft parts, in 1/16th scale.It would give me lots of opportunity to give extreme weathering a try.I really enjoy the weathering process and then taking pics of the detail.

In the following example the old barn window tells a whole story in itself.

[John W Reid]

Something new!

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

How to rig a ship model.

I don't know if any of you guys are ship modelers but I have something on my photobucket that may be of interest.I spent a long time rigging an 1/72 scale HMS Victory before I took up 1/16th aircraft dioramas.I have started an album on how to rig this ship.Look for the album titled Friggin' in the Riggin' in my photobucket.

Believe me after that aircraft were easy! Cheers.John.

__________________

"Once upon a time......." Storyboard dioramas by JohnReid.

My photobucket:

http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

Guys,you may have noticed that I have slacked off a bit on this build.There is a good explanation for this and it is not what you may think, it is an attempt to do two projects at once.No not another diorama but something that I always promised myself to do and that is to write a little online booklet on how I rigged my 1/72 scale HMS Victory ship model.Right now there is precious little out there for the inexperienced rigger on the proper sequence to use when rigging a ship-of-the line.Lots of info on this or that but just about none on sequence and as you biplane modelers know this can be crucial to success in rigging anything.Cheers! John.

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

[John W Reid]

The windows are finished so now it is on to the two back doors.They will be of simple design being in the backyard.I plan a single window near the top.You will notice that doors were much narrower in those days. The figure looks about right standing in the door however you will see that the back is not finely carved as it doesn't show when placed properly in the diorama.It is also now quite shiny due to too much handling and will have to be re-painted.After the doors will come the porch and stairs which should be lots of fun!

[John W Reid]