How I build dioramas Part 2
- Thread starter JohnReid
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JohnReid
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
Morton's Car
The choice I have here is between a straight passenger car or a combo.
The first choice would be to pretty much scratchbuild the whole thing beginning with the shell.The lower combo car has some of the work already done for me.Having already built a wood version I think it may be fun to do the plastic version and make it look like wood.
Luckily for me the plastic itself is colored and not just painted which will make my job a lot easier.It is also more interesting as it is already broken down into two sections passengers and baggage. The baggage side could be set up for movie making purposes while the passenger side could contain a portion of Morton's car as seen in the movie.
This is an abandoned movie set so a lot of stuff would have been removed and the set will be depicted as having fallen into some disrepair.
The steps at the far right I can use for Jill's arrival scene and the view through the windows will be of Monument Valley.
JohnReid
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
This is all way too crowded together but it gives you guys an idea about how the final composition will look.
JohnReid
A Fixture
After gutting the car,removing the seats and wiring,I laid a sub-floor in basswood on the passenger side of the car.I haven't yet decided whether to leave the sky lights as is of remove them and put up clear glass.The detail on the glass looks a little overscale to me.
I strengthened up the roof line a bit by adding 1/4 x 1/4 lumber in anticipation of cutting out the cars side.This is necessary to keep the cars structural integrity while working on it.The hole in the side is for movie making purposes.
JohnReid
A Fixture
The next step will be to lay the finished floor in Morton's car.Hardwood floors on his side while the rest will be pine.I try to hand select each board for color and contrast.Using a darker one right up next to a light one will help to achieve what I am looking for.
JohnReid
A Fixture
Even though it is separated into two compartments there still is lots of space to work with.The baggage side will eventually become a storage area for old props etc..
I have removed the orange windows even though they made for a nice warm glow inside as they were overscale plus I like to have complete control of the lighting including color.The ceiling has been finished with cherry wood veneer and I am now boxing in the beams in walnut veneer.
In Mortons car there was a lot of brass tubing hanging from the ceiling above to be used as handrails to steady himself as he moved about his private car.He was disabled and slowly dying from bone disease.
JohnReid
A Fixture
I have decided to have a bit of fun laying the floor in Morton's compartment.I have gone one size larger on the planks(stir stiks)which gives me a nice edge to work with when doing the following technique.Wood floors can be quite beautiful when laid properly.I want to try a technique that I haven't used since my old ship building days of HMS Victory.Morton must have hired a couple of unemployed shipbuilders to do the floors and cabinetry for his rail car.There will be no visible nails or wood trunnels holding the floor in place.There will however be a black waterproof caulking material between each board which will make the floor more interesting to the eye.The wood is birch.
JohnReid
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
Ya know when aging and weathering hardwoods I found found that the best way to do it is too weather it as it would do naturally,in other words from a polished finish to a dull.In this way you can retain the beauty of the grain as it seemingly ages.The birch floor for example was originally a gloss finish that was dulled using very fine sandpaper for the wear and tear, then chalk pastels representing the build up of crud over the years ,followed by a spray of matte acrylic fixative to hold it all in place.Later more crud can be built up in all the cracks and crevasses
and to create shadows.
and to create shadows.
JohnReid
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
Well I have decided to add a few more months work to the project.I was originally planning to save a little time by just weathering the exterior of this car but because nothing looks as good as the real thing,wood, I now plan to board it up instead.I have also opened up all the doors both interior and exterior for better camera angle shots of the interior.I will retain the red framed windows and stain the siding about the same green.
On the roof it is presently what looks like a fine sandpaper type surface.Does anyone here know what may have been used on the real thing ? A tar paper or canvas material ?
I could use a cloth backed sandpaper of appropriate grit and just paint it .Any ideas ?
On the roof it is presently what looks like a fine sandpaper type surface.Does anyone here know what may have been used on the real thing ? A tar paper or canvas material ?
I could use a cloth backed sandpaper of appropriate grit and just paint it .Any ideas ?
JohnReid
A Fixture
Please note:
I have moved all the pictures in my photobucket taken up until now ,from the General Album to the G Scale Trains Album.Moving pics will cause them to delete in the General thread but they are still available on my G scale album for those who may be interested.
Bending stripwood:
Bending wood is simple for a rectangular roof such as this,shipbuilding is another story.I just use plain old warm tap water and soak the area that I want to bend for a few minutes in this case.(The thicker the wood ,the longer the soak) .I then take an old stick type hair curler and put it in a holding devise,I use a clamp. I then let it warm up to hair curling temperature which seems to be just perfect for bending thin strip wood like this.I hold the dry end in one hand and with the other wet end I use a pencil with an eraser on the end and apply increasing amounts of pressure with the eraser until I get what I am looking for.
Why the eraser end ,well it helps as a tool for bending instead of your fingers and tends not to slip on the wet surface.Keep checking that you are getting the proper bend and re-soak and do it again if necessary.You will want to slightly over bend it as there is a certain amount of spring back when the pressure is remove.If the piece of wood you are working with keeps breaking turn it over and try to bend it the other way.Use only straight grained wood running lengthwise on the strip as cross grain simply won't work without breaking.Most hobby woods bend without any problems.I used the thin long type coffee stir stiks used to stir the extra large double doubles.Your local coffee shop manager may sell you a box for a few bucks especially when you tell him what your using them for.He probably built models too in his younger days !
Most stiks and tongue depressors are birch wood ,which is in the hardwood category. So depending on the thickness they will require more soaking time in hotter water than say basswood , popular or pine.Have fun and good luck !
The above is in answer to a question I got from a another modeler.
I have moved all the pictures in my photobucket taken up until now ,from the General Album to the G Scale Trains Album.Moving pics will cause them to delete in the General thread but they are still available on my G scale album for those who may be interested.
Bending stripwood:
Bending wood is simple for a rectangular roof such as this,shipbuilding is another story.I just use plain old warm tap water and soak the area that I want to bend for a few minutes in this case.(The thicker the wood ,the longer the soak) .I then take an old stick type hair curler and put it in a holding devise,I use a clamp. I then let it warm up to hair curling temperature which seems to be just perfect for bending thin strip wood like this.I hold the dry end in one hand and with the other wet end I use a pencil with an eraser on the end and apply increasing amounts of pressure with the eraser until I get what I am looking for.
Why the eraser end ,well it helps as a tool for bending instead of your fingers and tends not to slip on the wet surface.Keep checking that you are getting the proper bend and re-soak and do it again if necessary.You will want to slightly over bend it as there is a certain amount of spring back when the pressure is remove.If the piece of wood you are working with keeps breaking turn it over and try to bend it the other way.Use only straight grained wood running lengthwise on the strip as cross grain simply won't work without breaking.Most hobby woods bend without any problems.I used the thin long type coffee stir stiks used to stir the extra large double doubles.Your local coffee shop manager may sell you a box for a few bucks especially when you tell him what your using them for.He probably built models too in his younger days !
Most stiks and tongue depressors are birch wood ,which is in the hardwood category. So depending on the thickness they will require more soaking time in hotter water than say basswood , popular or pine.Have fun and good luck !
The above is in answer to a question I got from a another modeler.
John Reid
Active Member
Hi Guys ! back again.
John Reid
Active Member
Hi guys ! I haven't been posting much recently as I am trying to finish up my fourth and final diorama commitment that I made to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum to have it finished before October of this year.Thing are going so well that I should be finished earlier than I planned.
I am getting anxious to get back to the RR diorama for a much needed change then on to the Bleriot/Falcon sculpture after that.
Right now I want to post a few pictures of a neat way of taking pictures of water scenes involving any type of modeling .It could be used for any model that passes on,by,over or through a water environment.I will post a few pictures I took the other day as examples,and later I will explain how it was done.
John Reid
Active Member
John Reid
Active Member
John Reid
Active Member
Hi guys ! it has been awhile.All four dioramas have been picked up now so I have more time for posting.I have decided to make the saloon end of the diorama a kind of closed set,mostly by adding another building and a couple solid wood backdrops.
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