"Memories of Flight School"
- Thread starter JohnReid
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paulyrichard
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
Hooter
Every old wood hangar needs its own Barn Owl.I picked up this one at the local dollar store along with Harley the dog and Chester the cat.
It is the right scale and made from pewter.
While I am experimenting with ground covers,waiting for them to dry etc...this will make a nice little side project.
The first thing to do will be to replace all the flora at its feet and fit it to a wooden hangar rafter.
Every old wood hangar needs its own Barn Owl.I picked up this one at the local dollar store along with Harley the dog and Chester the cat.
It is the right scale and made from pewter.
While I am experimenting with ground covers,waiting for them to dry etc...this will make a nice little side project.
The first thing to do will be to replace all the flora at its feet and fit it to a wooden hangar rafter.
JohnReid
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
Paint preperation of a casting.
I removed the flora from Hooters feet using files and a rotary tool burr with a dental bit.He will be sitting on top of a hangar rafter with the claws hanging over the edge.I will separate the claws just before gluing and pinning it to the rafter.Now it is on to the painting with acrylics.First I will clean it with a alcohol bath followed by a soft toothbrush and detergent wash.I will seal the metal using a thin coat of spray laquer followed by an undercoat of white gesso.
I removed the flora from Hooters feet using files and a rotary tool burr with a dental bit.He will be sitting on top of a hangar rafter with the claws hanging over the edge.I will separate the claws just before gluing and pinning it to the rafter.Now it is on to the painting with acrylics.First I will clean it with a alcohol bath followed by a soft toothbrush and detergent wash.I will seal the metal using a thin coat of spray laquer followed by an undercoat of white gesso.
JohnReid
A Fixture
Looking like a Snowy!
JohnReid
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
Because of the small scale the heavy feather relief and bright painting looks overdone.However once the bird is placed on the joists of the hangar behind the lighting it looks fine.If need be a couple of very thin coats of raw umber will tone the whole thing down.
JohnReid
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
Yesterday I took a little trip to the local hobby store that sort of
specializes in RR stuff,looking for out side building materials.
Because of the scale that I am working in ,and the fact that the
level of detail that I try to represent, makes things a little more
difficult than I first anticipated.(ex:blades of grass would have
to be laid almost one by one to look convincing.)
Being an airfield though means that it will all be pretty flat terrain.
which shouldn't be a problem.
The oval base will have to go as it is just too big.Right now I am looking at
a 4X6 foot rectangular base with the building set square to the edge.
I usually don't like to do this but because the building itself is so irregular
I feel that maybe I can get away with it.Also, if I do the outside
I will be placing large objects such as cars etc at angles to the base.
I called the museum and evidently they have exhibit designers
on staff that can help me.I plan to deliver the dioramas on a piece
of finished plywood with or without an outside a let them take it from there.
Two of the dioramas are meant to be hooked ,up to transformers
and one to an ordinary wall plug.I will leave the rest up to them
to make sure it meets safety standards.
When I was doing the Nieuport diorama, which is basically designed
as a shadow box to be viewed from the front only ,I wanted to put
it in an old TV cabinet with lighting both inside and out now I think
for safety reasons I will leave in only the overhead Christmas
light type bulbs.I have taken lots of pics of the original design
for my own satisfaction but safety comes first.Anyway I will put up a few
pics to illustrate what I mean.
I can't believe it but we a expecting more snow tonight.Cutting
plywood is still on hold.......
specializes in RR stuff,looking for out side building materials.
Because of the scale that I am working in ,and the fact that the
level of detail that I try to represent, makes things a little more
difficult than I first anticipated.(ex:blades of grass would have
to be laid almost one by one to look convincing.)
Being an airfield though means that it will all be pretty flat terrain.
which shouldn't be a problem.
The oval base will have to go as it is just too big.Right now I am looking at
a 4X6 foot rectangular base with the building set square to the edge.
I usually don't like to do this but because the building itself is so irregular
I feel that maybe I can get away with it.Also, if I do the outside
I will be placing large objects such as cars etc at angles to the base.
I called the museum and evidently they have exhibit designers
on staff that can help me.I plan to deliver the dioramas on a piece
of finished plywood with or without an outside a let them take it from there.
Two of the dioramas are meant to be hooked ,up to transformers
and one to an ordinary wall plug.I will leave the rest up to them
to make sure it meets safety standards.
When I was doing the Nieuport diorama, which is basically designed
as a shadow box to be viewed from the front only ,I wanted to put
it in an old TV cabinet with lighting both inside and out now I think
for safety reasons I will leave in only the overhead Christmas
light type bulbs.I have taken lots of pics of the original design
for my own satisfaction but safety comes first.Anyway I will put up a few
pics to illustrate what I mean.
I can't believe it but we a expecting more snow tonight.Cutting
plywood is still on hold.......
JohnReid
A Fixture
Almost disaster but I was lucky! one end of my worktable collapsed
almost to the floor and everything that wasn't screwed or glued down
ended up on the floor or in a jumble on one side of the hangar.
Mostly only minor damage to a couple of cars but I am glad
that I took pics to know where everything belongs.Whew!
that was a close call.A few screws should solve the problem
with the table.
Tomorrow I will begin to take the whole thing apart for the last
time and make ready to screw the hangar floor to its yet to be cut 48X68
plywood base.
almost to the floor and everything that wasn't screwed or glued down
ended up on the floor or in a jumble on one side of the hangar.
Mostly only minor damage to a couple of cars but I am glad
that I took pics to know where everything belongs.Whew!
that was a close call.A few screws should solve the problem
with the table.
Tomorrow I will begin to take the whole thing apart for the last
time and make ready to screw the hangar floor to its yet to be cut 48X68
plywood base.
JohnReid
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
Well now this is where I am at after nearly 4 years(I think) of building this diorama.Lots of parts and pieces are now stored away and I can finally begin the base.
I am going to compromise on this one and build a bit of an outside the hangar walls too.The first diorama the Albatros is strictly a five sided kind of shadow box viewable from 5 different angles.The 2nd ,the Neiuport is viewable only from the front.This time I am going to try my hand at doing a little ground cover which is totally new territory for me.Unfortunately I have seen a few dioramas where the ground cover actually wasn't up to the standard of the rest of the diorama,which I hope doesn't happen here.
The first step will be to cut out a 48X68 inch base and attach the hangar floor to it.Unfortunately we are still in Winter mode here in the GWN so no plywood has been cut yet.
I am going to compromise on this one and build a bit of an outside the hangar walls too.The first diorama the Albatros is strictly a five sided kind of shadow box viewable from 5 different angles.The 2nd ,the Neiuport is viewable only from the front.This time I am going to try my hand at doing a little ground cover which is totally new territory for me.Unfortunately I have seen a few dioramas where the ground cover actually wasn't up to the standard of the rest of the diorama,which I hope doesn't happen here.
The first step will be to cut out a 48X68 inch base and attach the hangar floor to it.Unfortunately we are still in Winter mode here in the GWN so no plywood has been cut yet.
JohnReid
A Fixture
JohnReid
A Fixture
New figure.
While awaiting Spring here in the GWN ,I think that I will start painting a new figure.This figure is of a German pilot of WW2 ,which can quite easily be changed into a barnstormer of the 20's.
This figure looks a little tall in the saddle compared to my other 1/16th figures.The distance between the knee and the bottom of boot looks a little long to me but I think that it is probably within normal human proportions.Maybe he played for the Luftwaffe basketball team!!!!!
While awaiting Spring here in the GWN ,I think that I will start painting a new figure.This figure is of a German pilot of WW2 ,which can quite easily be changed into a barnstormer of the 20's.
This figure looks a little tall in the saddle compared to my other 1/16th figures.The distance between the knee and the bottom of boot looks a little long to me but I think that it is probably within normal human proportions.Maybe he played for the Luftwaffe basketball team!!!!!
JohnReid
A Fixture
Luftwaffe/Barnstormer
I am really anxious to get on with the dioramas' base so I may not complete painting this figure now but I will start it anyway
while the weather improves.
The figure has a nice relaxed pose and could easily fit in anywhere in the diorama.Because of his size I may leave him as a solitary figure away from the others.Except for a few minor changes ,insignias,medals and fancy flying boots the body can be used as is.The flying jacket has a nice fur collar which most had in the 20's.The head however is a different matter and I may change it completely.Besides a kind of goofy smile on his face ,the hat will need some redesigning .
The casting is clean except the need for some minor flash removal.
I am really anxious to get on with the dioramas' base so I may not complete painting this figure now but I will start it anyway
while the weather improves.
The figure has a nice relaxed pose and could easily fit in anywhere in the diorama.Because of his size I may leave him as a solitary figure away from the others.Except for a few minor changes ,insignias,medals and fancy flying boots the body can be used as is.The flying jacket has a nice fur collar which most had in the 20's.The head however is a different matter and I may change it completely.Besides a kind of goofy smile on his face ,the hat will need some redesigning .
The casting is clean except the need for some minor flash removal.
JohnReid
A Fixture
One question, I read somewhere in your post that your scale is 1/16. Don't you find the finished product to be rather large? While the smaller scales are harder to get the fine detail you have, they are more space efficient. Do you work in a number of scales?
Best Regards,
Phil
Best Regards,
Phil
