# How I Build Dioramas.



## JohnReid




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## slotcarman12078

That is incredible!! What scale is that?? It's almost too real!!!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Jafo

very nice!


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## gunn

very nice. i like it alot.


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## phantom11

Superb work!! Wonderfully realistic lighting setup, AMAZING work on the plane framework....

This one oughta be in a museum!


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## 69Stang

thud.......yep, the sound of my jaw meeting floor! WOW! That's stunning!


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## Trekkriffic

I also would like to know the scale. I'd like to see more pics. Outstanding work.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Thanks guys! it is 1/16th scale.I am finishing up 3 dioramas that I have been working on for the last ten years.I am donating them to the Canada Aviation Museum in Ottawa.This diorama consists of 2 WW1 Albatros aircraft and is titled "The Aces Who Never Were." More on this later.Glad you guys like it.
Cheers! John.


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## JohnReid




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## roadrner

Great dios! Love the lighting. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: rr


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## JohnReid

Building this wrecked Albatros has been a really fun experience,probably the best that I have ever had modeling.I really enjoy the balance between scratchbuilding ,kit building and creativity.The dog -pilot storyline takes a rather weak original storyline ,contained within the hangar walls ,and gives the whole thing new life.
Having a digital camera has allowed me for the first time to document this part (vignette)of the whole process from original idea to finished product.
It could have been a stand alone vignette but combined with the rest of the diorama it helps to raise the whole thing to a different level.I am really looking forward to seeing the reaction of my viewer to the dog.One of the greatest thrills I get as an artist is to see the emotion that I can raise in an audience using wood,plastic etc...just by arranging it all in a certain way,just like a writer would do with words.
I remember when I used to carve decorative birds,I once did a predator-prey piece of a Goshawk holding a songbird in its claws.People would tell me they hated what they thought was a taxidermy mount and when I would explain that it was only wood and paint, they still hated it.That always gave me great satisfaction as an artist.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## TNCAVSCOUT

Awesome! A true work of art there!


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## Zombie_61

slotcarman12078 said:


> It's almost too real!!!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:


That's exactly what I was thinking. It looks so realistic in that first photo that it's difficult to get a sense of scale; John could have told us it was a 1:1 scale display at an air museum and I would have believed it. Outstanding!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## AJ-1701

Struth!!! That is some stunning work there mate :thumbsup:


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The wrecked Albatros ,although not quite finished has been about a six month project from concept to almost completion.It has been a very rewarding and fun experience that I would recommend to anyone.I really enjoy the freedom of using mixed media or whatever is at hand to tell my stories.My motto of "buying what you can and building what you must" really satisfies both the scratchbuilding urge and the use of kits.It is a nice compromise of time available and completion of a project in a reasonable time.
The three dioramas that are now almost complete have taken almost ten years to build and I would say that you could triple that time to scratch build it all.Granted that as I get older I don't spend quite as much shop time as I used to but still I am in my shop just about everyday.I am a very lucky man as my hands and eyes are still hangin in there.
Vacations?everyday is a vacation for me and besides my beloved 14 year old Husky( Dolly )won't let me or my wife out of her sight nor will she travel, so going anywhere together is not an option for us at this time.So,all in all,it works for me.


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## Rainfollower

Simply amazing work!

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw you photos in posts #1 and #10 was the Red Barn at the Museum of Flight in Seattle:

http://www.museumofflight.org/red-barn

- Mike


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Rainfollower said:


> Simply amazing work!
> 
> The first thing that came to my mind when I saw you photos in posts #1 and #10 was the Red Barn at the Museum of Flight in Seattle:
> 
> http://www.museumofflight.org/red-barn
> 
> - Mike


Nice site! Thanks.:thumbsup:


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## JohnReid




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## deadmanincfan

Truly beautiful work, John! I salute you!


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## JohnReid

A New Years personal reflection.
About 10 years ago I decided to drop one passion and start another.
Starting all over again seemed like a big decision at the time.I loved carving decorative birds and even taught it part time to adults for 11 years.While I reached a certain level of expertise and really enjoyed the subject matter I always felt a little uncomfortable filling these artistic shoes.I found that I seemed to be always playing catch-up to the leaders in the field.Following their example and doing knock offs of their ideas.Call it ego or whatever but I wanted to be one of those guys that I so highly admired.
Then I heard of a fellow decorative bird carver who was at the top of the genre and very successful both artistically and money wise.He had years of commissions in front of him but was also dissatisfied and felt that he was stuck in a rut.Then he made the unpopular decision(with his family and fans) to turn away from woodcarving forever and follow a new passion of doing mammals in bronze.He changed his style from very realistic bird carver to a looser style of mammal sculpture.He dropped everything and took a year or so traveling and visiting zoos etc..to get a feel for his subject matter and study their behavior.
He then returned to his studio and started his first bronze of a chimpanzeze which he promptly sold to Jane Goodal the very well known anthropologist and now is even more successful and happier than ever for having followed his dream.
Well,I found that a very inspiring story that helped push me into following my dream.After a near-death medical treatment ten years ago I thought well it is now or never.My passion had always been aviation and flying which was really not that far a step away from the birds themselves.My whole life was deeply involved in one way or another with aviation and it was what I knew best.My path had always been there in front of me all along.It had not always been an easy path to follow and involved a lot of personal pain.
An only survivor of an airplane accident 50 years ago,PTS syndrome and the subsequent loss of my flying career are but a few examples.But my love of aviation and flying never ceased.That is where airplane modeling and storyboard dioramas come in.Much like my fellow bird carver ,turned bronze sculpturer ,I decided to drop the whole thing and try something new.I have now put ten years of concentrated effort into devoping the talents necessary to becoming a storyboard dioramaist and it is only now with my last project the wrecked Albatros have I become really comfortable with the term as it applies to me.It may be the subject matter that I relate to. It could be the finally feeling comfortable in the knowledge that if I really put my mind to it ,I can take a mental 2D image and translate that into 3D model given the availability of the time to do so.I know that I still have loads to learn down the road and art is never really finished but this new year sure has had a positive start for me.
Please forgive me for all this talk about myself but I thought that you guys and gals,my modeling buds, might be interested .Cheers and Happy New Year to all! John.


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## JohnReid

Gettin' there!
All the brace wires are installed and just need a little final adjustment.The ailerons are rigged and today I hope to finish the elevator-rudder rigging and finally install the control column.
So now it is decision time again.Do I stop here as far as any other major components are concerned? When is enough ,enough? I will take a few pics and have to decide.There are a few odds and ends to rap up like the landscaping and maybe a small junkyard out back.I have also considered a couple of figures near the back door ,maybe mechanics taking a break for a smoke or some other relaxed activity.
All three dioramas are now 95% finished and almost ready for their new home.
I am anxious to get started on a new project, first building a small scale mockup of the "Backyard Flyer" ,a fantasy piece I plan to call "In Pursuit Of His Dream" based upon the 1/16th Wright Flyer(Model Airways) with a little Glenn Curtiss thrown in.Basically I want to put myself back in the pre-WW1 era and build my own "Flyer" using the knowledge available at the time.(I will try not to cheat)
These guys were the original EAA"ers long before the modern era.Aviation was young,new and exciting .Guys with no more than basic carpentry skills dreamed of taking to the air in their own backyard flyers.
There were plans available and the Wrights were even selling engines.I am sure that hardly any of these homemade craft ever took to the air but that is not important,this diorama will be about dreams and having fun especially for me,the modeler.


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## roadrner

John, 
Your models are museum quality! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: rr


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## JohnReid

Thanks guys for your kind words.Cheers! John.


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## JohnReid




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## Rick N

All I can say about your work is WOW! Rick N


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is the next project ,a WW1 truck conversion that I decided to build to balance out the composition of the Albatros diorama.I plan to do it as a multi-media thing using plastic,metal,wood etc....
The basic chassis is from a 1/16th Rolls Royce kit ,the design is a Mercedes car that will become a custom built truck for use on the airfield.Most trucks of this era were built on car chassis .Should be fun!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The following was written by a good modeling bud of mine over on another site.


John, I really love this diorama. The wrecked plane is beautiful. The whole thing is magnificent.!!!

I would advise you to not put a vehicle in front of the hanger and wrecked plane.
Unless you rearrange the hanger and the wrecked plane, the vehicle will overpower the wrecked plane and the hanger. By "overpower" I mean the vehicle becomes the main attraction. The vehicle becomes the story. It will steal the story away from the planes.

Viewers will ask, in their mind; so what about this vehicle? Who just arrived? Who was driving the vehicle? What is it doing there?

I think the story is the wrecked plane and the plane they are working on in the hanger. The vehicle should only support that story.

John, I love your work. I hope you don't take this the wrong way. It's only my opinion.

My response;

Hi Jim! thank you for taking the time to express your opinion on this. I also have been quite reluctant to do this and for the same reasons, but all that open space in the left hand front of the diorama somehow bothers me.I can't quite put my finger on what it is,would you have any other suggestions or do you think it is OK as is?
Don't worry about the truck as I originally thought of putting it out back of the hangar anyway.
If anyone else would care to weight in on this subject please feel free to do so.Knowing when enough is enough has always been a problem for me.


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## bumpercar88

How about some figures to the side, debriefing the pilot that survived (before it burned.) Or several comrades discussing their fallen flier?


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## pearl

John your work still fascinates me . The detail, the little dog looking at the plane .I wish i had 1/10 tenth of the talent you have and i would be happy .A well done diorama is like a work of art in 3D.

Something i have yet to ever stay with long enough to get one done.I make mine for kids to play with and enjoy so thats my excuse l.o.l.

Wood carvings that you mentioned are the same They are an art form in 3D as well..I collect a few .

Dogs... You have a Husky we have it's cousins 8 Alaskan Malamutes l.o.l.. Going on a long trip with them in the back of the truck is interesting to say the least but the kids are gone so they are fun to have around.

The truck looks like an interesting project.The little chain drive on the back will be a challenge to model .


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Hi pearl ! Thanks for your kind words.Enjoy your fur people,gotta love those northern dogs.:wave:


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The Junk Truck.......
This ground support vehicle will be picking up junk out back of the hangar.I haven't yet quite decided whether it will be military or civilian.In keeping with it's duties the truck will be pretty junky itself.Even if it were military I figure that a truck involved in this task would not be the shiniest in the fleet nor would it bear all the usual proud military insignia.
Like the running board, I decided to make my own style front fenders out of wood ,which was not all that uncommon a thing to do in the early days.

I love doing these early trucks because of the room for your own creativity that is involved.It would take a keen and very knowledgeable eye to spot this as being once a Rolls Royce chassis, especially after I weather the whole thing..
__________________
"Once upon a time......." Storyboard dioramas by JohnReid.
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

OK ,this is as far as I plan to go with the junk truck.Anything more would just look overdone.When I add the junk to the truck's bed there will be plenty of interesting stuff to look at.Now it's on the the part I love most the weathering.

I have a little update as to when the museum will be ready for my stuff.Looks now that not before August ,which is fine by me as I really prefer finishing off the landscaping surrounding the hangars outside on my porch during the warm weather.Maybe I will add a few things too..........


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## Zombie_61

Like the rest of your dio, great work on the truck John! At first glance it made me think of the old junker from _The Beverly Hillbillies_.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This build will be found in my photobucket in album "Fuel Wagon Albatros"

I have a few left over wheels,tires and springs from another build ,the rest will be scratch.
When I saw the pic of the RFC fuel wagon I just couldn't resist building something similar.I am assuming here that based on the technology of the day wagons like this would be pretty much the same from country to country.This could be a converted farm wagon or something that was built "in the field" by the ground personnel themselves.Anyway that's my story and I am sticking to it!
Well here goes,should be fun.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I changed my mind!
The white chassis looked a little flimsy so I decided to use another instead.The last pic I took is shown here.If you look on my photobucket under the fuel wagon album you will see in pic 004 the basic chassis glued together,pic 005 the cut down chassis where I shortened the whole thing and then glued it back together again.Pic 006 is a top view of the shortened version.


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## SteveR

John, you are truly a master.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I took some styrene sheet and fitted some end plates to the tank.The pill bottle was sanded down and burnt umber gesso applied .The visible line around one end will be covered with a strap.The tires were worn down with a belt sander and just now need to be weathered sometime in the future.
This could be a horse drawn wagon by adding seats over the front wheels but I think that I will leave it as a trailer-type wagon as shown in the pics.
Does anyone know what that is at the front of the tank that looks like a bunch of wheel cranks welded together?
I added the straps,filler neck,drain pipe and water drain spigot under the tank.


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## julianmaurice

Wow, seeing the picture of your diorama took my breath away. Absolutely fantastic!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Fuel ,water or oil ?
Until I can find more research material on this as a fuel wagon,I think that I shall just call it a tanker wagon of some sort ,as it could have been used also for oil ,water or other liquid.
The problem I have with it as a fuel wagon is that I don't know how or where a pump and hose would be connected.If used for water gravity feed would be enough provided by the tap at the rear of the tank but if used for fuel a hand operated wobble pump of some kind would have to be installed but where?Then there is the hose to consider, where and how would it be properly stowed?


This same wagon could be built in any scale,horse drawn or whatever.Just find a nice set of wheels,chassis and springs and use your imagination from there.A lot of this ground equipment was actually built this way.A car maker would supply the chassis or a beefed up version thereof, and the rest would be constructed as need be.Even on military fields I have seen a wide variety of stuff that was adapted for "in the field" use.For a semi-scratchbuilder like me that suits me just fine and is one of the big reasons that I do WW1 dioramas, as it gives me lots of room for artistic license.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Another wheelbarrow.
I would like to build another wheelbarrow that I will casually prop up against one of the hangars doors ,holding it in the open position.The first one shown here is in the Jenny diorama.
This is a nice little project for those not used to working with wood and would be a nice warm up piece if you would like to do something more complicated like the tanker.
All you require is a few lengths of basswood obtainable from any hobby store especially those that carry RR stuff and a few coffee stir sticks.Most modelers would probably have an old wheel or two laying around from some past project or you could simply use a round piece of wood cut from a dowel.A piece or rod or tube for the axle and that it about it.
As far as tools are concerned I use a Xacto knife with a #18 blade and a small hobby saw and miter for most of my work.Although I do have power saws etc..I find that none are really necessary for this type of model work.(I also have a fancy airbrush that I hardly ever use)My advice to beginners would be to learn to do all this by hand and then if you want to you can buy the fancy stuff later.For sanding just take some various size sticks and dowels and glue some cloth backed, belt sander type sandpaper to them.Buy several grits mostly the finer stuff.
The wood sizes required will depend upon the scale you are building in.In this case you could measure your own wheelbarrow and reduce it to the scale you require.Have someone hold the wheelbarrow and take a pic or use
a scale figure as a guide.Anyway wheelbarrows come in lots of sizes so no need to be too accurate here.Where you have to be careful is with the grip on the handle,don't make it too big.I have sets of scale hands for this.
Water based flat acrylics are recommended for painting and caulk pastels for shading.That is about it.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Major change in plans!
Diorama #1 the Albatros and diorama #3 the Jenny are now almost finished.Diorama #2 the Nieuport, is a little different than the other two, in that it is more of a traditional type shadowbox.It is mostly finished on the interior but the exterior requires some work.I had originally planned to put this dio in an old TV cabinet and display it in my home but when the CAM expressed an interest in acquiring my dioramas,I just put it aside in storage until I could figure out a good way to display it.Well I think that time has arrived!
It could be built into a wall as a traditional shadowbox or put in a box of some sort and displayed that way or some other way that I haven't thought of yet.
That is where I would welcome some suggestions from you guys.
I am sure that the museum has staff for this kind of thing but I would still like to have some input as to how it will be displayed.Mostly this will involve the lighting.
I envisioned an old barn type setting with the light of dawn or sunset coming through the cracks in the boards.Not the kind of place where you would want to spend a Canadian winter but maybe a place in France behind the lines where an aircraft could be rebuilt during the summer months or even a school type setting where mechanics could be given an engine conversion or aircraft rigging course.Anyway I so like the idea of the light shining through the boards the story will be adapted to fit.(artistic license comes to the rescue again)
The interior lighting is really simple with the whole thing lit by a single Xmas type bulb hidden in the ceiling.
Some of the rear and side panels are removable for picture taking purposes but of course this access will be lost once it is on display.
Please bear with me if I seem to jump from diorama to diorama but on a long project such as this (almost ten years)a change is as good as a rest.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I have decided to add more depth to this diorama .

I think that this is what I am going to do.Where you now see blue sky I will put the split garage doors on either side of the opening.Behind where you now see the tanker I will build another wooden wall or fence set at the same angle as the tanker.The garage doors can be set at an angle to block any unwanted views.I should be able to accomplish all this without adding more than a few inches to the rear of the diorama.I opened the garage doors and put the tanker out there as a test.I think that I like the idea.I was going to do this originally but at the time I was limited by the TV cabinet that it was supposed to go into.Now that I don't have that worry about that anymore,well here goes!
(Note:Those figures were originally flat but now they are a little too shiny, which was caused by too much handling,I will have to tone them down a bit with a wash or using pastels.)


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## JohnReid

Well the first order of business for this new addition will be to do a mock-up in foam board, to work out the angles and how much of an extension to add to the back.
The idea will be to have it look like a lane way between the existing hangar and another structure or tall fence.This structure will be set at a slight angle and the boards placed horizontally to help emphasize the idea of depth. The opening is just too small to get into any kind of forced perspective. It should have the effect of just like looking into another room.The shadow created by the R/H garage door should be interesting.Until I actually get to play with the lighting a bit nothing is carved in stone.Even a slight shift in the lights intensity or angle can effect the whole thing.The sun is setting(or rising) on the R/H side of the hangar.The left and backside would therefore be of a lower intensity.
Light bulbs do not work, so some type of reflected light or diffuse type lighting will have to be used.The exterior boards have been painted black as the tongue depressors I used for barn siding was just too thin.


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## Steve244

this is cool.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Looking out the garage door!
I took a piece of cardboard and drew some horizontal lines on it so it looks like siding ,added a piece of green paper and a small dog.When finished I probably will leave the dog there,add a dirt road with green grass against the siding and just let it go at that.If I put anything too large against the siding it spoils the effect.I think that I will use a whitewashed type barn siding made from wood tongue depressors(Or coffee stir stiks)and then weather it.
Next I will take some measurements and build the thing in wood.
__________________
"Once upon a time......." Storyboard dioramas by JohnReid.
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I have temporarily closed the garage doors again to take pics.
I am adding to my photobucket views such as this that will not be available once the diorama is boxed.I will leave the panels removable so that these views will not be lost forever, in case others wish to take pics in the future.Normally shadow boxes are not finished in areas that can't be viewed from the front, which of course cuts down considerably on the work involved.(See Shep Paines book for further info on this)
I really like the Nieuport's round body shape and all the wonderfully fancy woodworking such as the scalloped edges on the fuselage frames and the trailing edges of the wing's leading edge panels.
The whole tail assembly is actually skinned with small wood strips set at an angle.Just beautiful craftsmanship that would be a shame to cover with fabric.This aircraft and the Albatros are in my opinion the most beautifully proportioned designs of the era.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

A modeling bud did this for me,Cool!:thumbsup:


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

After taking these latest pictures ,I have changed my mind about opening the garage doors.The light shining through the boards is enough to give the illusion of something taking place outside the walls of the hangar.Opening the doors would somehow break the feeling of intimacy created within the inside walls.The door that is slightly ajar on the R/H side allows for just enough unique lighting and interesting shadows on the floor.
I got this idea from childhood as I always loved the light that filtered through old barns on sunny days.Some people have mentioned to me that that what I create in my hangar scenes bring back old memories for them of days long gone by.It always makes me happy to share those experiences.
My earliest memories of aviation was long before the popularity of jets ,although I do remember my dad flying Vampires in the RCAF reserve .But hangars in those days,even for the early jets,were not eat-of-the-floor places.The sights and sounds and smells of the old piston days was something to behold and I treasure the fact that I still have a foot in that era.Old hangars could be dark,damp,cold and creepy places .But they could also be wonderful places of great atmosphere and yes even beauty.To see a magnificently shining,colorful ,beautifully shaped airplane lit by an old bulb or two , up against a backdrop of something old and slightly weathered was a thrilling sightto behold and something that as an artist I never been able to get out of my head.As you guys know it is a theme that runs throughout my work.Most aircraft lovers feel that airplanes look best in the air, their natural home, and I agree but there are times when to sit quietly and just look at something beautiful can be just as rewarding, especially when surrounded by memories of times gone by.Kids of course have none of these memories and eventually it will all be lost to time.In creating these dioramas I want to bring back a feeling of how things were done back then. You would be surprised how many viewers respond with amazement at how these aircraft were built ,under what would be today called, primitive working conditions.How you can create from wood and wire and fabric such a work of art.
In my younger days I was lucky enough to have re-built a full scale biplane with a gentleman that would be called a craftsman but was truly an artist who happened to build full-scale aircraft both powered and gliders.As a young man he got his training building the now famous all wood Mosquito.In later life he built and re-built by hand aircraft and gliders from all eras.Give him a piece of wood or metal and he would not only make it but put into it something that you just knew came from the hands of an artist.I learned many things from this man,patience,pride of workmanship and above all seeing artistic value in even the smallest object.How to put as much effort and quality into the mundane and repetitive things that must be done in order to create the big and impressive finished product. Thanks Al Pow,rest easy my friend.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

End of the road for Diorama #2.
My part in the making of this diorama is now essentially finished.Now it is up to the CAM to decide on how to finish it.I understand that they have very good people who are used to what needs to be done.Whether it goes into a wall or into a box and how the final lighting will be set up,I will leave up to them.
This is only the 2nd diorama that I have ever finished ,the first being HMS Victory in 2000. I started Victory in 1976.Two dioramas in 33 years although I must admit 2 more are soon to be finished as well.
Until 2000 it was mostly a hobby but since then it has pretty much been full time.An average of 8 years per diorama.I would have never believed it when I first started down this road.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

A couple more figures!
I feel like painting figures for awhile.I have chosen to do two WW2 Soviet tank crew members that I have acquired recently.I want to put them in the area shown in the picture that is in the rear of the hangar well away from any confusion with the main storyline.The final composition or arrangement of the objects in this area will be made when the figures are finished.I thought that I could add a little life to the area without having to show a lot of activity which is not my style.I like my figures in relaxed poses.I haven't quite decided what the truck will be hauling or if it will have any obvious connection to the figures.
It could just be parked there or temporarily stopped.I thought that one figure could be holding a map and another pointing in a certain direction as though it had stopped to ask for directions.These guys are dressed in what looks like officier's uniforms so they will have to be depicted as doing something other than grunt labor.(like unloading wood)
These figures will not require too much modification to make them into WW1 German types.In fact they could be used as is with a few minor uniform adjustments.
I have already put the torso of the first figure together and like what I see so far,minimum flash and the parts fit well together with minimum adjustments.Any unwanted seams can easily be filled with super thin ,super glue and sanded smooth.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Having fun with pictures!
To the knowledgable eye lot of info can be gleaned from this pic even though it only shows just a small portion of the overall diorama.
I love taking these pics as much as actually building the diorama, so I am taking advantage of this while I can.A lot of these shots will not be possible once it is in the case.
This is easily identified as an American squadron of WW1 by the "Hat in the Ring" symbol.The tail assembly obviously says Nieuport due to the wood sheathing type skin.The "Iron Cross" piece of fabric, complete with bullet holes, is a trophy nailed to the wall.The English language "Warning" sign leaves no doubt that although the aircraft is French,the squadron is American.
I try to leave little clues around like this so that every picture tells a story ,even when taken out of context with the whole piece.


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## Steve244

Rickenbacker's hat had me scurrying for references, but I'm not knowledgeable at all about this period.

I'm enjoying the eye candy. Thanks for posting!

Will you add cobwebs and mouse dung to the nooks and crannies?


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Harley,the fighter pilot's dog and I are sharing a great feeling of loss today.My beloved Dolly,a 14 year old Siberian Husky/Arctic Wolf mix died of old age last week.


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## Steve244

sorry to hear that, John.


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## SoleSky

I thought that was real for a second, do you have to wire every light in there?(sorry I'm new at this)


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Thanks guys for your kind words about the loss of my doggy companion.

I finally have started back to painting the last two figures.I have discussed my painting methods many times before so I won't repeat it here.Sufficient to say that it is based upon Jo Sonja flat acrylic paint and pastels for shading.A little unusual way to paint but it works for me in a diorama setting.
Both figures have been given a couple of coats of a burnt umber/water mix.The figure on the left has been given a single coat of nimbus gray undercoat to approximate the final color.
The WW1 uniform experts will notice a few discrepancies here and there but they are pretty close for my purposes.I understand that there were,in the beginning, a lot of different uniforms accepted in the German air force as many of its members were from cavalry units and were allowed to wear their previous uniforms or parts of them.So in keeping with that fact I am leaving them as they are.


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## JasonZ

Very nice work.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The possibilities are endless with digital pics!
Just havin some fun with pics!
Through modern digital photography we can all now be great dioramists.Using all the digital tools available to us now ,just add a little of your own creativity and before you know it the simplest diorama can take on new life.
For some pics black and white are perfect for the era that you are trying to recreate.Lucky for me my eras of choice are mostly before the color stuff was invented anyway.
All you budding dioramists out there now have a lot of options.Do you want to create an actual , physical ,3 dimensional diorama or do you want to be a Steven Spielberg type and bring all the elements of your ideas together and get your stuff on film(or digital in this case).Everyone recognizes that film makers, such as Spielberg in our era, are great artists but what do they actually have to physically show for all their creativity? A few cans of film?
Storyboard dioramists can do exactly the same thing but our challenge is even greater because we only have one frame of our movie to work with and no dialogue.Our dialogue exists in our viewers imagination and we as artists are only there as guides to help point the way.
As an artist it is such a wonderful time to be alive!
__________________
"Once upon a time......." Storyboard dioramas by JohnReid.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is how I would envision what a shadowbox storyboard diorama would look like if it was hung on a wall.It is a little weak on story line,(more like a vignette), but you get the idea.Note the inner black border that acts as a reveal.
These are great visual tools that can be used to plan your diorama and change things as you go along.
Even as an ordinary picture it works well because of the feeling of depth that is given off because of the floor boards and the single lit window.
The border colors and frame were chosen to harmonize with the colors in the diorama.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Here is something at the other end of the scale.Same frame,size,color etc... but the main subject is in the foreground.Depth has been achieved and the main subject highlighted by simply fuzzing things up a bit.It also adds kind of a dreamlike quality to the whole thing.
The license on the car adds just enough info to put the whole thing in context.
Damn! this is fun stuff to do.


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## Steve244

kids these days. no knowledge of darkrooms and the associated dangers... 

I still get a kick out of seeing old prints and recognizing the photographer's thumb as used to dodge an area of the pic.


Great work and insight! keep 'em coming...


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is about as far as I plan to go with this figure for now.I will finish it just before I place it in the diorama.
As you can see I am far from the greatest figure painter in the world but they seem to work OK in a diorama setting especially when viewed at scale distance.No one is going to pick these guys up for judging.
I came to the realization a long time ago that making large diorama does require a few compromises.Three storyboard dioramas in 10 years is a big enough test of my endurance.To scratch everything ,figures included ,would be wonderful except I wouldn't be half finished the first diorama yet.I know guys who completely scratchbuild cars,aircraft,furniture,figures etc... but few do it all in this modern era and tend to stick to an area of expertise.
I would ,for example, love to learn how to scratch and paint miniature figures that actually look like the full scale individual.It is actually on my "to do" list, if it at some point, I do not have the space that I have now to do these large museum type dioramas.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The young need not bother to read......
I know,I know it is not an airplane,car or figure, but Photoshop's new poster feature makes for some great looking book titles and it has got me to thinking that maybe sometime in the future, I may do a limited run of pictures and text of all my diorama's (only4),and put them in book form for friends and family.This would not be a "How to..." book but just for fun.
I understand that there are internet sites out there that will bind your stuff in book form ,on a very limited run basis,and are not too expensive.
I am especially thinking about the large diorama and RR layout guys that don't have museums or such to take their work.I know that nothing survives forever but I have witnessed some very beautiful stuff being broken up and put in the trash when the builder passes on to the "happy hunting ground".Individual pictures and such are nice but a book of your stuff and text in your own words would really make for a nice legacy for those who come after you.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Surprise it's back to square one!
So you thought that it was almost finished?
Well now it is time for final assembly.Starting back at the bare plywood stage it is now time to permanently screw and glue things down.The plywood was lacquered last summer on both sides and edges to make it waterproof ,which is very important because a lot of the next steps require the use of lots of water.
I have positioned the hangar for a unobstructed ,clear view in to what will be the open hangar doors.
The landscaping is divided at the hangars corners into four parts for ease of assembly.Each part will be finished and then screwed down to the base.
I have arranged it so that there will be four separate areas of interest ,almost like four dioramas in one.When viewing one area I have tried to plan it so the viewer will not be distracted by the other three.For example the view of the crashed Albatros outside, is blocked by the L/H open hangar door.When viewing the crashed Albatros from the side it is not possible to view the backyard of the hangar.The R/H hangar wall is plexiglass and affords another unrestricted view into the hangar.In real life another hangar bay would have been built here ,so this is basically a compromise between reality and fantasy.(artistic license ,if you will)
Now it is on to temporarily screwing down the four landscaping panels and the final positioning of the hangar.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I was originally going to screw the landscaping panels down from underneath the plywood base but that proved to be unpractical.Instead I drilled a hole down through both panels,and screwed down the panel from the top.I will cover the screw heads using rocks or grass etc... I identified the holes under the plywood panels as "screws above" so that if in future if it is to be taken apart they will be able to locate the screws.
The hanger itself was screwed down the same way, from below, and holes added to the plywood where the wheels of the aircraft are bolted down ,so that the Albatros could be removed from the hangar separately if need be.
The landscaping panels are of course removable so that each can be finished individually and then finally re-installed.The now visible seams will be filled as required and blended in to become invisible.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Something different!
I took a whole bunch of new pics today while I still have easy access to the
hangar windows.I haven't yet had a chance to edit out the bad ones.I removed the frames and shot through the windows from different angles.I am also experimenting with doing photographic type dioramas and vignettes and setting them in formal type frames.This is a lot of fun and opens a whole new dimensions to doing dioramas.One storyboard diorama can be broken down into hundreds of smaller vignettes.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

"Hanging The Left Hand Aileron"Vignette
This is a good example of a storyboard vignette.The aileron on the workbench and the ladder pretty much tell the story.The floorboards give a nice 3d effect and perspective that helps lead the viewers to the sign of human presence, as represented by the boots. For those who are really knowledgeable about uniforms, the hat indicates that this is more than likely, a German hangar of WW1.


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## Steve244

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

(Oh and thanks for the bird's nest!)


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Most of these shots will be lost once the diorama is finished.I took a few days out from building to play with the camera.I really don't know that much about cameras so I take lots of shots at different settings and then delete what I don't want.Using film would have forced me to "read the instructions"(as my dad would always tell me) a long time ago or go broke buying film.
Digital cameras allows guys like me to fool around and really not know what they are doing . I would rather build than read instructions anyway.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The lane out back.
I am starting to make a lane way(dirt road) out back of the hangar .Here I have started to build up the raised portion that normally lies between the tire tracks.I have used ordinary sand for this,sprayed with alcohol as a water tension breaker and then soaked with the usual 75/25 water and white glue mix.Once dry I will add the fine sand,earth ,vegetation and a few rocks here and there.
Next I covered the sand mound with the earth and measured the dirt roads width using the Ford T truck as a guide.I then covered the the width of the road with the earth,sprayed on the alcohol ,and put on the water /glue mix ,drop by drop. I then took one of the trucks spare tires and rolled it down the dirt road to create a few tracks.The road still looks a little whitish as the white glue hasn't dried yet.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Working on the composition.


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## JohnReid




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## Steve244

that last one is rather noir-ish. Might need sepia treatment. :thumbsup:


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## JohnReid

This vignette from the "Keepers of the Flame" diorama depicts three individuals, one military,one ex-military and one civilian. They represent a cross section of society who were responsible for keeping the dream of aviation alive during some very difficult times following WW1.
After the Great War airplanes represented to the public at large, something that they wanted to forget ,death and destruction.A relatively few individuals risked their money and even their lives to keep it going.1918-1927 was the wild and wholly teenage stage of aviation where just about anything was tolerated.It was in all less than ten years long but what a wild ride it was.
Out of work ex-military pilots who just couldn't settle down,who had the love of flying in their veins ,tried to scratch out a living as barnstormers ,stunt pilots or flying the mail.All very risky positions indeed!
On the civilian side ,a young fellow who dared to tell his parents of his dreams to become a pilot, might have just as well have told them that he was off to join the circus.There were only a few far- sighted businessmen who would dare get involved in aviation and their names are all well known to us today.
By 1927 when the first air regulations started to take hold ,the public's attitude was beginning to change.Of necessity this wonderful short-lived period of real "freedom of the skies" was coming to an end and today unfortunately, it is mostly forgotten.
To their memory this Keepers of the Flame diorama is dedicated.


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## Prowler901

That's beautiful John. It was an exciting time in aviation for sure. And, your diorama is a true testament to that time. Great work :thumbsup:


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Hangar doors and ramp area.
I have added a little more wear and tear in front of the hangar where there would be the most activity, especially when rolling the aircraft in and out.I did this simply by adding more of the dirt from a shaker ,spraying with alcohol and then dropping on the 75/25 water-glue mix.I have left off the wooden planks that would be used for roll out, as this aircraft is obviously not going anywhere soon.They are stashed on the floor on either side of the hangar doors near the wall.
I don't plan to have any junk laying around as most pics that I have seen of German military airfields they are very neat and orderly.(too bad as I love doing junk ).I plan to break this rule a bit by putting a couple of vacated wheel chocks just off to the left of the hangar doors to add a little to the sense of loss, as represented by the crashed aircraft.
On the R/H side of the pic the earth has not been properly blended yet,hence the straight lines.


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## JohnReid




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## JasonZ

Those are incredible works of skill.:wave: Nice work.:thumbsup:


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Always looking for something new....
Hi guys! I have had a lot of great response from an idea that I have had using old radio cabinets to display dioramas.I have made a mock up of the idea using a diecast car but of course this idea could really be used for any genre.
For you aircraft guys please use your imagination and replace the car with the aircraft of your choice.I think that this would work especially well for half type aircraft that were attached to a mirror along the back wall .This would also be a great way to display the half fuselage type displaying the innards of the aircraft itself while still being able to see the flying aircraft in the mirror.I will post a few pictures later to show you what I mean.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Albatros hangar's chimney.
The chimney is temporarily installed.I made it from hard maple dowel, sanding it very smooth so no grain is visible.The roof guy wires will be secured down to eyebolts after I remove the roof for the last time.The chimney is actually in two pieces so the roof is easily removable.The chimney cap was made from an old cigar tubes end piece.I will finish the weathering later.This diorama is now nearing completion.


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## JohnReid

Changed my mind!
In keeping with my WW1 theme I have changed the storyline of my next 1/16th scale aircraft diorama.
The focus now will be around 1918 when an airman in uniform has just returned from the war to his hometown backyard.He is standing there hand in hand with his son looking at his backyard flier project that he was working on prior to his military service.
I want to title it "Loss of Innocence,Will It Ever Be The Same."
The "loss of innocence" theme is central to both the history of aviation itself and the man.
The flier will be as he left it partially under tarps and weathered ,with the grass etc ..grown around it,almost like the family considered it bad luck to change anything while he was in the military.A recruiting or victory poster on a telephone pole (and a few other things that I haven't thought about yet ) will be included to help the viewer with the storyline.
The exact date and country ,I haven't nailed down yet.I have done German,American and Canadian themes to date maybe a British theme would be in order.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is a pic taken before the Great War when he was still building his backyard flier and was the inspiration for the next diorama.No it is not a WW1 airplane but it is a WW1 storyline.The airplane actually is only a prop to help tell the real story.
The next step will be to build a small scale mock up out of foam board so I can play around a bit with the composition.I like a lot of the elements that are already in the picture above such as the wingtip on the neighbors side of the fence.The relative neatness of the neighbors yard compared to our subjects preoccupation with things aeronautical.The washing on the line is also a very nice human touch.
At present I am only planning for two figures ,the returning airman in uniform and his son standing hand-in-hand.
I am leaving it to the viewers imagination and the title of the piece to help make the connection to the storyline.
What does my imagination come up with?The airman is he wondering "can I return to building this with the same enthusiasm after everything I have witnessed in the air war?


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## BudJ63

Is that an actual "real life" picture of the subects back yard? Or is it a diorama? It is so hard to tell with your dio's as they are so lifelike and real! Excellent craftsmanship, or should I say Artistry and dedication.


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## JohnReid

Why this diorama?
Although I am not a veteran myself I come from a family of WW1 and WW2 vets.Although quite young at the time, I grew up in an area that was reserved for vets and their families after WW2, so I have witnessed first hand the difficulties a lot of vets had in adjusting to civilian life again.I even had the wonderful opportunity to fly as co-pilot with many of them,even some who were aces in Europe and Korea.
I have witnessed some who became airline chief pilots and even presidents of aircraft manufacturing companies, some top flight lawyers and doctors and others who unfortunately ended up on skid row.
To all of them this diorama is dedicated.


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## Model Man

BudJ63 said:


> IIt is so hard to tell with your dio's as they are so lifelike and real! Excellent craftsmanship, or should I say Artistry and dedication.


Lifelike? real? Where are the glue smears? The excess paint dabs? Why is there no little bits of crud trapped in the surface? Why can't I see any seams or joins? These don't look like 'life-like or real' models at all! They look like the actual thing right down to the splinters in the wood or the...

Oh wait...


I don't know how you do it John. Everything here is beyond fantastic!


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## JohnReid

1/48 Mock-up and research stage.
Diorama #4 is finally underway.I am leaning towards the Curtiss DIII/Ingram Foster pusher as a general example for the airplane that I will be building.I am planning to have a little fun with this ,in that I want to take myself back to around 1914 and think of what I would build using the available knowledge of the day.
I have decided to go with the Wright bros. general wing design mainly because I don't want to scratch build all those very flimsy ribs.(I already have a kit of a 1/16th flier from Model Expo which I plan to raid for the above)Wing development designs by 1914 had progressed somewhat but the way I plan to do this diorama small changes in camber etc..will not even be noticeable.Other than the ribs the rest will be scratch.This is the most freedom in modeling that I have ever allowed myself and I plan to have a lot of fun with it.
The 1/48 scale foamboard mock up is well underway and I am using an old 1/39scale biplane model for composition purposes.At 1/16th scale this diorama will be as large as the Jenny at 4feet by 5 feet which will allow me for only 2 instead of three backyards.For interest sake and composition considerations I plan to add an old car(maybe the military vets car?)
There will be no freestanding building in the composition but I may add a small lean-to type structure.The fencing will make a nice perimeter on three sides but I am undecided about how to do the side which would make up the row housings walls.Any suggestions would be more than welcome!!!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

1/48 trial mockup.
The airplane's wingspan has been reduced to 1/48 scale,the rest is still 1/39.My airplane will have about a 30 foot wingspan.The other dimensions I haven't worked out yet but will be very much like the Curtiss DIII pusher.A single engine with a direct drive prop situated behind the pilot.An 80 Hp Ox 5 would be nice but my guy probably wouldn't be able to afford it just yet after buying all that wood and fabric.
The diorama is way too square right now with too many right angles.I anticipate that this composition is going to be a real challenge to make look right and get the storyline across to the viewer.My dioramas usually develop a lot over time so I am not too worried yet.
The inner fences are 4 feet and the perimeter fence is 6 feet high.Part of the neighbors yard will have a short lane way along one of the fences with a parked Model T car or truck.The 6 foot fence will be great for victory posters.

Please note:I am in urgent need of dimensions for the Curtiss Headless Pusher aircraft.They need not be to scale,just the life size would do.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Composition cont....
I am really glad to have the Jenny diorama still here, as it is the same size as this one will be, 4X5 feet.Sometimes it is really hard to visualize the 1/48 mock up in 1/16th scale.The tendency is to make things too big.What looks good in 1/48th scale does not always translate well into 1/16th.
As you can see, I am just planning to do the rear facade of the two row houses.This will involve working with some materials that are new to me, so it should be interesting.
There will be windows and doors and lighting in the area behind the facade.I may even have the figures standing in the door or looking out the windows.I am also thinking of having some kind of homemade banner strung up on the wall outside welcoming the veteran home.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I made up this 1/48 scale mock up.The airplane has a 30 foot wing span at 1:1 scale.
My problem with this composition is the row housing ,which usually has the same width backyard.I want to keep it as it represents urban middle class housing of the time.The wing over the fence is part of the sub-story which I also want to keep in.The houses rear facade would probably been about the same in design and dimensions ,so how would you guys go about making the composition more asymmetrical ?


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## BudJ63

I would separate the houses. Growing up as child in New England, we lived in a 3 story tenament. There was a 6ft alleyway (3ft easement per property) on one side and a 20ft space (10ft easement per property) on the other. They had back yards similar to the ones you have depicted.


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## JohnReid

Brickwork, beyond the barnsiding look!
Well here is something different,making brickwork for dioramas.After having spent some time on research there is one particular method that I found on another forum that I really like.It requires making the bricks individually out of artist's watercolor paper and then gluing them to foam board to make a brick wall.I haven't found anything else that looks as realistic as this in any scale.
I expect that it will be time consuming to do but luckily I only have one backyard wall to do.The same watercolor paper can be used to make foundations and stone faces too.Should be fun!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Do I ever have a new appreciation for all those who design buildings and such!
This little mock up took me almost 2 weeks to figure out(must be gettin old I guess)
What you see here is the different levels that had to be worked out before any other work could begin.The base itself will have to be in multi-layers of plywood and then covered with landscaping materials.I can already see nice possibilities of all kinds for this arrangement.
The Flier's wingspan I will cut back to 25 feet to better fit the backyard(something like the Curtiss's Racer).The outer perimeter is actually part of the base which will be added to the 4X5 foot diorama and probably painted matte black or a dark natural wood like ebony or dark walnut.
The car will probably be a Model T in keeping with the middle class storyboard idea.The outer fence is 6 feet high while the inner fences are 4.
Now it is on to work on the backwall facade and where to put all the doors and windows.I left room behind the windows for inside lighting.
It has been brought to my attention that the backyard is way too big for a typical English storyline .Therefore that will narrow it down to the US or Canada.However I could add an Enlgish flavor by using a poster that was used in North America to recruit Britishers living here.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

What to leave in,what to leave out?
The older I get the more I wonder will I ever live long enough to see all my projects finished,well the answer of course is no because I keep starting new ones.This has especially been on my mind recently when I was debating whether to start another long term project or not or finish up what I already have on the go.Sure,all my life I have known that we are all just one heart beat away and have had many close calls to prove it.So what !you say ,that is just the nature of life.Why should an artists life be any different?Maybe being involved in the creative life and being goal oriented I sometimes tend to lose sight of the process.It is the process of creating that is the reward not the end game.
I have always known this but as you get older you tend to want to finish things up.
Last night I watched a tv show about what would happen if man ceased to exist today?It kind of brought me back on track.We know that nothing lasts forever but this show really brought it home.In about 10,000 years there would be little trace that we ever existed.In a 100 years most of the history of our existence would be gone.Books,films,DVD's,computers etc... Gone forever.
So where does that leave us? It is the process that matters,the fun of creating in the here and now.Forget about finishing ,that is just an illusion.Funny how a program like that can put things back into perspective.Now I will shut up,get down off my soapbox and go have some creative fun.Who cares if it ever gets finished. Not me anymore!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Modifying the Wright wing.
Using the same plans and jig,I am modifying the Wright's wings width and length to look more like the Curtiss Racer.The length is easy as I just stop building at the closest rib position but for the width I used the same jig and repositioned the trailing edge using a blackened brass rod super glued to the rib.After removing the wing from the jig, the old trailing edge portion will be simply cut off.Remember this is my backyard version of the racer so artistic license rules.This airplane is only meant to be a another prop for the storyline,my version of the racer using the knowledge of the day.No rules and regs which suits me just fine.
To give you an idea of just how lax things were in those days ,the story of how the Custiss Pusher became "headless" is a wonderful example.It seems that one day Lincoln Beachey was to give a live flying exhibition before a large ,all ready gathered crowd.Somehow the head assembly got damaged and had to be removed.Not wanting to disappoint the crowd and the promoter by having to return the gate fees,Beachey decided to fly anyway.He found that the airplane actually flew better like this and so was born the "headless" pusher.


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## Nova Mike

Stunning work, so real. thanks for sharing your exceptional talents.:thumbsup:


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The world's first "hot" airplane.
This airplane is probably aviation's first attempt to build a "hot" airplane.Clip wing,large engine,large control surfaces and built expressly as a racer to fly faster at low levels.Building a similar airplane to the racer, I really get an idea of how far they were trying to push the envelope all in one foul swoop.This airplane was probably the first to be built with speed in mind.The forerunner of all that was to come later and which still continues to this day.Guys working and re-working their airplanes to get the last ounce of speed out of them.
The backyard flier also represents all the EAA guys to come later.Those who create and build their own backyard or basement fliers to this very day.I know because I was one of them.
Just imagine in those early days of adding and subtracting,modifying and re-modifying and then "taking her up" to see if it works! A day when every pilot was a test pilot.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The Impossible Dream.
Of course for every success there were many failures.Probably none of these early fliers ever got off the ground in their backyard machines but their hearts were in the right place.
Where would we be without the dreamers? especially in those early years.

Please note:If anyone has any pictures of other backyard fliers, please let me know where I could find them.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The not so impossible dream!
Speaking about dreams,in the 60's this was my impossible dream,to restore a 1929 Travel Air 4000.By 1965 this is where we(my dad and me and our friend Al Pow) were at after a few years of on and off restoration attempts.The rest of this basket case was scrapped and everything from here on in was scratchbuilt.We were lucky in that the basic tubing of the fuselage was in great shape and it gave us a place to start.
__________________


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Upper and lower wings woodwork is now finished and temporarily in a jig.Next step will be to prepare the wings for the strut and wire fittings.There are no internal drag and anti-drag wing wires required and no dihedral.The large inter-wing ailerons will have to be built and provided for with fittings etc....
Fortunately during this era the Wright's were involved in a lot of litigation about their wing warping patent ,I say fortunately as it forced others to think beyond this end of the road concept of longitudinal control. However, unfortunately it did have a somewhat negative effect of slowing down aeronautical progress in North America for awhile.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Yes it is 1/16th scale! the clothes pegs are of the miniature variety,not your standard peg.
The distance between the wings has been established and everything squared up.The vertical strut positions were located and coffee stir sticks set in place where the struts will go.The wing tips will be square and the outboard struts will be flush with the last rib.The center section area is five ribs wide while the middle and outboard sections are four each.
I have left myself lots of room to work inside the jig as I anticipate lots of "I wish that I had thought of that before" moments.The jig also affords great protection for the delicate wing structure and probably will be used until just before completion of the model.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Strut fittings.
The strut is shaped to a streamlined cross section and then the ends were rounded.I slipped a short piece of aluminum tubing over the rounded ends.I prepared the wing leading edge with a small piece sticky backed metal. I tried various types and finally came across a sticker from my EAA membership which was just the right thickness and could be cut to the required size.(#1 rule for dioramists,never,ever throw anything out) The copper part was from the Jenny leftovers and the eyebolt behind was obtained from a fishhook with the hook part cut off.The completed fitting will be painted black.


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## JohnReid

Scratchbuilding is a lot of fun but the thing that you have to really be prepared for is repetition.As an example,it is lots of fun to build that first fitting ,trying out this and that, but by the time your finished making 24 of the same thing it can get a little dull.It is not the type of work for those who constantly need to be doing something new.Self imposed quality control is very important, the first example must be as good as the last.
I find that for the creative stuff I have to set aside some uninterrupted time for this.No music,tv or other distractions.Progress can be slow but time really flies while you are in this mode.
For repetitive work,(#2 thru 24 for example) I find just the opposite is true.I kind of go into automatic mode and enjoy the distractions.The key to quality work I think is to put your best work in each and every detail while holding on to your excitement for seeing the finished piece in mind.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Engine bearer braces.
These are the engine bearer braces(my term)The engine sits between the braces and it bolted on.There are two extra braces on the rear end of the bearer where the prop is located.
I am building this airplane from pics and only dry fitting the parts for now.I figure that the best way to go about this is to work from center outwards ,to allow as much access as possible to the interior.All the brass tubing will be blackened with chemicals(Blackin-it).I will hit the hobby store this week and see if I can find some bolts small enough to attach the braces to the bearers and the struts,if not I will use pins.
I don't have any plans to install an engine (unless someone could tempt me with a spare 1/16th OX5 they may have hanging around.I figure that if there was an engine on my backyard flier it would have been removed for safekeeping until our aviator/builder had returned from the war.I also have to consider just how many of these backyard fliers even got to the engine buying stage.I figure most of these backyard guys were probably pretty good carpenters but for the more technical stuff I wonder if many got beyond the wing building stage?In fact,I have never seen a pic from this era of a finished backyard flier.


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## JohnReid

I plan to keep the rigging simple like it was in the early versions of these airplanes.Some modern flying versions do show a different rigging setup with turnbuckles etc...
I have allowed myself a lot of leeway when it comes to my backyard flier as they were all mostly fantasy pieces when they were built.A lot of these builders were full of enthusiasm but had little real knowledge of what they were doing beyond the carpentry stage.I may put all or only some of the rigging up depending on how my enthusiasm holds up.
In this diorama the airplane is important but it is really just another prop in telling the story.The airplane will be weathered and the backyard left a little messy to give it a sense of loss and abandonment.


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## JohnReid

Slow progress....
Thank goodness I only dry fit everything first!
When I modified the angle of attack of the wings in relation to the level ground,that also altered the undercarriage and the rear wheels required clearance of the frame.At first I attempted to change the angle of the struts that support the nose wheel by moving a fitting at the rear of the engine bearer.Darn thing wouldn't move so I had to take everything apart again and in the process broke a few ribs off and cracked one of the engine supports.
I finally was able to unjam the fitting and put it all back together and now the nose wheel beam seems to be at the right angle.


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## JohnReid

The tire is temporary.I haven't quite made up my mind on the tires.In pictures some look like bicycle tires and others the balloon type.As I plan to have the airplane in the backyard look like it was abandoned for some time ,with tall grass and weeds etc..the wheels may hardly even be seen in the finished diorama anyway.Another possibility is just to make temporary wheels in wood or a combination of a bicycle nosewheel, which is more visible ,and wooden mains.
Beyond the wood building stage I don't want to put too much into the airplane.Why? Wheels,wires,engine etc...if he even had them ,would have been stored away out of the elements and the wooden airframe at least put under tarps.
The family obviously knew about his upcoming arrival home as the "welcome home" banner indicates.They could have removed the tarps as a nice gesture for his homecoming.
I wanted to capture the moment of his arrival,before the family even knew he was there and what may have been going through his head at the time "can it ever be the same?"


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## JohnReid

You guys may have noticed that my signature contains "Once Upon A Time.......
storyboard dioramas.This is my little tribute to the great film artist Sergio Leone.
His western "Once Upon A Time In The West" is recognized by most as the best westerns ever made and probably one of the top 100 films ever.
I love his attention to detail combined with majestic landscapes.His use of closeups and facial expression to create a mood.His minimalist approach to dialogue,only 15 pages of dialogue in a three and a half hour movie yet he still gets his story across magnificently .His use of music and the fact that a special theme was developed for each of the central characters ,which was played on set while that characters scene was being filmed.
I guess what I am trying to say is that he was a master of telling a grand story in a wonderful new way.
I think he would have loved storyboard dioramas.Thanks for the inspiration Sergio!
Cheers! John.


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## JohnReid

I decided that our novice builder could not afford to buy the wheels,so I made them up from wood.I have actually seen similar type wood wheels used on early aircraft factory floors, for moving aircraft around before they got their rims and tires.I reduced the length of the fitting that supports the main beams front end just aft of the nosewheel.Working from pics is difficult so you have to be prepared to adjust things as you go along.Because this is my own version of a backyard flier I am building it to my own specs and what looks good to me.
This summer I plan to buy the wood for the base and finalize the design of the diorama, so that I can build up the two modules next winter and hopefully put the whole thing together the following summer.Anyway that is the plan for now.
Judging from past experience however, I usually seriously underestimate the time involved.
__________________
"Once upon a time......." Storyboard dioramas by JohnReid.


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Finally it is temporarily on its gear!The stance looks about right when on a level surface. I will now put it back in the jig and rig the wings.
I have in the spares box an old Ford T radiator and engine.I am thinking about installing an engine but covering it with tarps and tie downs ,so that something will be there that looks like an engine but really can't be clearly seen.The wing tarps will be removed and put off to the side but will be visible.The idea is that his family removed them in anticipation of his arrival.


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After some experimentation this turnbuckle assembly seems to be the most practical for a number of reasons.First and foremost the hook that attaches to the wing fitting is the easiest to install at this stage.If I had to do it all over again, I would have installed the turnbuckles first for a more authentic look, but then again it is an amateur build so I guess anything goes.(for other designs please see my photobucket "backyard flier "album)
I used plastic coated beading wire for the flying wires and the turnbuckle ends.By threading the wire thru the brass tube and then back on itself you can make a nice little assembly.Once it is weathered with" blacken-it"
it should look just fine at scale distance.


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Some new pics from diorama#2.

Here is a little study of heads and hands that are the hardest thing to get right whether sculpting or painting.I cheated and let the lighting work for me,there really is only minimal paint here and that is mostly pastels.I did not paint the eyes at all but if you look hard enough you will swear you see some.I think that it is your brain filling in what it thinks should be there. Fun huh!


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This is the first module that I will work on .It is a 22X30 inch rectangular shape that will be placed on an angle when attached to the base.There will be fencing on three sides with the buildings facade at the back.The overall size of the diorama will be 40"X50" plus the wood on the base sides.The mockup airplane has been scaled down to proper size.All measurements taken from the mockup will be multiplied by 3.3 for 1/16th scale.

Question??? I contribute text and pictures of my work to over thirty different websites and I was wondering ,is there any way that I could do this in one fowl swoop rather than posting individually to each site? I am no computer whiz (as you guys know )but I would really like to cut down on the workload a bit and spend more time actually modeling.
Besides being great for my ego,I really do enjoy contributing to this developing artform on an almost daily basis .From the number of hits I get on the web and to my photobucket,I guess you guys are enjoying it too.
Any ideas other than" quit " would be most appreciated.Cheers! John.


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Backyard Flier Module #1
I cut out a 22X30.5 inch piece of plywood,sanded it and painted on two coats of lacquer.Over this, I put on a medium coat of straight white glue,poured some sand on and then shook off the excess.I found a flat surface and clamped and screwed down the plywood to it.This last step is most important to keep things level as the glue dries overnight.
The line that you see is because I did this in two sessions as I wanted to take pics of the full procedure from start to finish.(see my photobucket)The purpose of the sand coat is to give the surface tooth for the landscaping to come.

Thanks to those who offered your suggestions on posting.I think what I will do is only post pics during the week(a pic is worth a thousand words they say)and post a text summery on the weekends.If anyone has a specific question on a pic during the week please feel free to ask.


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## JohnReid

Model Photography For Dummies.

I am a dummy.I know nothing about taking pics.I haven't even read the book.Never taken a lesson but I do take pictures,lots of pictures.What is there to lose?
Cheap cameras are everywhere,no film to buy,no fancy set up required.Welcome to modern model photography the way I practice it. The only requirement is a willingness to break the rules and a creative mind.Breaking the rules is easy and a creative mind you guys obviously already have or you wouldn't be making models.Some have no interest in taking pictures at all and that is fine, in fact ,I was one of those until just a few years ago.In order to share with you guys how I build dioramas,I was forced to do it.I already had an expensive film type camera which I hardly ever used(didn't read the book on that one either) It was all too much of a hassle,buying film,nail biting while waiting for my pics at the camera store, only to discover 20 odd dollars later that the camera was on the wrong setting,storing all the photos in expensive binders,and all those mixed up negatives in an ever increasing pile in a box somewhere. This was not for me!
Then came the digital camera,the wonderful digital camera and my problems were solved.Unlimited creative freedom at hardly any expense to my pocketbook or my ego,hit the delete and no one will ever know.I can take as many pics as I want, complete freedom with no regrets!
Just remember to change the batteries and the card once in awhile and off you go into a whole new world of model picture taking.
In future installments on this theme I would like to share with you guys how a dummy can take pretty good pictures too!
Cheers! John.


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## JohnReid

A camera for dummies.
My choice? Canon power shot A540 Why? it was on sale.
I know absolutely nothing about cameras,so don't even ask.What I do know is that this little camera has all the features I want.On/Off switch,auto and AV settings,4X zoom and 6.0 pixels.It also has lots of other settings about which I know nothing about.The AV setting I learned about from a friend when I wasn't getting much clarity in the background of my pics.
One feature I really like and discovered by accident,is when using the zoom I can push the "take the pic button" halfway down at get an idea of what lighting I need for the finished pic.It also allows me to move around a hand held light for different effects.(more on this later)
It has a flash which I never use and a well used erase button.I would however like to know how I change the DPI settings which I never could figure out ,which causes me to use too much memory, as I seldom blow up my pics to poster size anyway.(Think of DPI like dots on a newspaper picture,the more dots the clearer the picture)
Well that is about it for the camera,all the other buttons and switches I know nothing about and I am actually afraid to use them as I fear that if I play with them I will somehow screw up what seems to be working for me now.Geez...what a dummy! :blink:
Next? my fancy accessories.


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Weekend Summery.
To cut down on the posting involved, I will post only pictures during the week and a text summery on the weekends.However,I will respond as usual to any specific questions from individuals.Thanks for your patience.

This week was devoted to the boardwalk and backyard fencing.If you look at the original picture that I am using for inspiration,(the 22year old Mr.J.E. Mair's Chicago row house backyard in 1910),you will see next to the buildings facade the boardwalk that runs the full width of the backyard.I have just started the fencing which surrounds each property.The design I am using here is actually from my own backyard and I chose it because of all the lighting possibilities using the shadows through the slats in the boards.(while under construction this will also make a nice backdrop for pictures of my 1/18th scale old car collection)
I used my usual old barn siding method to weather the wood, which I will repeat here for the newcomers to this thread.I use coffee stir sticks of various sizes and doctors tongue depressors, which I trim and cut to length.Then take a mix of 75% nimbus gray-25% raw umber acrylic paint and add lots of water to the consistency of milk and brush it on.Let dry and repeat as many times as necessary to get the coverage that looks good to you.(I use Jo Sonja acrylic paint almost exclusively as it dries flat)Personally I like the wood grain to show through as it looks more realistic.When dry,take a pin and make a pattern of holes in the wood to represent nails.Twist the head of an HB graphite pencil into each hole and then and then add a final watery coat.This swells the pin holes back level with the surface .When dry,you can add a tiny drop of watery burnt sienna to each nail for a rusty look.(Later you can add burnt sienna chalk pastels to intensify the rusty look if required)Now take an old toothbrush and some very watery raw umber and flick on a very fine spray of crude.After you have finished handling the boards and the structure is built ,you can come back with your siennas,browns grays,and black chalk pastels and play with it until you are satisfied.Pastels can be used to great effect when creating shadows.Just remember to be subtle in your approach to weathering,if in doubt use less not more!


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## JohnReid

Now that my 4th aircraft diorama is underway my mind has been wandering as to what will be next.I decided on a Bleriot XI for the airplane,the diorama part is still unknown,even to me!

Amati Bleriot XI
First look inside the box!
What a disappointment,this is not a museum quality model,not by my standards anyway.It is probably worth about what I paid for it ,about a quarter of what it originally went for a few years ago.I got mine as a closeout special from Model Airways.They will not be re-stocking them in the future,now I think I know why.
This gives the term "museum quality "a bad name.My idea of museum quality would be a 1/10 scale model of the real thing,period.This is not even close.
I still plan to build it using what I can of the stuff provided but it will only be a starting point.The engine ,the spoked wheels and metal fittings look OK at first glance but only time will tell.Just about everything in wood seems to be a figment of someones imagination.I haven't yet checked the overall measurements for accuracy but the building methodology is all wrong.The only way those wings would look OK is fabric covered,which I would recommend doing as an out of the box build.The fabric would as least cover up a multitude of sins.There just is no excuse for this in 1/10th scale.More on all this later.
Here is my plan.I will use only the parts that I find acceptable or that can be modified to be accurate.I will use this as a starting point like I did with all my other structural type builds.(you gotta start somewhere)
As I mentioned before I am a member of the Canadian Aviation Heritage Center which is only about ten minutes down the road from me and they have a 1:1 scale Bleriot XI now nearing completion.This aircraft will be flown in 2011 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Canadian air show and flight over a Canadian city,Montreal.
Because it is actually to be flown the MOT has forced upon them some more modern modifications for safety sake.It will therefore be my task to find which is original and which has been modified.I want to build the original version. to be cont........
For all you military airplane fans out there,yes this was a military airplane.


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## JohnReid

Weekend Summery.
This week was all about making and weathering fencing.It can be a long and repetitive process but you can make it less so by being a little creative and making each section just a little different.
The sections are made to be removable until final assembly .I build each panel as it would be done in full scale and do not use jigs.This way it allows for a build which is more like the real thing,mistakes and all.Posts are installed first ,followed by cross members and then the vertical boards.Weathering is the same method as I used for the barn siding in my other dioramas.I figure that most fences in middle class neighborhoods in those days would be left to age naturally, due to the cost of paint.
In the original picture the fencing looks to be about 4feet internally and the outer perimeter about 6 feet or higher.(My mock shows all the fencing at 4feet.)I decided to go with the picture and use the higher perimeter fencing.The only problem that I can see now would be to make the whole thing look a little walled off from the viewers perspective.If need be the height could be reduced in he future.


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## JohnReid

Yeah,I know it is not WW1 but all by old Ford T's are in the dioramas.Anyway this gives you an idea of how easy it is to do a vignette composition.I used my own backyard as a backdrop, put in a 1/18th scale classic car along my recently built fence,used one of the hangar doors not yet installed and voila there you have it.Later of course this area will be covered in grass and other vegetation.The car could also be slightly weathered, especially around the wheel areas after a drive to the airport, or I could put in a pail and some soap indicating that it had just been washed.


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Weekend Summary
Still on the fencing! I have decided to rearrange things a bit.The high fencing will extend along only one side of the backyard that faces the street.The front fencing will be the same height as the fencing that separates the backyards, as it faces the lane way out back and not the public street.I felt that using the high fencing all the way around would give the diorama a walled off look which is not very welcoming for the viewer.The high wall is located at the highest elevation of all the backyards, so I think it actually adds to the stepped down look when viewing the diorama from right to left.
The exact position of the flier I am still debating.The original reference pic shows it square to the fence with the nose pointed toward the buildings facade.Because the backyards are not square to the base but at an angle,I may still be OK with this.
How to get the finished airplane out of the backyard ? Well he wouldn't be the first EAA type to tear down a fence to remove his beloved airplane.(I have heard of some who even removed basement walls)


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## JohnReid

I am tired of the fencing business for now and am ready for something new.Like with most things new it can be a little intimidating at first but I feel that I have some excellent reference material to work with so I am anxious to get started.
This will be my first attempt at a building other than a barn or old hangar.It will only be the rear facade but it will be my first go at brickwork,stone etc..A modeling bud ,Andi has been most helpful to me in getting started with reference material and a building methodology using foam board and paper.You will be amazed at what can be done with paper ,I know I sure was.Well here goes.......


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More fun with vignettes
While I am working on the early stages of building the facade,I thought that I would put up a few pics of the crashed Albatros sitting in the backyard of the backyard flier diorama.(lots more on my photobucket,look for the Albatros album.)When the backyard is finished with all the landscaping in place,I will submit better pics without clothes lines , bird feeders,porch railings and sun canopies etc... Eventually I will be taking a lot of pics of my 1/18th scale old car collection using this backyard, before shipping it off to the museum.
__________________
"Once upon a time......." Storyboard dioramas by JohnReid.
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/


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When the measurements are done it is time to start cutting in with the Xacto knife.I started with what I call the dining room window which is the largest on the back facade.
Keeping your xacto (new blade,change often) 90 degs to the surface cut into the foam board.I do this freehand and make a couple of passes until it is cut all the way through.At this stage I don't try to be too exact as the foamboard is soft and easily damaged.Put another piece of foam board behind the cutout and trace the perimeter of the window.Cut this piece out as well and line it up and glue it to the back creating a double thickness.This will allow for a secure surface for our window frame pieces and add a more realistic look to the thickness of the wall.When dry start fitting your frame pieces,do not glue for now but make a tight fit.I cut mine slightly oversize and fit and sand,fit and sand until they fit snugly .Get out a small square and adjust the foamboard until the frames fit 90deg to each other.
It is time consuming to do but I thank my lucky stars that I am only doing a plain outdoor facade and not your typical Victorian moldings that you would find on the inside.


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## JohnReid

My Victorian Row House.

After a lot of research the following measurements seem to be consistent with a typical North American Victorian row house.From the lower level floor to the upper level ceiling is about 21 feet 6 inches.
The top of the piece of cardboard at the bottom of the foam board represents the top of the exterior boardwalk.There are two rows of blocks to the top of the foundation,a 2" cap strip and 2"X10" joists to the lower level floor.From floor to window sill is 30"and from floor to ceiling is 10feet.I have allowed 18" between the ceiling to the top of the upper floor level for joists,plaster ceiling, sub-floor and floor.Then another 30" to the upper window sill and again 10 feet to the ceiling.(Victorian ceilings were high)
The upper rooms are 12 feet in width to their center lines ,the actual room size would be less due to studs,walls etc...The lower levels widths are 12 feet for the dining room and about 10 for the kitchen ,the rest is the 30" wide door and storage area,the overall width is about 30 feet.Above the door is the bathroom so that the run of the plumbing is consistent with the kitchen area.
The doors and windows are tall and narrow to allow for indoor/outdoor air circulation.
The external roof line has yet to be established but it is usually a little above the upper window.
Please advise me if you guys notice anything obviously wrong with the measurements.


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The outside window sill is made from a piece of wood ,covered on three sides with glue and then sprinkled with very fine sand.The window frame I will paint an off-white and the bricks red or red-orange like in Victorian days.
When finished, I plan to treat the facade like a canvas and have some fun using acrylics,pastels,brush and airbrush to see what I can come up with. It will have to be subtle though not to compete with the main subject for attention.I want the viewer to first see the airplane,then the storyline and later pick out the details in the diorama.This is a large diorama and I have thought at times of cutting it back a bit, and probably would have if I hadn't built a 1/48 mock-up to keep me on track.I could really stop with just the one backyard and tell the basic story but I feel that by including the other backyards it will convey a sense of the builders priorities and enthusiasm for his airplane.His messy yard as opposed to his neighbors well kept grass and garden .I think that it will be springtime before all the flowers come out as I want to keep this aspect of the story subtle as well.
I also like the stepped down effect as if the row houses were built on the side of a hill as it helps to distract the eye from all the 90 deg angles.Also the piece will be placed at an angle to the base which will better allow me to put the airplane straight on as in the picture.


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## JohnReid

I love this pic!( I know only a modeler could get excited about bricks) Anyway,it gives you a great palette of brick colors to work with and the wall itself is so very interesting.
I can see an artist getting lost forever in this detail , being able to practice every technique in the book.It will surely be a case of knowing when to stop.By comparison modern brick walls are so very boring.
I don't yet have any idea of how to achieve that rough cement grout work look but I am working on it.I think my challenge will be to restrain myself and not to make my wall too old looking.
I love the way Andi builds a history into his brick walls but I wonder if that would be appropriate here.The row houses in my reference picture look fairly new in 1913 and the residents fairly well off ,judging by the way the lady with the dog is dressed and the fact that our early EAA type could even afford all the materials to build his airplane.
I can hardly wait to start the painting of this piece .It is as close to 2D picture painting that a 3D guy can get....


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## JohnReid

It has occurred to me that maybe I am going down the wrong path here.I am basically trying to represent what was a fairly new building in 1913.I look around my neighborhood at the brick structures after 20-30 or even 50 years and the bricks still look almost new.Maybe it would be a mistake to radically age my brick wall or try to build too much history into it.I love Andi's wonderful work but it may not be appropriate as as an example for which was a fairly new structure in 1913.
When to stop? What to leave in and what to leave out?


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## IndyRC_Racer

I often pop on this thread and am always impressed!!


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## JohnReid

Man I wish I had a camera lens that didn't create so much distortion.Anyway,here is where I am so far.The upper right bricks above the sill are as dark as I plan to go.The lower right is a little lighter and to the left of that lighter still.I have used JoSonja acrylic gouache paint.It is their Gold Oxide straight out of the tube, mixed only with plain tap water to a consistency of 5% milk.You could thin it out to about 2% but that is not necessary here as my base color is quite dark.The key here is to not get too dark too quickly,it is better to err on the side of leaving it too light and then darken individual bricks to the shade you prefer.(like the bricks you see on the left in the pic)You want contrast between individual bricks.I have always worked from light to dark to take advantage of the transparency factor afforded by gouache acrylics.It can be a little time consuming painting individual bricks darker but it saves trying to lighten them later.
When putting on your first coat be sure to paint the white brick edges that have not been already colored with a small round brush.Don't worry about getting it on the foam board as it has a surface that does not readily absorbed the paint, which is a real advantage here.(saves you having to grout the spaces between the brick) Any space that remains too white can be dealt with by applying a second watery coat.
The reason that I do the spaces now is if your do it later the edges may turn out too dark and spoil your work.
Pick a shade of color that you like as your base coat (which will end up being the lightest value on the wall)and randomly darken the rest until you are happy.Don't go too dark right away as acrylics will darken naturally as they dry,much like house paint.In fact I will let mine dry over night and do the finishing touches the following day.
If you plan to do dry brushing now would be the time to do so,I haven't yet decided myself. I may just weather them by flicking on some crud using my toothbrush technique and then use pastels to finish.So far I am happy with the result,I think that it looks like a 20-30 year old wall.


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The grey stone blocks where given the 5% milk treatment using JoSonja gouache acrylic.I used their Nimbus Grey mixed with a touch of Raw Umber and water.I darkened down the seams using the same mix and a small round brush.Try not to get too much on the face of the stone.
I really like this textured watercolor paper when using thin coats ,as it almost eliminates the need for dry brushing.Remember however one heavy coat and your in trouble.Not all is lost however ,as you can still dry brush the texture back if need be ,using a lighter tint of the same color.This is an example of the great versatility of acrylics.
The grey stones still need a little pastel shading and some crud along the bottom.

I would suggest to those who don't want to go to all this effort to make a brick wall ,if you think it looks good enough for your purposes especially in the smaller scales,when I am finished you could make a copy of the wall and then use photobucket to play with the colors and adjust it to any scale you want.Have fun!

Note: if you want a great tutorial on making scratchbuilt cars or aircraft in brass see my modeling bud Ken Foran's thread over on SMC.He is the best!

http://www.scalemotorcars.com
Look under Large Scale Cars in the Forum.


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How easy is it to screw up? Let me count the ways.
I think our brick layer came back to work after a liquid lunch and somehow screwed up the brickwork.I only noticed the following after taking the pics.The two rows of dark colored bricks on the R/H side of the dining room window,are not level with the left.
The easiest fix would be to make the whole thing three rows instead of two.The other would be to lighten the dark bricks with acrylics but that could lead to problems.Maybe I will try something with pastels.
The window sills will be only temporarily installed for two reasons,I may in future want to lay the facade flat on its face and two they are too vulnerable to being broken off.


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## JohnReid

This will make a great backdrop for taking pics.I am planning to do a series of "Public Enemies" vignettes using 1/18th scale cars.I am afraid that the museum won't be getting this diorama for awhile.
It has taken me a month to build half a wall and am only about 1/5th of the way along.I am hoping that now that the design part is mostly finished things will speed up a bit, however there now will be the boredom factor to contend with now that most of the creative bricklaying stuff is behind me.
Someone pointed out to me that the blocks/greystones at the foundation are not placed properly.I should have known better, that you never line the vertical seams up one on top of the other, as this only creates a weakness in the foundation.A quick fix would be to re-do the foundation blocks by gluing new block faces over the old ones, which would mean the blocks would not be quite flush with the brick wall.I think that some foundations may have been like this anyway.I will take a look around and see what is out there.I could try hiding it with vegetation etc..but the problem is I know its there.


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## JohnReid

Now that looks better!I simply glued new faces over the blocks.In fact I think that they look better now as the original blocks were too dark and uniform in color.The irregular look of the blocks along the bottom will be hidden behind the boardwalk.
Just before I finally install the facade I will get the old pastels out and create a few shadows etc..
For the next row house I will use a different colors for the brick as well as door and window trim, which will help to make the facades more interesting.I will do the same for the third row house even though only about a 1/4 of it will actually be seen.
A lot can be done later to breakup any uniformity in the backyards using small additions ,outbuildings and vegetation.


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## JohnReid

I know that some of you guys are asking yourself why does this guy keep on keeping on when he gets so little response to his work?
Is it the scale? or is the subject matter too far out of the mainstream? lack of interest? etc...
Well I know that it is none of these.How? By the number of hits I get, not only on the websites but on my photobucket and my photobucket albums.I average 150,000 hits a month on my photobucket and 1,000 album visits as well.
For some reason things really took off around last March and I still really don't know why.
The sites that I contribute to are all over the map,RR,car,airplane,figure,ship,diorama, armor and diecast.
I also understand that what the hell else can you say after making the same comments over and over(usually positive).I also know because of my workload I can't participate much on each of the individual websites but as I said in the beginning my main interest here is in promoting dioramas of all genres.Call it a labor of love I guess.
A special thanks to all those who have taken the time to express their opinions and comments to me directly, especially those offering their constructive criticism.
So now it is back to work! Cheers! John.


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## Zorro

Oh. we're watching all right! Fascinating thread!


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## JohnReid

One of the great by-products of doing art is how it makes you much more aware of your surroundings.I mean what is more mundane than a brick wall?
Really boring stuff right? I know that I never gave it much attention before actually building one.Now I find myself looking at the colors,the designs while driving down the road ,watching TV etc..Not only that but many old brick walls have a history if you look closely enough.Additions and subtractions made over the years.The builder never really being able to match the weathered color of the old brick.Windows and doors walled up which makes you wonder why?Additions of extra stories to a building,weathering,old signs for now non-existent products etc..etc.. There is a lot of our history tied up in brick walls for those who care to read it.
A lot of what we do as artists/craftsmen is "paying attention" to what has always been there.Most of us never really look at a flower until we come to paint it or an airplane until we come to build it or even a human face until we draw or carve it.


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## JohnReid

Many thanks to Kees(Varese2002) of The Aerodrome forum for the above picture ,which up until now I never knew existed.
It is a glass negative from the Chicago Daily News and it shows Mr J.E. Mair in his backyard at 3106 W Fullerton Ave Chicago in 1910.There is no record that it ever flew.Evidently the backyard is still there on Google maps.
Of course like so many other things that have happened to me while building these dioramas, this info has come to me just when I needed it.(strange but true)
My thoughts have recently been turning to the next step, the landscaping of the backyards.I see from the pic that the backyard is just like I thought it would be ,lots of mud in front and overgrown vegetation in the back.(Who the hell has got the time to worry about things like that when there are much more important things to be done?) Sound familiar?
I also noticed a smaller version of a boardwalk along the L/H fence line, which if I install it will have to run along the opposite fence due to the positioning of my figure in the composition.
Mr Mair and I have something in common, his backyard looks like my workshop/studio.Note the angle measuring device laying on the boardwalk's bottom left in the pic, and what looks like a yardstick on the ground under the wing.
Funny how he just had to install the pilots seat and control wheel even if it now gets in the way.Mr Mair must have sat behind that wheel many times during this build with wonderful dreams of flight running though his head.
Fifty years later and we were headed for the moon.Thanks Mr Mair.


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## hedorah59

Hi John - I am definitely watching, and learning a lot along the way. You post pics that look great to me, and then you change something and I go 'You know, that really does look better'. It is very educational reading your threads, I hope they continue on for a long time. Thanks for taking the time to share your artistic journey!


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## JohnReid

Kees found me a third pic to go along with the other two.Mr. Mair is on the left in this pic the other man is unknown.
There is a lot of good info in this pic besides what our builder looks like.The front building facades confirm this to be a fairly well off neighborhood.I can't see a roof on the building but this could be a separate apartment building ,different from the row houses that I am building.
Some of the airplanes structure is shown but on first impression it looks like what you might expect ,a very primitive build.This has been identified as a copy of the Wright Flier but I beg to differ for many reasons.First and foremost is the square wingtips more reminiscent of a Curtiss design. I still believe that this was a true backyard flier of Mr Mair's own design, with a little Wright and Curtiss thrown in.(more on this later)
From the picture Mr. Mair looks like a young ,intense,intelligent man(look at the eyes)who got caught up in the excitement for aviation at the time.An early EAA'er for sure.
If you look closely above the upper wing you will see what looks like a porch or veranda probably from where the first two pictures were taken.
Note Miss Nosy Parker peering from behind the curtains,I guess there is one in every neighborhood.


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## JohnReid

This is the pic that first inspired me to do a backyard flier.Somebody identified it as a Wright brothers copy, which is wrong for a number of reasons.Besides that, what is really interesting is that the builder looks like he was experimenting with some type of design for longitudinal control, other than wing warping ,a patent at the time that was jealously guarded by the Wrights.If you look carefully at the pic you will see a hinged flap sort of design outboard near the wings leading edge.He has cut the ribs at the spars and hinged it to the trailing edge of the front spar on both upper and lower wings.There also seems to be the beginning of some sort of rigging for their control.If this is what I think it is Mr Mair was surely involved with some very early innovative and creative aeronautical engineering.
I love this pic as it tells so much about the human creative spirit.Don't forget this is 1910 when many looked upon aviation as a oddity and a foolish thing to pursue.I can only speculate what his family and neighbors might have thought.


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## JohnReid

I was going to use 3 different colored bricks as seen in this pic, but I am afraid that those long vertical lines between brick wall separations may distract the viewers eye away from the airplane to the wall.
When I first look at this pic I see the policemen,then the brick wall and then the cars.In my diorama.I am looking to reverse this a bit and put less emphasis on the building and more on the airplane.The figure because of its position in the diorama would not be the first thing the viewer would notice but would probably be replaced by the "welcome home" sign.
I know that I seem to be going overboard with all this but it really is very important to the success of diorama.The connections to the storyboard part will come after the initial visual impact.The solitary figure,the sign,the weathered flier,the different backyards etc..will come later into the viewers imagination. (I hope)


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## JohnReid

More what to leave in and what to leave out decisions that I soon will have to make is regarding the flier itself.As you guys who have been following this thread already know,my storyline is a lot different than what is depicted in the original pic.
As it is already it would make a very nice story about an early EAA'er building a flier.The very busy Mr. Mair working intently on his flier pretty much unaware of all the things going on around him. The kids more fascinated by the lady with the dog (I think but hard to see) ,the boys sitting on the fence either too shy to approach because of the girls(this is 1910 remember) or maybe Mr Mair doesn't want them around his airplane.The washing on the line etc..etc leads me to believe that the photographer really knew what he was doing when he created this composition.Mr. Mair himself was probably staged but the rest is probably spontaneous.A wonderful "slice of life" story in itself.
I have however decided to cut down on the complexity of the story .I want to make it simpler but with more emotion.My story revolves around a single individual and his relationship with his love for aviation.It is a story of the loss of innocence both of the individual and aviation itself.What seemed like such a wonderful,innocent thing to do in the beginning now turned out to be just another instrument of war.Looking at his flier he is probably wondering "can I bring myself to complete it" knowing now what I know to be true?
The feeling among the general population after all the killing in WW1 was not very positive about machines of war,airplanes included.Most fathers would not encourage their sons to become pilots.Most pilots couldn't even find jobs other than exhibition pilots or barnstormers.So it was the mood of the times that I want to capture in my diorama.I am not sure that everyone will get it but I bet a pretty high percentage of servicemen will.Those who don't will still have something interesting to look at.


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## JohnReid

A fellow modeler has just informed me that these buildings on Fullerton St in Chicago still exist,in fact he lived not too far away on the same street in the 1970's.
Art is truly a living thing and does provide us with a little comfort knowing that it does really have a life of it's own, beyond the lifespan of the individual artist.
I wish I knew the photographers name ,in his day he would be at the top of his game which really comes through to me in the pics.In fact ,that is what first caught my "artist's eye" ,the creative angle from which the pic was taken.Rather than just the usual airplane pic he captured a story which lives on to this day.100 years ago an artist/photographer takes a pic and all these years later an artist/modeler builds on the foundation of his work.Maybe a 100 years from now, using a medium that we can't even imagine today ,another artist will be influenced and expand on our work.And so it goes.........


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## JohnReid

Bricks,bricks and more bricks!
Last night as I was painting the sun was setting at a low angle and I decided to take a few shots.The brick face looks very rough from this angle and magnification but at scale distance under normal lighting conditions it is fine.The cement grouting is hidden in the shadows so very little shows in this pic.I now have to repeat the same thing again ,in mirror image, for the other row house and then another quarter or so for the partial house.A lot more bricks to go I'm afraid but it will be worth the time and effort in the end.At least that it the story I keep repeating to myself.


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## hedorah59

I like that pic - Can't tell that it is a miniature


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## JohnReid

After studying the 1/48 scale mock up I decided to stay with the multi-level idea after all.I think that it is visually more appealing and I like the fact that the flier's backyard is on the highest level as this tends to put more focus on the airplane and main storyline.
It may complicate the landscaping of the backyards but I will deal with that a little further down the road.In the above pic I haven't yet cut the roofline so it looks a little odd ,but it too will show a slight drop just like the foundation line.The joint between each row house will be covered by the evestrough's downspout.The brick will be the same color but the trim will be French Blue.All those windows need to be built and installed.I am planning to put lighting and curtains behind the windows with maybe a half concealed ,shadowy, nosy neighbor looking out upon the scene.This will be down in such a way as not to draw the attention of the viewer except as an afterthought.


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## JohnReid

With a small,soft,cheap brush and gray pastels I have worked a little cement color into some of the spaces between the bricks.The abrasive nature of the bricks are really hard on brushes so be aware.
Any unnecessary gray color on the face of the bricks can later be removed using brick colored pastels.

When putting it all together I will do a final weathering of the facade using my old toothbrush and thin acrylic paint spray technique.


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## steve123

Amazing work! thanks for the pics.


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## JohnReid

For those who maybe interested:
I took the rare opportunity to take some really closeup pics of a static display Bleriot XI that usually is hanging from the ceiling at the Canadian Aviation Heritage Center at Montreal.They are changing the prop for a more authentic one of the period. One wing has been removed for convenience.
These are very good reference pics for those wishing to scratchbuild a static or a flying model of this famous airplane.Please note that these pics are for your reference only and may differ significantly from the real airplane.
See my photobucket album CAHC, then click on Bleriot model at CAHC in the sub albums.


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## JohnReid

This is a very slow process for a number of reasons.First and foremost is my ambition usually exceeds my energy level.Where I used to be able to work eight hours at a stretch ,I now only work three or four.The repetitive nature of the stuff I am doing now may also have something to do with it. My inability to drop one project for another, before the first one is completed ,could be another factor.When I get tired of building I usually am doing some kind of research instead of actual building.
Why do I mention this? well aging is not something we normally build into our future plans.If you want to get good at this stuff there is definitely a learning curve involved. Better to get most of the steep learning curve part out of the way while we are relatively young.It takes a lot of energy in the beginning to commit oneself to learning something new,energy that may be not be there as we get older.I read somewhere that every man or woman should have at least three careers in their lifetime,the last one beginning in their fifties.Aside from all the usual pressures of life work,family,etc..it has been said that the most creative time in the life of most artists begins during this decade.I guess what I am trying to say is don't rely upon your retirement to get it done.If you feel a need to be artistically creative better start now.
"Whatever you can do or dream you can,begin it.Boldness has genius,power,and magic in it.Begin it now."(Johann Von Goethe)

End of lecture........


In the latest pic you can see the difference between the almost finished brickwork and the newer facade.
Once the basic color is on the face of the facade, the real fun begins.Each brick has to be worked on individually to achieve a nice varied and subtle look.It can really be time consuming but it is worth the extra effort in the end.
The most important thing to remember is that you are essentially working with watercolors (gouache-acrylic) and it is important to use lots of water in your mixes and not get things too dark too quickly.Take full advantage of the transparency of the medium and paint in thin coats to achieve subtle differences in color or intensity.All the colors in the brickwork you see is the result of only one tube color put on in thin layers.


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## JohnReid

My confuser has been down awhile,something about the power supply.
The last pic shows how I will use the two brick facade panels for photography.
Brick facades are common everywhere, so they make great backdrops for a lot of subject matter.The museum will have to wait awhile for this one,I guess.
Speaking about the CAM ,it seems that their building project has been delayed.The money has been approved so I guess that it is just government bureaucracy.
Speaking about museums, I went to the RCAF museum in Trenton Ontario this month.There has been a lot of very nice improvements going on there but the aircraft that are sitting outside still look a lot worse for wear.


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## JohnReid

This is the only figure that I plan to use in this diorama, except for maybe a nosy neighbor peeking out from behind one of the window curtains.
It is the 120mm Guynemer figure from Model Cellar Productions. It is up to their usual fine standards and well worth the price, when compared to some similar quality figures that are on the market.
For my purposes it is just perfect and reflects the mood that I am trying to create in this diorama.Like a lot of my figures it is just the starting point as I foresee having to make lots of changes.Medals to be removed,alterations to the uniform and a new head will be among them .I also plan to put an old duffel bag leaning up against one of his legs.
With all these great figures around to be modified ,my ambition to one day sculpt my own from scratch, keeps getting pushed back further in time.So much to do,so little time!


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## JohnReid

I may keep the head and modify the hat,as I really like his facial expression.The blank stare, as I would call it,fits in with the mood of the piece.The coat over the arm suggests spring or fall which gives me a lot of options when doing the vegetation.I don't want a summer look as all that color would distract attention from the main subject matter,the figure and the airplane.
A muddy backyard would be more common in spring in this part of the world and springtime does symbolize rebirth.Fall on the other hand here in Canada indicates the end of something.
My storyline could go either way,the beginning of something or the end.Will he find a renewed interest in aviation now that he has lost his innocence in the war above the trenches? or will he just scrap the whole idea and go on to a new future and leave all of that behind him?


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## JohnReid

Out of curiosity I scrolled back in this thread and found that it has been three months since I started the brick facades.Sure I have done other stuff as well but actual modeling, that's it.As I approach the end of this period I can say that I am glad I did it, but to be honest, I probably would hesitate at doing it again.
Long repetitive work such as this does have its positive side however,as it teaches patience and a willingness to put your best effort into even the most boring of tasks.It also allows for a build up of creative energy and a renewed enthusiasm to get at the more rewarding stuff again.Some of my more creative ideas have come during this period, not only involving the piece I am working on but future projects as well.


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## slotcarman12078

Impressive as always!!!! No, you're not talking to yourself as the number of visits surely confirm!!! Absolutely astounding work, mundane as the present task may be, the results do make it worthwhile. I enjoy studying buildings myself, and there are a few here downtown that intrigue me. Sadly, they basically sit vacant now, waiting for that special someone to rescue them from the ravages of time and neglect. If my financial picture were a lot brighter, I might be tempted to rehab them.. Stellar work as I've come to expect when I pop in here. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## JohnReid

Well except for a few finishing touches my bricklaying work is finally finished.Now I can finally move on to more creative stuff.Maybe finish the airplane,maybe modify and paint the new figure.
Even at this late stage I am still fooling around with the composition.I kind of like the facades forming a corner to surround the backyard with the airplane in the middle, but I have pretty much ruled this out as it would be too obstructive for the viewer and would necessitate the diorama being placed in a corner arrangement of some kind ,which would not be too museum friendly.However it would be great for picture taking.I will have to be careful when finishing this piece. How and when to permanently glue things down will be a major consideration ,as I plan to use it for many vignettes including a series on 1920-30 gangsters and their cars.


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## 54belair

John, it is wrong to just call these dioramas... this is first-rate artwork. Thank you for sharing the fantastic pictures.


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## JohnReid

Finishing up the backyard flier.
Started back building the backyard flier today.The first order of business will be to make the outboard streamlined interplane struts and their fittings.The engine will be next and I probably will use a old Ford T design and then partially cover it with an old tarp, so I can suggest that there is an engine there without having to be too detailed.Remember this airplane project has been abandoned for some time while our aviator has been off to war.I thought about putting tarps on the wings as well but I don't what to cover up too much of the structure.Because there will be a "welcome home" sign on the wall they were obviously anticipating his arrival and therefore may have removed some of the tarps.


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## JohnReid

This is the general arrangement that I will be using for my backyard flier.I don't know what this engine is (probably modern) but I will be using the same 4 cylinder in-line type.
Our budding aviator probably would have used something easily available and relatively cheap like a new or used Ford Model T engine modified it to direct drive, without the gearbox of course.What I plan to do is partially cover the engine with a tarp but leave the prop ,rad and gas tank etc...uncovered.Should be fun!


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## JohnReid

I took an old 1/16th Lindberg 1910 Model T engine and removed the gearbox to make it look more like an aircraft engine.The propeller shaft in there now is temporary and was only used to line things up.This mod was simple to do with a razor saw and a sanding stick.Working slowly you can eventually get what is left of the gearbox to line up with the rest of the engine.There is not a lot of nice crisp detail on this engine but for my purposes here it is OK as I have the option of showing what I want of it because of the covering tarp.The outline alone would really be enough.


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## JohnReid

Wow! working in here is like working in a bird cage.This is the general arrangement of the engine,fuel tank and rad.I have used brass rod to connect everything up.A little judicious use of the tarp should cover most of it.I am just looking for a general overall shape here.
The fuel system is gravity feed therefore it is set higher than the engine.The rad is from the Ford T.I will not be using a lot of piping or fittings other than maybe the large rad hoses to hang the tarp on.Speaking about the tarp, it should be fun making that in there


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## JohnReid

Sometimes the easiest and best solution is staring you right in the face.
I put the flier in the diorama and realized that most of the I am trying to hide is not visible anyway.No sense in wasting a lot of time on something that will never be seen. Instead I will concentrate on what is visible and add a bit more to it, like fittings, piping etc...The tarps, if I show them at all, will have been completely removed or blown off over time.Once the whole thing is weathered it should be even more interesting this way,or at least more fun for me as I love the weathering process.
Speaking about finishing only what is visible,this practice has been well established with shadowbox dioramas, where a lot of what you don't see has never been completed in the round, especially detailed figures etc..


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## JohnReid

I made up the engine support brackets and installed the basic engine.I have started a little weathering using pastels.Later I will be toothbrush spraying a little watery acrylics over the aircraft's wooden structure to age it as well.The fuel tank is next ,then the rad.
Doing a under construction build really has its advantages ,as you can quit with the detail anytime you want.Want to put a bracket without a bolt to secure it?Fine,he just hasn't got around to installing it yet.You don't even have to drill a hole cause you can't see it anyway.If I was doing this as a finished airplane my plan for the build would be completely different and much more complicated.All of my aircraft to date have been of the "under construction" type so I get to decide when to stop.This freedom helps to keep me sane!


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## JohnReid

The copper fuel tank is not in its final position but has been lowered to rest on the engine support beam.I left the tank fitting in a unusual place on the tube to indicate this.The fuel tank can easily be positioned higher, to its final gravity feed position ,when all the fittings etc ... are installed.(after he returns from the war)
The prop will not be installed because something as valuable as that (if he even had one)would not be left outside.
Next?


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## JohnReid

Making windows
Well I think that I will go back to woodworking for awhile.Ken Hamilton has a great tutorial on making windows which I will borrowing from extensively.It is a really great step by step method using a jig and real glass or plexiglass.
The facade will play a secondary role in the diorama but in reality it represents a good portion of the overall work involved.I have to be careful here that I don't get too fancy with the facade.I thought about shutters but it would just be too much.Luckily this is a backyard which would not normally have any anyway.
I will build a few until I get tired of it and then return to the flier somewhere down the road.


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## JohnReid

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!


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## JohnReid

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.


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## JohnReid

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## JohnReid

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.


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## JohnReid

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.


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## JohnReid

Something new!


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## swflyboy

Wait...are you JohnReid from Wings900 and DiecastAircraftForum?


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## JohnReid

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/


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## JohnReid

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.


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## JohnReid

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!


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## JohnReid

I think I need a little change of pace for awhile so I thought that I would modify my returning war hero figure that will be going into the diorama.
I have changed the head for a more Canadian looking character rather than try to modify that hat.
I also will be removing all those wonderfully detailed medals from his chest and demoting him in rank.The rest of the uniform is of the military style of the era and needs no major modifications.
Please note : the replacement head is from my own collection and not part of the kit.


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## JohnReid

I sanded off all those hard won medals and used super thin super glue to fill in any imperfections and sanded that again till smooth again.
When placed in the diorama none of this will be visible so there is no need to re-sculpt anything.The head is only on temporarily as gluing it down is one of the last things I do after painting.Because head positioning is so important to the mood I want to create, it is best left to last.He has sort of a neutral expression on his face which is what I want as though he is questioning himself "do I really want to finish this airplane."


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## bob8748

Simply amazing. I have to ask, what scale would 120mm be? I've been following your work. I cant wait to see him in all his glory!


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## JohnReid

The above pic color is the closest to the facade's real color as it sits indoors.The next sunny day I"ll take it outside and see how it looks.I have started to weather this panel using dark grey and black pastels .I have also used an old toothbrush and sprayed a little very thin coat of raw umber acrylic over the whole facade to give it an older look.


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## xddorox

I had the privilege to see John's Albatross dio at a model contest back in 2004. As great as the pictures are of John's work, in the "flesh" it is mind blowing. Glad to see you hard at work John.

Gerry


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## RLCarlos

That is one of the most incredible dioramas I've ever seen. Yourwork is fantastic.


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## VWPowered

blimey thats amazing


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Whats wrong with this pic?
Notice on the jig where it says "Front", now take a look at where the engine is placed in the fuselage.Now look where the leading edge is,then the trailing [email protected]#$#$$$$$^&*[email protected]# You guessed it the engine is on backwards.Wow what a stupid mistake!!!!!!!It is so easy to lose the big picture when you get too involved in the details.Somehow between Oct 19 and 21 I had a major brain fart of some kind and only discovered it today when I went back to work on the airplane.
Of course everything has been glued in place but luckily I think that the engine mount will be OK where it is, because if it was also involved I would pretty much have to start over again.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Thank goodness for "Uncure" and the fact that I didn't use epoxy!
The fix was easier than I thought that it would be and I am just happy I discovered it now and not after the wheels and other stuff were on.
This picture gives you an idea of where the major components should be when the flier is completed.(I better keep this pic near the workbench)
__________________


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## tohoboy

Incredible work!!!!!!!!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Fuselage/tail assembly.
I modified the jig by cutting off the bottom portion but still leaving the upper for protection for the wings.I then hot glue melted the wheels to a building board.(the glue is easily removed later by re-heating it).
The building board is exactly the width of the tail booms.I could have made a separate jig for the tail assembly but I thought that it would be more fun to build it like the original must have been done.
I know Curtiss used bamboo but others also used ash wood for these booms and spruce for the struts.I will use ash(basswood) for these due to the difficult of representing the growth rings on the bamboo which would hardly be seen at scale distance anyway.
The measurements I used for the tail assembly are from the Aeronautics publication May-June 1912,page 161.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I heard from the CAM yesterday and their renovations are to be finished in about a year from now. I probably have another year or so just to finish the Backyard Flyer so I will drop it for now and complete the Albatros,Neiuport and Jenny dioramas first.
The Neiuport is about 99% finished ,the Jenny about 90% and Albatros about the same except I have recently (today) added more to it.
A modeling bud of mine kindly gave me another Albatros that he was working on himself but has too many things on the go right now.I got it as a surprise Chistmas present and as you will see I am putting it to good use.


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## JohnReid

Now this should be lots of fun! I always wanted to do a junkyard.The question is though ,because it is a military airfield ,I don't think that junk would be allowed to lay around too long and that limits the amount of weathering I can do.Worn but not too rusty.No evidence of fire this time but an accident case just like the other.
This is a German aircrew training field and accidents were all too common in those days.I am dedicating this diorama to all the pilots and their instructors who never even made it to the front lines ,both German and Allied.


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## JohnReid

I visited a couple of local hobby stores yesterday and to my surprise I saw something amazing.Ten years ago, except for the amour guys ,hardly anyone knew about dioramas or even what they were.Not only most modelers but the arts community too!
Things are finally changing,they now have craft materials for kids, even under ten years old' labeled as "diorama kits".I am not just talking about the modeling section of the stores but in the childrens craft section as well.Sure,I know that this kind of craft thing has been around for a long time but I never have seen a kit designed especially for kids and labeled a diorama.
So what is the big deal?Well maybe sometime in the future makers of dioramas will not have to explain to 9 out of 10 people that they meet what kind of art they do.


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## JohnReid

The Model Elephant In The Room
When visiting my local hobby store the other day,I overheard a conversation that seems to be all too familiar these days.A local RR modeler had recently passed away and word finally reached the store about two weeks later.He was a regular visitor and buyer who had spent a good portion of his lifetime building a model RR layout.The store owner called the widow to express his condolences and mentioned to her something about helping her find a good home for his labor of love.She informed him that she had already thrown a lot of his stuff in the garbage and the rest her brother would sell on e-bay.
I hear about things like this all too often.For those who aren't familiar with the modern RR layouts,I can only describe the best of them as 3D works of art.Moving trains in a static setting never much appealed to me personally but when looked at as dioramas ,they are some of the best work I have seen.A lot of these RR types developed their artistic skills over time working on their huge layouts over many years.Their initial interest may have been in the moving train, which was the hook for their interest, but many of these guys became diorama artists in their own right.To see a lot of this stuff go in the garbage has always saddened me.
I wonder if some more thought was given to smaller layouts made in sections and not huge layouts that are difficult move and store, would it make better sense ? I don't know what kind of relationship the modeler in question had with his wife,maybe she considered it junk,I don't know but I am sure that there are families out there that would love to be able to keep some of uncle Joe's or grandpa Fred's stuff for future generations to admire.Whether we realize it or not we are living,in what I believe, is the golden age of modeling ,as we know it.Modelers should think about this because someday this stuff will be rare.If just a little thought were given to this during the construction of layouts then areas of the layout could be made into dioramas.I know a lot of you guys will say "who cares, I'll be dead" but a lot of craftsmen /artists I know, do care whether secretly or not.
You could plan for this by making your favorite areas of the layout into little dioramas of their own but with only a temporary role in the bigger layout.
You could have nice display cases made for your best work to be put into upon your move to a smaller home or after your departure for the "happy hunting ground." You could even take the route I did and approach museums with a gift of your work ,so that kids and the young at heart can enjoy it for many years to come.Cheers! John.


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## JohnReid

I think that this will be the basic composition that I will go with.The tipped wheelbarrow adds to the storyline by confirming that the junk pile is there only temporarily.It will now have to be glued and pinned down piece by piece.
A little more subtle weathering is now required.


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## bucwheat

Man ,that is some beautiful work.


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## JohnReid

Dioramas as a one frame movie!
"What we wanted to do at the beginning of all this,was to show what happens when you take human beings and put them through hell,then wonder how in the world they will approach life when they come home".

Steven Spielberg on his new piece The Pacific.

I was reading this in my newspaper this morning and it struck me how similar his idea for making a 10- part mini series on the war in the Pacific, and my idea for my latest diorama "Loss Of Innocence,Will it Ever Be The Same" are alike.(We must be reading each others mail.)
This is exactly what I have been writing about recently on the power of the storyboard diorama as a one frame movie.
A movie tells a story in all its thrilling detail and action,on a big screen with music,dialogue etc... a diorama does the same but with one frame.That is the magic and the challenge of the storyboard diorama reducing it all to one frame and still tell a powerful story.Sometimes the story is even more powerful in diorama form because it is left up to the viewer to connect the dots in his mind.A movie lays it all out for you ,a diorama requires a little more imagination on your viewers part.
This is why I believe storyboard dioramas are as much an "Art "as any of the other visual media.


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## bucwheat

The detail is 1st rate,where do you by the brick work from?


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## ToSte

what you do blows my mind


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## JohnReid

Due to the volume of work that I have at present ,I haven't been able to keep up to date all of the websites that I have opened.You can however find all my postings over on the first site I joined up at http://www.theaerodrome.com once on the site click "Forum" at the bottom of the pic,then click on "Models" under forum navigation,look for "How to........." at the top of the page.
Because of the number of sites that I post to I had to pick one to post everything to and I thought that the first one I started would be the most logical.I will still be posting to this thread but not quite as often as I did,hopefully things will calm down a bit in the near future.Some day I plan to condense everything down into a more readable version and post it on all the sites.I hope you guys understand. Cheers ! John.
You may also want to take a look at a new thread I started over there called Shadow Box Dioramas.


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## z_volt

I just saw this thread today. Its really an amazing work. Fantastic!


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## bob8748

Thanks John Reid! I checked out the site mentioned and joined. I have an avid interest in aircraft. I found your shadowboxes. Great work!!!
You are a true master of modeling!


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## JohnReid

Final Assembly
OK so this is where I am now.The dio looks like this except the airplane is finished and ready for installation, along with the Model T.The garage roof,and the fencing will be put back on during final assembly.
Now I have to break the diorama down into its separate modules and finish each one at a time in such a way that they will still will be able to be separated when the diorama is completely finished.This will make it much easier to transport as well as maintain at the museum.For lighting I plan on using LED's that will be easily accessible through the rear panel.
It will be awhile now before I see this all back together again !


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This will be Phase 1,the first part to be finished.I will have ready access to all the phases of the build as I go along.I planned it this way so I can use each phase as a photographic background for other diorama stories before I put it all back together to become the Backyard Flyer again.
I want to do a gangster series using models of old cars,figures etc...as well as some old classics.Should be fun!


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## butch101

so beautiful... and definitely inspiring !
very good work John!



Butch


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## JohnReid

butch101 said:


> so beautiful... and definitely inspiring !
> very good work John!
> 
> 
> 
> Butch


Thank you !:wave:


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Before I go much further I will have to decide about the eves trough (gutter) and downspout in the far corner,which will probably lead to a rainbarrell of some kind.
The next step will be to put a little of last years dead foliage along the boardwalk/facade.After some experimentation I decided to use an old bristle floor brush for this.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Up until this point nothing has been permanently installed,even the frame is held together with only removable screws.Well as they say in flying I have reached the point of no return and now I must start the final process,from here on in there is no going back.I keep procrastinating trying to think if there is something that I have overlooked completely. Believe me after looking at something for so long the obvious sometimes completely escapes me.If you guys see something that doesn't look right please advise me now.


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## louspal

Flawless!


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## bucwheat

Your work is amazing sir,I could look at it all day.


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## JohnReid

After pondering the overall color for the row house trim I decided on that good old standby neutral gray .I figured the landlord would be OK with their tenants painting their individual units trim different colors.This is a Victorian house in the middle of the city and gray to me would be low maintenance as well.From the art point of view, all of this is really just window dressing for the main subject ,the airplane and the returning airman's relationship to it ,so subtlety really is the name of the game when framing the subject.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/models/16792-how-build-aircraft-dioramas-265.html
How to crack paint !


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is actually an unintended but really cool effect.Using foamboard and watercolor paper has allowed for some pretty dramatic lighting effects.Notice the warm glow that the bricks take on is actually an effect of the interior lighting.You have to be careful to properly diffuse the light but when done properly I kinda like it .


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## JohnReid

WnW Multimedia Build ?
I wonder when we will see our first multimedia build ? wood and plastic together.
We are gettin close now with some wooden fuselage panels being done.But when will someone actually sit down and really do an open sided half plastic and half wood build ? Don't you think that it would be so much more interesting and challenging to do ? You would not have to spoil the look of the design of the airplane as from one side it looks like the finished thing ,while from the other it would be so much more interesting. When you think about it the way it is now one side is just basically a mirror image of the other.
Put it on a slowly rotating stand and I guarantee an instant hit with the viewers.
I know not everyone wants to show their stuff but for those that do I have seen this done at so many bird shows in the past,when it moves it just stands out from everything else no matter how well done.
There will come a time and it won't be long when we will have a lot of perfect (WnW) builds out there with little to separate one from the other.I have seen this happen in the bird carving world ,where there are actual differences in individual birds of a particular species.But everyone carves the perfect Mallard or whatever and then the judges have to pick between them.
Well a lot of the time it comes down to "well he one last year maybe this other guy should win this year,I don't know."
What I am trying to say is that at one time,and it is not far off,when it will become boring just having all these perfect little WnW builds around even if they have different paint schemes.This is where multimedia,dioramas,vignettes and scratch building comes into the picture.What I am trying to say I guess is the opportunity to really be creative will become narrower and narrower as the kits approach perfection,then where do we go from there?In the past a lot of the discussion has been around improving or modifying less than perfect kits and doing research.Now we are more centered on decals and paint schemes and having that perfect miniature representation as a stand alone model with all the really fun stuff to view all covered up.
You see I think that our hobby can be an living,breathing artform and as such we need to keep pushing the envelope to greater and greater heights.
What do you guys think ?


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The Wash Tub.
Now for a little change of pace.I find that standing for long periods finishing the roof is quite tiring on these old legs of mine so I will be doing two things at the same time,one standing up and the other sitting down.The roof and a wash tub.Actually it is an important part of this diorama as the washing hanging on the line adds a really interesting touch to the piece.
When building dioramas it is important to put your best effort into everything whether it is a shiny instrument panel or that nail in the wall behind the toilet in the WC.This is what really separates the men from the boys.Anyone can get really excited about something they really like to do but repetitive and sometimes boring work is also part of the game.


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## JohnReid

Shep Paine
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Rentsch View Post over on www.theaerodrome.com


Wow Shep Paine!, I haven't herd his name in a while.
What a master!
If he's your mentor you're in good hands.
What's he doing now?

Actually Shep until recently never knew that he was my mentor.He mentored me through his books as he has done for a lot of us.Thirty years ago when I saw his stuff I promised myself to do this one day.At the time I was building ship models so I turned my HMS Victory into a diorama,got busy with other art stuff and then returned to dioramas ten or so years ago.I had heard that Shep was tired of doing dioramas and that he wanted someone else to pick up the ball and run with it for awhile.I vowed to be part of his team to help do this so I started building aircraft dioramas and later to promote the building of them any way I could.I figured that the best way to do this was by using the modern means of the internet and thereby share with others with a series of "How to....." about learning how to do it.I did it in real time, step by step, so that others could share my learning experience and not be intimidated by just showing a finished product.Over the years I have posted this stuff to over fifty websites,more to some than others, with the Drome being my home base.
This past year was "Mission Accomplished" for me .Shep said he liked my stuff and he even gave me appraisals for donating them to the Canada Aviation Museum.Why do I know he really means what he says ? because he valued my stuff right up there with his when he was doing his best work and selling it on the market.
I wonder how many lives have been influenced by Shep Paine ? Thanks Shep.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/models/16792-how-build-aircraft-dioramas-274.html


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## JohnReid

For a complete " How to....."on building a stone wall,my style,please see the above website.

Please note:
Because I contribute to 32 modeling websites of all kinds I have had to pick one to post detailed "how to's...." to.This site happens to be the first site that I happened to contribute to back in 03 .It also has all of my content in one place which will be of great value to me someday when I hope to do an online (free) book about my methods which I will then post to all the websites that have so kindly supported me and my work up in the past.
Because of the type of work I do a lot of my stuff crosses over between different genres. I would ask that if on occasion that I make a mistake and post something on airplanes in a car or RR or ship site( or visa versa ) please be patient and I will try to correct it ASAP. But most of the time I am dealing with" modeling in general "that crosses all boundaries."

I am by no means an expert in anything I do, in fact a lot of the time this is a real time learning experience for me too.A good example of this is what I am posting right now,this is my very first stone wall in paperboard,so you get it direct mistakes and all. I think that the guys that follow my stuff appreciate it more like this .It would be impossible for me to do it like this and post very detail to 32 websites everyday.

Thank you for your patience and understanding ! Cheers! John.


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## bucwheat

Outstanding job as always.:thumbsup:


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I build two types of dioramas ones that physically exist in museums and ones that exist in pictures only.The second type is a lot like a film or stage play where you build and bring all the components together and record the images as they once existed in the composition.You still get to make all the parts ,scratch or otherwise ,which is really the most fun in model making,but it is really the composition of these parts that tell the story.In fact when finished I often like the pictures of the piece more than the actual model.It is a lot of fun playing with the lighting,camera angles etc...doing all the things that movie directors get to do but on a small scale.An added bonus is that you still get to keep your models and display them the way you want.One nice idea would be to display your model with pictures of it in its original diorama setting.


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## JohnReid

I have made up a series of pics on how to repair a crack when landscaping a vignette or diorama.They are pretty much self explanatory and can be found by clicking on the thumbnail.
If at any time you feel that there is something that you don't understand or the pics are not clear enough please feel free to stop me and ask any questions on the" how to..s" of diorama building.If I don't have the answer I will try to find it for you.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/non-wwi-aviation/53033-bleriot-peregrine-wip.html

A Temporary Detour !
The mayor portion of this build is now behind me(the creative ,fun stuff) and whats left of the summer weather is going fast so I plan to make a short detour into something different and work on my Peregrine/Bleriot sculpture for awhile.Finishing the Backyard Flyer will be reserved for the rainy days but I need some sun for awhile.
If anyone is interested this thread can be found temporarily at the above address.Basically it is a mix of woodcarving and modeling techniques.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Just for fun I put all 5 modules together to take a few forced perspective pics of various subjects. I enjoy playing around with the camera using the facade as a backdrop.None of the models depicted are finished they are here for composition purposes only.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The following is a great free online book for novice diorama builders.The author Ken Hamilton has kindly OK'd it to be published here.This book is now out of print.Thanks Ken.Cheers! John.


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## JohnReid

http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a2/mercman51/DIO Book/


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Meanwhile the leaf arrangement continues as it is still raining a lot here in my area of the GWN.

I originally thought that this would be a Spring scene but with all the leaves it looks more like Fall.Leaves that have spent the Winter under snow are more compacted come Springtime.I have noticed that just before the first snowfall gardeners tend to dig up the old flowers and vegy gardens so that would explain the bare ground.Some small bushes and the grass can stay quite green right up until the first snowfall.The only thing that I really need to change are the sprouting tulip bulbs.
This change of seasons will also give me much more room for decorating and weathering the whole scene with leaves on the roof and gutters etc.....

As far as the storyline is concerned,Spring was a nice statement about the renewal of life but Fall would work just as well as a story of the end of something.Those last few days before the first snowfall in Canada can be quite dramatic as it seems that nature just stands still for a moment in time waiting for the onslaught.
A walk in the forest at this time of year is an unforgettable experience here in the GWN.


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## willieace128

Incredible job-well done!


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## JohnReid

I recently read in the local newspaper that a large RR diorama (layout) here in Montreal is being forced to find a new home.The problem is there never was any plans made for this eventuality and there is no way to take it apart.
So another huge piece of modeling history will now end up in the garbage due to poor planning.
I see this often too on an individual level.Guys take a lifetime to build layouts that can't be moved and are just too big for most homes.Some of these are really little works of art that deserve a better fate. Someday they will probably be highly sought after by collectors ,hobbyists and museums ( after most have already been tossed in the garbage) as examples of our brief historical era of modeling will then be quite rare.
If you care about the fate of your stuff and I think most of us do,give a little thought about the future and do your stuff in modular sections or even a series of mini-dioramas that can easily be taken apart.I don't know how many times I have overheard the RR guys at the local hobby store talking about this very subject in very sad tones of too bad about this guys layout and what a shame about that guys layout when a little pre-planning may have made all the difference.Modules are really the modern way to go now if you care about the future of your stuff.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

willieace128 said:


> Incredible job-well done!


Thanks ! Cheers.John.


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## JohnReid

Sticking leaves to a flat surface where you don't want to use spray alcohol because of its effect on the acrylic paint has to be approached a little differently.
I use straight white glue put on with a small brush,sprinkle the leaves on and blow off any excess.Subsequent areas that require more leaves can be built up using an eyedropper for the alcohol and then the usual water/glue mix .
Take a look at the normal patterns in nature created by the wind and rain and vary your leaf patterns accordingly.


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## JohnReid

More on modules.
A few posts ago I mentioned something about building layouts and large dioramas using modules.
I was back in the same hobby store yesterday and made some more inquiries .Evidently,they had two scales on display there "N" (very small scale) and "H" (larger).Someone had the foresight to do the "N" scale in modules and they moved it out in a single morning.Unfortunately the "H" scale will have to be busted up.They are going to try to preserve portions of it if they can.
With all the modern electrical fixtures ,quick dis-connects etc... there should be no excuse for this in the future.With a little planning in the beginning this hassle could have been avoided .
On a more personal level I am sure that a lot of families would love to be spared the agony of putting Uncle Joe's or Grandpa Jim's layout in the garbage because it is just too big and difficult to move.A lot of these decisions have to be made quickly at a very bad time in people's lives and some very fine work and in some cases real artwork is lost forever.
Modules could be built as separate dioramas each with its own little story and complete scene that when put together makes for an even bigger story.
Take nice overall pics of the huge layout as it once was and then create a picture book for your each modular section that could go with it to its new home.Even museums could make a very nice display of your work and put it in context for the viewer without have to find space for the whole thing.
Maybe it is because I am going on 71 now and these things have become more important to me.We all get old some day and faster than you think,believe me.This may not be important to you now but maybe someday it will.Do your family a favor and plan ahead.
Someday layouts will be as rare as old baseball cards are today and probably just as valuable.Lets face it we are in the golden age of modeling when old farts like me are realizing their boyhood dreams and have the money to do so.What I could buy with my allowance as a kid is history now.Times change rapidly today and a lot of stuff competes for our attention and money.

Personally I don't do large layouts but I do large aircraft dioramas in modular form and donate them to Canada Aviation Museum.Even if there comes a time that that they no longer want them chances are the airplane models themselves will survive as historical examples or maybe in a future collectors home.I feel good to at least have given my stuff a survival plan.
Nothing is forever but humans have since ancient times loved models of all kinds and probably will continue to do so.Kids never change and future imaginations will thank you for it and so will the memories of future older folk too .


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## gomanvongo

I just finished reading through your posts. While I'm not an airplane guy, the beauty, level of detail and eye for the flaws in reality that make for perfection in a scale model leave my jaw on the floor! You are a true artist - this quality of work should be in the national gallery, not an airplane museum!

Thank you for giving this hobbiest the opportunity to follow along as you build, thank you for passing along your invaluable knowledge, and, as a Canadian, thank you for making arrangements to place these works somewhere they can be enjoyed and appreciated by all on a national scale.

My hat is off to you, Mr. Reid.

john


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## JohnReid

I have started a new thread over on The Aerodrome.com on building basic wood structures for dioramas.It is intended to be for modelers of all kinds who are not familiar with working with wood.
I will in the future also put it up here as well ,when I get all the bugs worked out.


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## JohnReid

gomanvongo said:


> I just finished reading through your posts. While I'm not an airplane guy, the beauty, level of detail and eye for the flaws in reality that make for perfection in a scale model leave my jaw on the floor! You are a true artist - this quality of work should be in the national gallery, not an airplane museum!
> 
> Thank you for giving this hobbiest the opportunity to follow along as you build, thank you for passing along your invaluable knowledge, and, as a Canadian, thank you for making arrangements to place these works somewhere they can be enjoyed and appreciated by all on a national scale.
> 
> My hat is off to you, Mr. Reid.
> 
> john


Well thank you for those kind words.You will never know how much that means to this old guy !:wave:


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## JohnReid

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/models/53240-basic-wood-structures-dioramas.html


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Before going off to war,I am sure that one of the last things that our young airman would do would be to secure down his airplane.I have gone over this in my mind and thought what would he have done to accomplish this task.Would he have put the whole thing under tarps to protect it from the elements or would he leave it open and hope for the best?
Ideally he would have stored the whole thing in the garage but then we wouldn't have nothing to look at would we.The other option would be that they knew that he was on his way home and as a surprise his family took the tarps off.I could show the tarps rolled up and put off to one side to suggest this scenario.
The ropes as shown in the pic are home made linen line from my shipbuilding days and is a little fuzzy.A little wax run over the surface should cure that problem.This fuzz could also be removed prior to installation by lightly running a flame over it.


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## Desslock

This thread just makes me happy. It's a joy reading your research and plans and then watching a real virtual world created, step by step. Such outstanding artistry.


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## beeblebrox

I keep coming back to this thread to feel insignificant and humbled. You do not disappoint. :thumbsup:


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

deleted


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## JohnReid

The following excerpt is from "The Road Not Taken" a poem by Robert Frost

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood,and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost.
Courtesy of WSP.


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## Jafo

way cool


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## loborex

*wow*

Truly phenomenal work sir.


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## JohnReid

loborex said:


> Truly phenomenal work sir.


Thank you ! I am glad that you enjoy it.:thumbsup:


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## JohnReid

Cart made from old Ford Model A truck bed.


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## JohnReid

Please note:

For anyone who was following my day by day posts over on theaerodrome.com please see the following site for a continuation of that thread.

http://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/modul...le=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=179956&page=2


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## JohnReid

When chipping away at the landscaping trying to dig a hole for the wheel/grass areas ,I came to realize just how strong this sand/glue or earth/ glue mix really is.
Anything that you would want to build for strength or that you would want to look like real cement ,such as sidewalks,cement blocks etc..this technique would be worthwhile experimenting with.
For example ,when making a cement block you would make a simple form,it could be wood or something else and then insulate the form and the cement from one another using wax paper or other water impervious material so the two will not be glued together and the block could later easily be removed.The properties and color etc..of your materials can be chosen to represent real thing.(Landscaping suppliers have lots of choices)Fancier molds could also be made for miniature statues etc..
Check your piece that you want to represent for color ,texture etc..(sand and real earth are available in different textures and colors) and then mix up a batch as follows.
It is a good idea to sterilize anything that you take from nature so heat it up in the oven or BBQ until hot to kill any possible critters laying about.The longer you heat it in a BBQ and depending on the temperature you heat it to, the sand/earth can be made to vary in color from natural to black.
Cool and then take your baked earth/sand and mix it with alcohol (75%) until it is the consistency that you require or you could pour the dry material into the mold and then use an eye dropper to apply the alcohol until it is thoroughly damp.Take another dispenser,(I use a small plastic squeeze bottle for this) and then drip by drip thoroughly wet down your sand/earth/alcohol mix until it is wet with another mix of 75% water and 25% white carpenters glue.This mix could also be colored using water based acrylics.Let dry,remove it from the form and you will have imitation cement.Have fun!


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## gomanvongo

JohnReid said:


> Anything that you would want to build for strength or that you would want to look like real cement ,such as sidewalks,cement blocks etc..this technique would be worthwhile experimenting with.


That's a great idea for all sorts of applications - I think I'll make some jersey wall forms and build some dividers for my slot car table - I don't think I've ever heard this idea before - just another great reason to keep coming back to your posts! 

I've used sand & glue / sand & earth to create landscape textures many times, but for some reason never thought about shapes with real structure - Now I've got a fun evening project!

Thanks again for inspiration and great ideas.

john


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

pic courtesy of Achime Engels.

100 years later,some things never change.:thumbsup:


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## JohnReid

Please note:

The title of this piece has been changed to better reflect the real storyline line.I now call it "The Road Taken".
The poem written by Robert Frost "The Road Not Taken." was the inspiration for this piece.It is an old story told many times before, in many different ways ,about how we make changes in our lives,sometimes on the spur of the moment,that continue to affect us way down the road .
Our young aviator ,in my diorama,is standing at the crossroads,the same crossroads that he stood upon years earlier.He is now reflecting upon how that decision he made way back then is affecting his life now and how it will continue to affect his life in the future.
The underlying theme here is one of loss,loss of the innocence of our young aviator but also the loss of innocence of aviation itself.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

At the end of one of his choices of roads to take, sits his homes garage.The sign could of been put up by his kids or his mom or even his dad.I wanted the sign to be really subtle as if someone took some glue and cardboard or paper and just pasted it there.I don't want it to be too obvious, more to catch the views eye on maybe the second pass over the scene.A kind of " Oh Look " moment.

Please note: the unusual shape of this garage door is because it used to have an arched doorway to a stable for horses.The addition of the later siding squared it off to unusual proportions.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

At the end of the other "Road Taken" lies a "Dead End" quite literally one of loss and destruction, represented here by the old burned out car and all the dead leaves.The sign represents the folly of misplaced patriotism by the public and the pressure that was put on the young to get involved in giving up their lives for nothing.
On a personal note : My view is that WW1 and most other wars are a waste of good lives on both sides. WW2 on the other hand was unfortunately necessary to rid humanity of a great evil.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Why Keep Posting ?
You may be asking yourself,why does he keep posting this stuff when there is so little active response to his posts?

Number one is, to fulfill a promise that I made to myself 12 years ago to spread the word about dioramas as far and as wide as I possibly could,simply because I love dioramas.

Number two is, how do I know anybody is tuning in ? well in only one year I have got almost a million hits on my photobucket site. Yes,I can't believe it either.Most are repeats but still a million hits is very encouraging to keep on going with this stuff.
On occasion someone will tell me how they have been following my stuff for a long time ,sometimes on another site.

Number three is the amount of hits that I get on some websites that I post to.You guys may not always respond but I know that you are following along.

I want to thank all you guys and gals who have supported me now and in the past.You will never know how much your support means to this old guy. Cheers ! John.:thumbsup:


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## JohnReid

A large scale diorama can be built for taking pictures of all types of models.They can be built expressly for that purpose or as in my case as a temporary backdrop before I ship it off.This backdrop was originally made for my airplane diorama "The Road Taken".The airplane has been temporary stored in my home and can be re-installed back in the diorama in as little as five minutes.Actually I have more fun taking pictures than the actual modeling and in some cases I like the pictures better than the model or diorama.Storyboarding using your own pictures is also a lot of fun too when using them in a picture book or album.In my case the storyboard albums will be for members of my family and friends because the real thing will be gone to a better home.
This thread is about ideas not a specific type or genre of modeling.Website owners please feel free to move it or delete it at your own discretion if you feel that it does not meet the standards of your site.I don't mind,honest !


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## JohnReid

Warning!! the next picture that you see may be disturbing to some viewers, yes it is a car. I used it here only for information purposes.Airplane,RR,figure guys etc...will just have to try to avoid looking at it ! Please let me explain.

The pic below depicts a car of course but it really could be anything.The point here is the backdrop and how it was used to create a little vignette within the larger diorama.
Here I have taken a 1/18th scale car and put it in a 1/16th scale diorama.By using camera angles,lighting,focus,forced perspective etc... I was able to create the illusion that it is all the same scale.
I deliberately selected a very shiny new car right out of the showroom for this example. Using proper lighting I was able to control any excessive shine which would otherwise only serve to make it look toy like.This is especially true of figures.You have to learn how to control the shine.Even in this picture it is still quite shiny but you should see it if I didn't play around with it a bit.
My technique is very simple, I just experiment and shoot lots of pics using different kinds of lighting.I have no professional equipment and I use a point and shoot camera.(In the old film days ,I wound be broke by now.)If you get 1 in 20 that looks good you will be lucky.Don't spend a lot of time and money on fancy equipment,you just don't need it.Most of my pics that I am taking now of an outdoor scene I just bounce the light off a white ceiling and use a hand held clip on light with a 60W bulb to produce shadows.Don't be afraid to keep moving the light around by hand until you get what your looking for.Sometimes an accidental shot will be the best of the bunch.
For my indoor shots in hangars etc.. I usually set up overhead lighting controlled by a rheostat especially when I am using figures to take advantage of the shadows that this produces, which is usually better than anything that I can paint on by hand.Simply underpaint only and play with the light to bring out the detail.In a controlled light setting this works very well.My figures for example look best indoors and in artificial light.Outdoors I have got to work a little harder but either way I am no Shep Paine with painting figures,that's for sure.

To make the scene look like it is all one scale there are a few things that can be played with.Camera angle is one.Low angle shots worked best in this case as it distorts the scale.Out of focus background also helps.Take shots that don't give it away.For example anything that is of readily known proportions like figures in the foreground or windows in the background must be used very carefully.In the above pic for example the fence can come in various sizes in real life but everyone knows the approximate size of a standard door or window from that era.

to be continued.......


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## JohnReid

pics above
Pic 1
-two guys standing in the door is an example of indoor overhead controlled lighting.Of course the painting could be better,especially the faces,but when viewed at a natural viewer distance in its protective case it looks just fine for my purposes.
Pic 2
-special lighting effects for photography can easily be set up.Here for example,the overhead hangar lights have been shut off and I simply shone a hand held light through the door and windows and moved it around to create interesting shadows.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The facade lighting is from the empty space in the back of the diorama that is normally covered with plywood.Here I am just just a 60w bulb to see if any light is still shining through the bricks after I painted the other side black.
The rooms with closed drapes or blinds with be painted various colors on the board in back.This should give each room a different color glow when lighted.The open windows will either be covered with wallpaper or painted ,with maybe a picture or clock hanging on the wall for added interest.I will have to experiment a bit here with the colors and the intensity of the light.
Would my dollhouse friends who follow my posts have some good ideas on this ?
Maybe using LED's ?


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## JohnReid

My next diorama is called "Once Upon A Time In The Movies" .It is my idea of how a movie set may have looked like back in the 1960's and is pure fantasy .It is a piece that I have dedicated to the great Italian film director Sergio Leone.The theme is old Western movie making based upon my favorite movie "Once Upon A Time In The West."
This diorama will be in 1/24 scale.I plan to have lots of fun with this one !I am presently building a locomotive as a movie prop based upon the old General model kit.Well here goes !


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## Parts Pit Mike

Hey John.. in response to an earlier post of yours I can assure you that there is indeed an audience for your posts even though there may not be a lot of responses. Very interesting all around.

:thumbsup:


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Here is a brief review of what I have done on this diorama prior to now.

The above illustration is of a typical movie set.

Of course everything starts with a little research on the subject that you are interested in.Pick a subject that is really personal to you,something that you love and not what others think you should love.If your heart is really in it that will see you through the rough periods and there always are a few of those along the way in any creative project.
Once you have a subject in mind the next step is the most important you will take.Research,research,research,get to know your subject really well.
The web ,libraries,museums books,magazines,films etc.. are good places to start. In my case with this project I have a huge advantage, I have the movie itself which I can stop and study frame by frame.
Other than for me personally, this diorama will be more instructive than emotional for the viewer.The last two dioramas that I have done were designed to involve the viewer emotional in the piece and send a message of some kind.This time it will be a more descriptive piece,how they used to make movies.
It is however emotional for me personally as I am a great fan of Sergio and have guided myself in the making of my dioramas the way he made movies,except mine are only one frame long.


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## JohnReid

First I made a 3D mockup of what I am planning.I like to use this for reference purposes as I find that it really helps to put everything in context.It is not written in stone though, nothing is with my style of modeling as I want the freedom to change things right up until the end of the project.This helps keep me interested too as I never know where it will end up.

Anything that I measure on the HO mockup I simply multiply by 3.625 for 1/24 scale.Speaking about scales I sometimes cheat a little and call it Artistic License.A good example of this is the locomotive kit I am using which is actually 1/25 scale in a 1/24 scale diorama but unless I told you ,you probably would not have noticed and you guys are much more familiar with scale than the general public would ever be.
My goal here is eventually find a good museum as a home for this diorama, because of its descriptive nature I want it to be seen by the public.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Sergio is the fellow with the hat and white shirt standing by the rear door next to the light.I don't know from which of his movies this pic comes from but it looks like one of his westerns that he was so famous for.
My closed set will be quite different as the diorama will depict an old abandoned movie set with no figures except for maybe a ghost or two.(every old western set needs one).

The HO train cars on the piece of round plywood is the basic design so far.The caboose with the cardboard roof will be the station from the opening scene of the movie.The locomotive will be pretty much as you see here except it will be a prop.
The green boxcar will actually be a closed set passenger car in the diorama.Somewhere in the scene I plan to put an old directors chair with Sergio written on the back.

Originally I was going to do this piece as a set from the film.I have since changed my mind actually I now plan to make it a long abandoned set from that era.I really enjoy making things look old and weathered (like me) and I think that it will add some emotion to the piece.Sergio died at 60 at the height of his artistic abilities and I want to honor that sense of loss of a man that still had so much more to give.


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## s.moe

TO..JohnReid....Dear Sir, Your work is truely Phenomenal,and museum quality work. Everyone SHOULD see it,so they can marvel in awe, as I did when I first viewed your pictures. Your attention down to the smallest detail is incredible!! From your brick work,ground cover,wooden shingles,rusty nail heads in boards,weathered & pealing paint, And thats just on the buildings.....I,Sir can't even begin to describe your talent,or even fathom, the amount of time and patience's, that you have put into your aircrafts....And I can truely see why you would donate them to the Canada Aviation Museum..Any Aviation Museum, for that matter would absolutely love to have them. My personall favorite is one of your first showings,,The wrecked Albatros in pieces, all piled up together in the hanger. I WISH I had only 1/10th of your Talent......PLEASE,KEEP POSTING PICTURES & THREADS, I've viewed and read everyone all the way back to your very first one...12-07-2008....OH, I also liked the posting of Robert Frost's poem....THANK YOU, SIR for all your hard work............s.moe...............out.


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## JohnReid

Well I guess that I might as pick up where I left off building the locomotive as a prop to be used in the movie set.You will remember that I am using "The General" kit as my starting point and I am now adapting it to look like a movie prop.There is lots of nice detail to work with here and it is an eye-saving 1/25 scale.
This is my first RR diorama and my first attempt at building a scale model locomotive so please if you see that I am going down a wrong path I would appreciate it if you more experienced builders would advise me.I have run electric(yes we had electricity way back then, LOL) trains on and off for 65 years now but never had this building opportunity before.
I can't remember exactly what my first train was but it was back in Toronto just after dad returned from overseas about 1945 .I do remember him saying though before one of his flights "Don't leave it plugged in too long you will burn out the transformer"Well he wasn't gone long and I proceeded to do just that.It became a push train after that.


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## JohnReid

s.moe said:


> TO..JohnReid....Dear Sir, Your work is truely Phenomenal,and museum quality work. Everyone SHOULD see it,so they can marvel in awe, as I did when I first viewed your pictures. Your attention down to the smallest detail is incredible!! From your brick work,ground cover,wooden shingles,rusty nail heads in boards,weathered & pealing paint, And thats just on the buildings.....I,Sir can't even begin to describe your talent,or even fathom, the amount of time and patience's, that you have put into your aircrafts....And I can truely see why you would donate them to the Canada Aviation Museum..Any Aviation Museum, for that matter would absolutely love to have them. My personall favorite is one of your first showings,,The wrecked Albatros in pieces, all piled up together in the hanger. I WISH I had only 1/10th of your Talent......PLEASE,KEEP POSTING PICTURES & THREADS, I've viewed and read everyone all the way back to your very first one...12-07-2008....OH, I also liked the posting of Robert Frost's poem....THANK YOU, SIR for all your hard work............s.moe...............out.


Thank you for your kind words,you will never know how much it means to this old guy !:wave:


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## rbrunne1

JohnReid said:


> Why Keep Posting ?
> You may be asking yourself,why does he keep posting this stuff when there is so little active response to his posts?


John,

I am in awe of your work and words cannot match its beauty :thumbsup:

Please keep posting to challenge and inspire us to improve our modeling skills 

Bob B.
Clifton Park, NY


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## BOXIE

fantastic job. When I first looked at your posting I thought I was looking at an actual photo.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Here is a pic of the great director himself in action on the set of Once upon a time......It is taken near the cab of a Spanish locomotive in Spain, by Angelo Novi Sergio's personal stills photographer.
My locomotive will be a little different and is actually closer to the real thing in design.I have chosen to build a fake locomotive and use it as a prop as was commonly done back in earlier times.My General will be a shell built of wood and tin and depicted sitting on a track waiting for the actors return which never came.
Although I don't believe it ever happened in this case, props were often built after the main movie was shot and used in re-takes.It was a lot less expensive this way.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I am just starting the interior sheathing of the forward cab wall using coffee stir stiks.This is a long procedure of cut and fit,cut and fit,filing around windows etc....These boards will be painted a weathered green .
I have continued to dull the brass using a very thin wash of raw umber either brushed on or sprayed using the old toothbrush method.
The exterior of the cab will be painted a weathered orange to look like a well faded red color and then worked over with pastels.This diorama represents a long abandoned movie set.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I have temporarily taped the cab together to make sure that it all fits together before doing the finishing.Now I will break it down again and finish each panel individually.What looks like green barnsiding in the next picture is my standard method of aging wood stir stiks that I have discussed many times before when building old hangars.The important thing to remember is not be too neat and tidy as you want to retain the human randomness element in this type of work for it to look natural.On the other hand,remember only man plants trees in rows.Play with it and above all have fun,don't be in a rush to finish .Treat each object you do as a individual model in itself.Every piece that you do deserves the same attention whether it is that board behind the toilet or the cab instruments or cockpit panel.The key here is consistency and pride in your work !
If you make a mistake, so what, 99% of your viewers will overlook any small errors if the story is good.


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## JohnReid




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## John P

I was gonna ask where you got the giant tape! :lol:

As the great-grandson of an ol' locomotive designer, I'm enjoying this one.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

John P said:


> I was gonna ask where you got the giant tape! :lol:
> 
> As the great-grandson of an ol' locomotive designer, I'm enjoying this one.


Hi John ! Glad you like it.:thumbsup:


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## JohnReid

I took a brass washer and worked it to the size of the pressure instrument face,blackened it and installed it with glue.I then installed the windows and their frames.
For the side windows I may just install windows on the real side only and leave the other prop side open for picture taking purposes.Sergio loved to frame his shots using doors and windows,I like to do the same so a clear open window option is a necessity.
As you can see working with extreme closeups has its limitations when using some of the lower quality models of yesteryear.Some of today's hi quality models, like Wing nut Wings for example,have much crisper detail and hold their realism well even in 1/32 scale.
Anyway it is what it is and I don't really have any choice right now and at a normal viewing distance it will look OK.If I had more experience building locomotives I would scratch build a lot of these details but for now this will have to do.I have a second General kit that I could use as a reference for scratchbuilding somewhere down the road.
Once the window frames are completely dry I will come back with some pastels to finish them.I am not completely happy with these frames right now so I think that I will add a small strip of wood inside for more realism.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Almost there ! The window frames could use a few rusty nails and maybe a little greenish patina for the brass.
The bottom left where the wall meets the plastic floor already has a nice wood grain effect so I will leave it as is and weather the floor with pastels.A small piece of wood trim should complete this area.It is a good idea to complete everything even things that you figure will not be seen in the finished diorama which is mostly the case at normal viewing distance but the camera has a way of picking up everything good and bad.I take a lot of closeups to check for errors or improvements that could be made to improve" the look " of the piece.My favorite look is old and weathered(like me)Stuff that has some history to it.

These kits are wonderful things for the modern diorama maker if you look at them as a good place to start your modeling of any subject.A lot of the hard stuff like research has already been done by the manufacturer so why re-invent the wheel? I check a few measurements in the beginning stages of any build just to see if they are within the ballpark to satisfy myself that it is a good subject for modification.Remember that I am not looking for 100% accuracy here but a good representation of a model to be used as a prop for my diorama.I look at all my work as props to help me tell an interesting story, which in turn gives me a lot of artistic freedom to do as I please.Once it is finished I lose complete interest and go on to the next thing,in fact I usually like the pics more than the diorama itself.
Well now back to the subject at hand.I will include a pic here of the kit built out of the box by the manufacturer for comparison purposes.There is nothing wrong with new and shiny or building out of the box it really all depends upon what satisfies you, all of us begin there and some just prefer to develop our own personal style of modeling later on down the road.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is slow going because when you add wood sheathing to the cab it changes all the measurements slightly which has to be anticipated and planned for otherwise you wouldn't get a nice tight fit when the cab walls are put together.
In this kit there are no windows provided for the large openings in the side of the cab which is really ok with me for picture taking purposes.I would like to make some removable ones however,does anyone have any good pics of these windows that I could use for reference ? I would like to do this before installing the seat backs.
If anyone sees any obvious mistakes in the cab please let me know before I close it up.Thanks ! if possible I will try to make the cab assembly completely removable.


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## mr-replica

What a great thread! I love new ideas. I discovered that "toys" can sometimes make great additions to dioramas, I recently completed an entire 1/24th-1/25th town using Fisher Price 'Sweet Streets' and 'Little People' buildings in the foreground with scratchbuilt background buildings. The approximate size of my town is 12 feet by 12 feet on one level, with smaller additions on three other levels (on 4X8 plywood shelfing I made). I have Lionel G scale trains running through two levels. 

The 'Sweet Streets' buildings required a LOT of detailing to transform them from mere childs toys into accurate 1/24th replicas, but came out so great. They have details built in, the major job was repainting to show the details and adding G scale people. Also, 'Sweet Streets' people are 1/24th scale and detailed properly, they look great with my models. However, I got carried away, I originally planned on a small layout diorama, with about 4 dozen people.

I ended up using an entire room and with over 300 'people', most from Walthers, but many repainted 'Sweet Streets' figures. I also bought custom designed mini-bumper stickers from bumperart.com for many of the stores. 

It's retro, with Montgomery Ward, etc, still in business, LOL.


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## JohnReid




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## mr-replica

Some additional ideas for 1/24th-1/25th dioramas, Fisher Price 'Sweet Streets' products also include boomboxes and TV's, these are exact 1/24th scale but need a steady hand to detail. 




mr-replica said:


> What a great thread! I love new ideas. I discovered that "toys" can sometimes make great additions to dioramas, I recently completed an entire 1/24th-1/25th town using Fisher Price 'Sweet Streets' and 'Little People' buildings in the foreground with scratchbuilt background buildings. The approximate size of my town is 12 feet by 12 feet on one level, with smaller additions on three other levels (on 4X8 plywood shelfing I made). I have Lionel G scale trains running through two levels.
> 
> The 'Sweet Streets' buildings required a LOT of detailing to transform them from mere childs toys into accurate 1/24th replicas, but came out so great. They have details built in, the major job was repainting to show the details and adding G scale people. Also, 'Sweet Streets' people are 1/24th scale and detailed properly, they look great with my models. However, I got carried away, I originally planned on a small layout diorama, with about 4 dozen people.
> 
> I ended up using an entire room and with over 300 'people', most from Walthers, but many repainted 'Sweet Streets' figures. I also bought custom designed mini-bumper stickers from bumperart.com for many of the stores.
> 
> It's retro, with Montgomery Ward, etc, still in business, LOL.


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## 81190

Amazing detail and work!


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## JohnReid

Chassis Assembly.
Well this looks like a nightmare to put together.Poor instructions,bad fitting of the parts etc..etc..I will have to build a jig to put it all together and keep it all square if there is any hope of having it fit properly to the body of the engine.
This kit was from an era when it was expected that modelers would find a way how to do it, far from the "fall together "kits of today.This will be a real challenge but lots of fun nonetheless.
First up will be to find a way to stabilize the main frames so that they can be joined together with the other components in between and then install the cross members to tie it all together.Glue alone will not do the trick here so metal pins will be required.
You know it makes me wonder how many of these kits actually got finished....


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## JohnReid

KISS ! ah yes the old Kiss principal was in front of me the whole time.Keeping it simple stupid, has always been the way to go when your in doubt.
This present diorama( which may be my swan song) will be much more focused than I originally intended.There is just something about an old steam train idling outside a RR station ,period.
This diorama will be just that,nothing fancy,no bells and whistles.The steam engine alone will bring it all to life,no need for figures and a lot of animation.What I may do however is add sound to the piece.
I got the idea from watching Sergio's "Once upon a time in the west" Actually it is from the special features section of the Collector's Edition.Just an engine idling at a RR station ,now how simple is that ! The thing is I could look and listen to it all day.
My diorama will be titled "Once upon a time a long,long time ago...." the way my grandmother always started her stories when she told them to me as a child.

But I do want this diorama to have something more about it.Yes,I will leave it as a movie prop as a testament to how illusion can be made to mimic reality for good or for bad.


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## JohnReid

Dskulec said:


> Amazing detail and work!


Thank you for your kind words,they mean a lot to this old guy !


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## JohnReid

This layout will be contained in a box,yes a locked cedar box and will be displayed only at Christmas or other special family occasions.It will be my gift to my family past,present and future.

Why so special ? Well it has been my experience that no matter how nice a layout/diorama is after a while it just becomes part of the furniture.Nobody really sees it anymore except guests or visitors.However, on the other hand ,only seeing something every once in a while will help bring fresh( if not new eyes) to an old piece.Also I don't want to encase it in a tomb like structure, even of glass, but I wish to have it open to natural light, but without the dust, for those who may want to take pictures.

As public as my other stuff will be this will be only for private family or personal viewing.Why do it this way ? Simply I would like something that I made survive for a while after I am gone to the "Happy Hunting Ground" as a gift to my children and the young at heart.I have heard to many stories about how Grandpa Fred's or Uncle Phil's layout ended up in the garbage shortly after his death.Too big,no room,tired of looking at it sit there gathering dust etc..etc..

I know you say nothing survives forever ! No one knows that better than I and besides when I am gone who really gives a *** ? I surely won't ! but you know somehow I do and I don't mind admitting it.Ego you say ?well artists usually do have some of that it is true,Why else would we do what we do ?


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Here is what I am planning so far.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Such a simple solution I don't know why I never thought of it before.A RR station has been built over a coach sitting on a sideline track (spur line?)using whatever materials happened to be at hand.Why ? who knows !, but that is not what is important to our story.
To say the least the station is very crudely built of old weathered siding with RR ties for a platform.It could have been built on one of Hollywood's backlots expressly for this purpose or it could have been just a found location.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I was wondering has anyone here had a problem with allergies and super glue ? I have had some problems in the past with the fumes but lately it seems to be getting worse.I am very careful about exiting the fumes outdoors but just handling the stuff now seems to be a problem and of course there is always some fume residue lurking around.I have been using it for years but lately the symptoms seem to be getting more troublesome with even some skin reactions involved.Filters and masks don't work either.

I love my hobby but I don't want to croak because of it.

Is there a good substitute for ca ? something that sets up quickly but is not too toxic ?


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## JohnReid

You know this is actually a great little kit but it did test my patience at times.Most of the problems are with the instructions and the hard to read identification #'s of the parts on their sprues.In a kit of this size and complexity I wonder how many ever actually got finished.I know mine had been started years ago by someone else and I picked it up for the price of the postage.If the manufacturers had put a little more money into the actual kit and less in marketing a nice box ,it would have been money well spent.It makes me wonder how many potential modelers have lost their interest in building due to this problem.I know that if I hadn't of had lots of prior experience mine would probably be still in the box in the cupboard too.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I have been fooling around a bit with the camera trying to find interesting angles for future shots.This layout/diorama has a lot of possibilities for telling various stories about the old west.I would especially like to see how close I can come to re-creating scenes from the movie "Once upon a time in the west".I have the movie and I am able to review it frame by frame and thereby learn first hand how Sergio created some of his work.He had a wonderful eye for composition and detail and was a perfectionist in his work.I can feel his influence there with me whenever I am looking through the eye of the camera.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Sergio Leone was famous for framing his shots using doors and windows either from the outside looking in or like in this shot, the inside looking out.It is a great technique for compositional purposes and one that I use often in my own work.


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## John P

I didn't know you COULD be allergic to superglue! Wasn't it originally designed as a "liquid bandage" to seal wounds?


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## Jafo

Yes John, but now there are several formulas on the market and some are far superior to others depending on the application.


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## JohnReid

deleted


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## JohnReid

Realistic side !


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## JohnReid

Movie set side !


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## JohnReid

In the opening scene the train is going in the other direction but I had to compromise a bit if I want to show the locomotives best (realistic) side.From this view all will look normal but from the other side it will all be movie set.The work that I am doing now on the mock up side of the locomotive will hardly be seen at all in the final version as it will be mostly in front of the station. In the area between the front of the locomotive and the front right hand side of the station will sit Sergio's empty directors chair with his name on the back.Morton's deluxe car in the back will be modified into another movie set somewhat like the station was but will look normal from this viewpoint.On the backside of the station wall I will put up a double sided screen of a view of Monument Valley that will be viewable from both the single front window of the station and Morton's car.Claudia's arrival set will be on the backside end of Morton's car.
I never like to put anything square to the base so the final setup will be at an angle yet to be determined.


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## JohnReid

From this angle it will be all movie set.The unfinished Bachmann car will be gutted in the mid section.The last two windows and stairs will be retained as will the last 3-4 windows between the cars as that will be where the double sided Monument Valley screen will go.As I noted before the gutted locomotive will hardly even be seen at all but the tender will be another story.This is an abandoned lot so an old poster from the movie could go on the side and of course wood will be piled on top.
I prefer this staggered look rather than the round idea for a layout/diorama at this scale and yet it remains interesting for the viewer when viewed from any angle.The whole purpose of this layout/diorama is educational for kids to know how old movies were made before the modern era of animation etc...When finished I will probably offer it to a museum of science and technology for display purposes.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

You know I think that this would make a great model either as a entertainment park scene or a dummy locomotive.Model trains pass many structures on their journeys ,a movie set is just one of those structures that can be depicted in scale.

I have heard that this kit is subject to warping.This is probably true if left out in the sun on hot tracks,sand,pavement etc....I have tested the plastic myself and it is no more subject to this problem than any other plastic that I have worked with.And yes there are options,one of those being to support the structure before assembly.I think that I would try coating the interior of the larger pieces with exopy,fiberglass or some other warp resistant material.Where the plastic touches hot metal like tracks make a section of the wheels in wood which is a great insulator.

For indoor setting I don't see a problem at all unless you were to put it next to a wood stove or other high heat generating source.When I do my 2nd General I will experiment with this a little further.

As far as availability is concerned just do some networking.I am sure that there are lots of Generals sitting in closets waiting to be built.I got the one that I am working on now for the price of the postage.It was partially started (a small bit of the tender) but no harm was done and the parts were still all there.I have also seen many sell on ebay for less than 50 bucks,new and in the plastic packages.

Personally if I was to do a G scale layout I would do it with a movie making theme of which the General would be just one of the structures that I pass along the way.I would do it as a "out of season" amusement park thus avoiding anything that would move other than the train .Having to make or modify all those figures would also be quite unnecessary.

Sounds like fun doesn't it ?

Once Upon a time.........dioramas by JohnReid


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

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.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is all way too crowded together but it gives you guys an idea about how the final composition will look.


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## JohnReid

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.


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## JohnReid

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.


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## JohnReid

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.


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## JohnReid

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.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

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.


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## JohnReid




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## BOXIE

Damn John you do some very fine work!


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## JohnReid

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 ?


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## Jafo

Finally! someone actually Building something!


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## JohnReid

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.


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