JohnReid Posted 30 June , 2008 Author Share Posted 30 June , 2008 This is Stephen's diorama on the subject.I plan to do mine much the same but rather than being a recent wreck mine will have spent some time outside getting nicely rusty and weathered.I will probably put some kind of a makeshift sled under the engine to make it look like it was dragged off the field as is and just left to be stripped of parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 2 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 2 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 2 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 2 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 4 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 4 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 7 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 7 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 7 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 7 July , 2008 "THE ACES WHO NEVER WERE" I have been looking for a good storyline for this diorama.Something a little beyond two guys looking on while another wipes down the engine. This diorama will represent a training unit situated well behind the front lines.It is dedicated to all those fledgling pilots and their flying instructors ,on both sides of the line,who never actually made it into combat and especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice while learning how to fly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 7 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 7 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 7 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 7 July , 2008 No surface in nature is completely level not even airfields.I am spreading sand around here and there to help make it look more natural.I then sprayed on some alcohol using a fine sprayer (in order to break up any surface tension and let the glue mix sink in)Take a water dispenser and then drop by drop apply a glue/water mix of 25/75%.Let this dry overnight.You can re-work this until you are happy adding layer upon layer as you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 8 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 8 July , 2008 Harley's new role! I am thinking of taking Harley the dog(or fur-person as I like to call them)out of the office in the Jenny diorama, where he can hardly be seen, and give him a staring role as Fritz who lost his master in the accident.A lot of pilots,especially German fighter pilots kept dogs as their personal companions in a situation where bonding with you fellow pilots was difficult due to the high mortality rate.I plan to have him sort of behind the hangar door looking at the wreckage of his masters airplane.For those who do not know of this special relationship it will just be another dog but to those who do it will sent a strong message.I don't think Harley will mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 9 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 9 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 9 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 9 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 10 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 10 July , 2008 Meanwhile back at the Jenny hangar. It looks like Commanche has pretty much drained all the water from this tub! I didn't have much choice here as his head is so low to the ground.I put a little debris on the bottom and sealed it with little glue/water mix,then dried it with a hair dryer and covered it with a little gloss medium to make it look wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 10 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 10 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 10 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 10 July , 2008 The final positioning of Fritz will depend upon what looks best when the wrecked airplane is finished.The Albatros is broken at the cockpit seat area with the pilots seat belts hanging out.Having Fritz looking directly at this area may help in understanding the storyline for the average viewer.These little things can be so helpful in getting your story across ,which is after all the whole point in doing a diorama.It is sometimes quite difficult to find the balance between subtlety and the obvious.Too obvious and the whole thing looks contrived ,too subtle and the viewer misses the point.Usually subtlety is the way to go as the impact on the viewer is greater once it is discovered.In this case a lot depends upon the knowledge of the viewer,WW1 fans will get it right away but then again the relationship between dog and man is well known to the general viewer.Anyway I still have a while to think about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 10 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 10 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 10 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 10 July , 2008 I spread the sand on slowly using the green topped toothpick dispenser with large size holes in the top.The middle one is used for the spraying on of the 70% alcohol in a fine mist.This one was originally used for eyeglasses.The yellow bottle on the left contains the 25/75, glue/water mix ,it is a squeeze bottle that allows for drip-by-drip application. You can see by the edge just how soaked the sand gets but when dry it is like cement.This is why I am so careful about sealing the raw plywood with 2-3 coats of lacquer especially the edges.To be on the safe side the panels can be clamped down while drying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 11 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 11 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 11 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 11 July , 2008 Pinching dirt! This may sound a bit extreme but I find that the best way to apply the dirt over the sand is to pinch it on bit by bit.It leaves a nice natural wavy surface that you can't get any other way but it does take time. I do about a 4X4 inch square at a time.I pinch on the dirt in a uneven coat,apply the glue/water mix and immediately apply a second coat of dirt until it soaks up all of the moisture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 12 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 12 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 13 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 13 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 13 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 13 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 13 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 13 July , 2008 Interesting question In the pic above of an Albatros accident victim,I find it quite strange that the fabric would burn off of the wings and not set fire to the wood ribs. Would it be because the fabric burned off so fast that the wood didn't have chance to be ignited. Was the wood subjected to a flame retardant or preservative of some kind that did not so easily ignite as dope and linen? This could be something that I could incorporate into my wreck that would allow me to show some of the structure even if it was a little fire damaged. Did they have some kind of fire fighting equipment that they may have used to spray the aircraft during the initial stages of the fire which would account for the wings not burning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 14 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 14 July , 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 16 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 16 July , 2008 A modeling bud wrote: John: The reason that the fabric burned so fast was that it was finished with a celulosenitrate dope that flashed off very quickly. I know from personal experience just how quickly these old finishes are consumed when the Tiger Moth that I was flying caught fire after an accident. The wood structures were finished with a varnish that contained a high percentage of lindseed oil used to help preserve the wood. I've been following your build and enjoying every bit of it. Keep[ up the good work Barney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnReid Posted 17 July , 2008 Author Share Posted 17 July , 2008 Dirt is dirt,right? Wrong! It is amazing just how many varieties of dirt that I have found just in my backyard.Different textures ,colors etc... I have found that fine crushed gravel that has mixed with topsoil about some of the best for 1/16th scale work.This happened naturally in my case as the crushed gravel has been there awhile and naturally mixed with the dirt.You could use fresh fine crushed gravel sifted through an ordinary metal household sieve and then mixed with a sandy soil to achieve about the same thing.The idea is to get a natural looking rock-soil mix that you would find in nature in 1/16th scale.For other scales you would need to use a finer sieve or a courser type sand to simulate small stones an pebbles. I have collected a few different varieties of soil and two types of sand both sieved and non sieved. I heat it up in my microwave to kill any lingering critters (while my wife is out of course)about 12 mins on high should do.I tried the BBQ a few times but it tends to blacken it too much.You will just have to experiment with the soil and sand in your area.Also keep in mind the environment that you are trying to represent,desert,tropical etc.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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