Steady, wait 'til he's right on the bridge!" A 1/72 diorama

[spanner570]

Colin, I know I can confide in you, so don't tell anyone, but the last time I was given that 'Impressed look' was on my wedding night...........It hides under my belly these days!!!

Good suggestion re. the matches....Goodbye finger tips me thinks....I'll give it a whirl and see what happens.

Tony, glad you like it so far and thanks for posting.....If you were a fly on my den wall right now, building skills would be the last thought on your mind!

Cheers,

Ron

[Andy2035]

Considering you where saying that you have never built a bridge before I think you've mastered it with the first go Sir...:no1b:

[spanner570]

Thanks Andy, it truly is my first go. You wrote earlier you fancied having a go at this sort of stuff, so come on, go for it....Now't to loose, loads to gain!!

Here's an update chaps. All loosely fitted.

I've made the lock walls out of styrene and put in the higher lock water using a bit of plywood. I've kept the level to around a scale 3ft. below the lip.

To get the stone work, I marked out the wall with a pencil and then went over this lightly with my knife. Then with a wooden stirrer I pressed the stuff in here and there to break up the smoothness of the walls. Then applied a base coat. I found with using the pencil, the paint somehow mixes with the graphite and shows up the stone work really nicely. I've also first coated the bridge.

Here's a tip I found out by accident, again!...I wanted to round the top of the stone work and tried sand paper but it wouldn't work properly. So I left it and applied the paint. When I tried a second time the paint had made the styrene hard, so sanding was now easy!

Loads more weathering to do yet....

I've also included a picture of my 'happy accident' with the arch. Now paint has been added, it can be seen more clearly how the cracks magically appeared as I folded the card!

Cheers,

Ron

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[yak face]

That is one beautiful bridge matey , (i never thought id hear myself say that!!) i cant wait to see the lock take shape , cheers tony

[spanner570]

Thanks Tony, glad you like it!

"Thats a beautiful bridge."

Last time I heard that statement was when Odd Ball in Kelly's Heroes was blimping a bridge just prior to it being destroyed by allied aircraft.....

I've made a start on the lock gates today, so I'll post summat soon....

Cheers mate,

Ron

[saguy]

hi there Ron ... just a question about building to scale .... do u use the size of figures as a guide when contructing the bridge, stairs and other buildings that u r contructing or do u use a more scientific technique ...it is coming on a real treat ....kind rgds

lindsey

[spanner570]

Thanks for the nice comments Lindsey.

To answer your question, I use a 1/72 figure layed down on a piece of paper and take it from there and if the proportions of the building, whatever, look o.k. then I'm happy.......

As the old saying goes....'If it looks right, it is right'. I find this usually works, but not always.The waste paper bin bears testamony to that!

Any movement on your street dio. yet? I'm looking forward to you starting it. Should be a good one.

Cheers,

Ron

[spanner570]

The reception committee...........

A nice little kit from Italeri. Two guns with crews in one box.

Cheers,

Ron

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[spanner570]

Here's the latest update boys...

I've had a go at the lock gates.

I had intended to use balsa, but the grain would have been too 'big' and out of scale, so, after a bit of scribbling and using a paper template, I cut the gates out of a single piece of styrene. Then I stroked the stuff with a wire brush, this gave me the correct scale wood grain. Also, once painted and weathered they look really old, dinted and neglected....which is what I want. The two half gates are for the open end of the lock, so luckily, I only had to make diddy one's for there....

I tried Colin's suggestion of using cut down matches for the gate boards, but just couldn't cut them right, so I used a piece of thin plastic card, scribed the boards and again used a wire brush to mark the grain. you will see that very little is seen of these anyway! (I'll put this method in the 'How to.' soon)

The metal lower lock gate 'Bump boards' are again made of thin card and 'rustified'

I've tried to paint the gates as I imagined they would have looked after years of neglect.

Here are pictures of the lock gates and the initial loose fitting. Still plenty to do...the gates mechanism and darken the stonework ect., but it's all starting to take shape and luckily, the ideas are flowing too!....

All comments and or suggestions are as usual, always welcome.

Please don't ask why there's an American airman standing by the lock....I don't know either!!

Cheers,

Ron

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[yak face]

Looks the business to me matey, cheers tony

[mossiepilot]

It's really starting to come together now Ron.

Tony.

[Guest]

Nice work on the bridge Ron, looking the business.

Robert

[spanner570]

Thanks for the posts boys, I appreciate your comments.

I've had a look at the thread and realise I've been prattling on a bit too much and it's a bit 'photo heavy', so I will cut down on both.

I have pushed on a bit since the last update. I've finished the bridge and the lock walls, added some tile adhesive here and there to fill in any holes and the lead up to the bridge, then I applied the road surface using diluted PVA and the usual sweepings from the garage / drive floor sprinkled over. Finally, given the base a quick, rough coat of green shed paint......

Any questions or suggestions, please post them and thanks for looking.

Cheers all,

Ron

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[Andy2035]

Thanks Andy, it truly is my first go. You wrote earlier you fancied having a go at this sort of stuff, so come on, go for it....Now't to loose, loads to gain!!

I have a great imagination, however, sadly I lack everything else that is needed...

Thanks for the posts boys, I appreciate your comments.I've had a look at the thread and realise I've been prattling on a bit too much and it's a bit 'photo heavy', so I will cut down on both.

Cheers all,

Ron

Please DON'T, I love seeing the photos and reading how/what etc that you've done, more is better...:cheeseygrin:

P.S... I love how you have taken these latest photos, if you didn't know it was a model you'd swear it was a real canal bridge...:score:

[geegad]

looks like the bridge over the cut near me cracking work as always ron....