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

[spanner570]

Andy, just get yourself a Pizza over the w/end (make sure it's got a polystyrene base!) Eat the pizza then just get a piece of paper and draw a house...now't elaborate. Mark the pizza base out, cut and glue....Just have a play.

Colin, I just couldn't face doing individual tiles, especially one seventy tooths!

Andrew, sorry mate, it's copywrited.....However for a small fee....shall we say for a 4 pack of Boddingtons, I'll let you copy the method.

Ron

[Guest]

Colin, I just couldn't face doing individual tiles, especially one seventy tooths!

Ooooooh didn't notice it was in diddy scale mate ..... i'll agree there .... individual tiles would be a tad fiddly eh

[mossiepilot]

These pizza base houses of yours are great Ron.

A quick question if I may, you say the houses are painted with childrens watercolours, are these the pound shop jobbies or art shop powder/squeezy tube paints.

Can't wait to see the finished dio. I'll just sit at the back and keep quiet.

Tony.

[spanner570]

Colin, I use this method for 1/35 too...I don't think I could even cope with this size individual tile, so top marks to you, my son!

Tony, thanks for the compliment. I use pound shop type squeezy tubes....I found the diddy pallet type too insipid and wouldn't cover properly.......

By the way, we don't do 'Quiet' on here, do we boys? The more comments the merrier, let's all join in the fun!

Ron

[mossiepilot]

Thanks for that Ron, I'd tried both the hard block stuff and the water colours that come in the little pots with poor results, so I wondered what you were using. I'll look out for them on future forays.

Cheers,

Tony.

Quiet, sorry meant to say will watch and admire.:respect4: and pick up some tips along the way.

[spanner570]

O.k., I've finally got some sense into the layout. I have decided the initial plan was too big, so I made a couple more houses (just the rough outlines for now) and after juggling everything around like a demented chess player, I've arrived at this more compact version......

You can see the course of the canal going through the middle. I have raised one half of the terrain to accomodate the canal lock. I intend to hack away the polystyrene below the bottom lock gate and under the bridge, this will form the lower canal bank. It will also give me a nice tall lock gate by the bridge. I will glue a piece of 4mm plywood over all the underside to stiffen the poly and also give me a canal bottom below the lock.

The lock will be modelled full of water, thus avoiding modelling lots of exposed stone work....Good thinking Batman!!

The road, bottom corner, coming up and then left over the bridge, is where the Americans will be coming.

Here are the pictures of the layout. I'm happy with this, but as fresh ideas come along anything can happen.....and usually does!

As this canal and bridge modelling lark is new to me, any suggestions / ideas are more than welcome.

Ron

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[spanner570]

Thanks for that Ron, I'd tried both the hard block stuff and the water colours that come in the little pots with poor results, so I wondered what you were using. I'll look out for them on future forays.Cheers,

Tony.

Quiet, sorry meant to say will watch and admire.:respect4: and pick up some tips along the way.

Nice one Tony, as an add on to your paint question. As I brush paint only, initially I used some of my Vallejo Model colour paints, these were great, providing a good key for the children's paints, but I thought there must be a cheaper alternative, so I tried the 'tubes'. These are as good as Vallejo for purpose, and a darn sight cheaper too!

Thinking about it, you spray paint, so why not use your A.B. for the initial coat and then children's stuff thereafter?

Ron

[mossiepilot]

Thank Ron, but I'm a hairy sticker, the only spraying I do comes out of cans in the form of primer.

Tony.

[Ian M]

Whoa! that roof is well good Ron.

I can see that I am missing out on quite a lot making my own pizza's!!!

I can't really help with the canal bride question, but I think it sounds like you and the current misses Ron, will be taking a walk along some tow paths in the near future, you must have a few over there.

Looking forward to the next episode.

Ian M

[Andy2035]

As this canal and bridge lark is new to me, any suggestions / ideas are more than welcome.Ron

You could take a look over at the Llangollen canal, plus would make a nice day out, or even the one over by the M56...

[spanner570]

Thanks for the posts boys, I appreciate the suggestions.

Ron

[Guest]

but I thought there must be a cheaper alternative, so I tried the 'tubes'. These are as good as Vallejo for purpose, and a darn sight cheaper too!

If you have a "HomeBargains" nearby then try this stuff ... it's Colvin & co acrylic .... quid a tube

They have red, yellow, blue, green, brown and white (to give them their normal names)

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If you already use this stuff then ignore the above and reply with "shut up Colin and gerroff my thread"

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[spanner570]

That's interesting Colin, I have a local Home Bargains, I'll get a tube and try it out..........If it's useless, and you know that I know where you live (sort of), I will travel the 200 odd miles up the M6 ect, with the tube, and not only show you what I think of the paint, but ban you from further interruptions on my thread, gorr'it!!!!!!!!!!!

Now then, now then, guys and gals, I've glued the base plywood to the poly, and the navvies have been and dug out the 'Cut' for me. See how I have achieved the lock step, I will place a piece of summat in the lock to bring the water up close to the top, as in real life. Also it has given me the extra height for the tall lock gate I needed.

We can see the basic layout better now, and get a better idea of where the bridge is going to be.

As this is just the first tentative step in the shaping of the thing, I have left plenty of scope for trimming if required......Remember the old addage, "It's easier to cut things off than put them back!"

Here are a couple of pictures of the excavation and I hope you approve thus far, 'cos I'm getting a bit of a buzz on now!

Cheers,

Ron

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[Guest]

B****y excellent work Ron can I be your apprentice : ) maybe you and Colin could build me an extension of course it would have to be in BIGGER scale lol.

Robert

[Guest]

Looking good so far, i think the levels for the lock should look about right when it's got "water" in it.

You say this is in seventy toofs scale, are you having figures or just vehicles??

As for the trip up here if the paints crap ..... kettles on and i might even make some sarnies if i can still walk (just thinking the worst on where you're going to shove it)