How I Build Dioramas in 1/16th.

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JohnReid

Guest
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

Guest
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

Guest
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

Guest
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

Guest
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

Guest
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

Guest
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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