Somewhere in Russia .... Finished

[Gern]

Made a start on the dio for those 1/100 kits I've been working on for the last few weeks. Very crude and basic so far, but I'm happy with the layout so far. Lots more filling/sanding etc. to do before I'm ready for paint and scenic stuff.

The bridge railings are from a Faller HO kit. A bit tall for 15mm but I can live with them.

I've included a 12" (300mm in new money) rule for scale but overall the base is 24"x24" (600mmx600mm).

 

[yak face]

Great start Dave , that meringue looks delicious
what ? This isn’t going to be a birthday cake !?

 

[Gern]

Great start Dave , that meringue looks delicious
what ? This isn’t going to be a birthday cake !?

It's not actually meringue Tony, although you did get the nationality right - it's French.

 

[yak face]

It's not actually meringue Tony, although you did get the nationality right - it's French.

Touché

 

[Steven000]

Nice start Dave!
Steven

 

[john i am]

Looking good Dave one to watch

 

[Mini Me]

Watching closely....

 

[Gern]

I'm thinking of something like this, although this is just a trial layout to see how the buildings might look - only the position of the bridge and roads are fixed at the moment, and I'm undecided about the dirt/log barricade on the road. There will be trees on the hillside and LOTS of bushes/green stuff.



I have both German and Russian vehicles and figures so the scenario will be the defence of the bridge. Not decided yet who will defend or attack although it looks favourite for the Russians to be the defenders. With undamaged buildings, clearly the attack has not yet begun - or has it?

One thing I could use a little advice with. The roads are cut from Foamex which is a PVC board. Problem is, PVA doesn't work so well as an adhesive.

I've had a look around on the web and so far the only glues I've seen that work are CA, hot glue and the stuff used to join PVC plumbing pipes. I'd have problems applying either the CA or hotglue on such large pieces as both would be likely to start setting before I finish applying it. I know the solvent used for pipes would work on the Foamex but I suspect it would melt the insulation board I've used for the base.

I tried UHU general purpose glue on my bridge which originally had plastic beams, but it didn't stick to the plastic - which is basically the same as the Foamex. The only alternative I can think of is two-part Gorilla epoxy which I have. Does anyone have any alternative suggestions?

 

[Tim Marlow]

Not sure about the properties of the insulation board, but would silicone sealant (the clear stuff used by plumbers) work? Another option is a no more nails Type adhesive. Builders seem to stick whole houses together with that!

 

[Deleted member 7181]

A grab adhesive sounds like a good call.

I've used Screwfix's No Nonsense stuff a lot, and it's stuck everything I've tried it on, including expanded polystyrene. They do a solvent free version (the one I use) which specifically mentions being suitable for PVC.

 

[yak face]

Not sure about the properties of the insulation board, but would silicone sealant (the clear stuff used by plumbers) work? Another option is a no more nails Type adhesive. Builders seem to stick whole houses together with that!

I think Tims hit the ( now redundant) nail on the head there . I recently got some no more nails type stuff from Home Bargains and i reckon it would be perfect for this . It isn’t solvent based , clean up is done with water while still wet but once it dries it gives a very strong bond . Maybe worth a try Dave ? Btw it was about £1.99 I think .

 

[Gern]

I'm sure I have a tube of No More Nails somewhere around - I'll give that a try. Thanks guys.

Meanwhile, I've painted the road surface using Rustoleum textured spray paint in Aged Iron colour. It's absolutely perfect for tarmac although it's a bit shiny. A matt varnish will sort that. Since these are rural roads, the edges aren't nicely even and level with kerbstones. I've used some 50mm masking tape and sliced off thin, uneven strips from both sides. There will be raised edges along the roadsides and this should give a nice ragged appearance. Now to fix them to the base ....

 

[Gern]

No More Nails worked nicely on the Foamex boards so thanks for that guys. Started to get some colour down. Not finished yet but I couldn't resist having a look at what I might end up with. Happy so far.

 

[Gern]

I gotta tell you, that Rustoleum paint is TOUGH! Being pig ignorant about such things, the mastic I used to build up the edges of the roads turned out to be the stuff that doesn't harden so I had to fetch it off. I wasn't worried about any possible damage to the foam base as that's easily repaired, but I didn't fancy the idea of having to mask everything to re-do the road surface.

Turns out I needn't have worried. I pulled most of it off with my fingers and fetched off the remaining bits using the edge of a wire brush. The road surface turned a slightly lighter grey, but that was the total extent of the damage. I can cause paint to fall off my models just by giving it a hard stare, so for this stuff to withstand some hard scrubbing with a brush was quite miraculous.

Anyway, I replaced the mastic with some Hard as Nails and splodged on a bit of paint. I'm not too worried it hasn't covered properly as I'll be putting lots of green stuff down.

I've also got some of the hedges fixed. For those that want to know, I'm using rubberised upholstery sheets. Unfortunately I can't find who I got them from at the moment, but I got a pack of three sheets about 9"x6"x1" thick for about £10. It's great stuff. It's already a mixture of green and brown fibres so no painting is needed. It can be cut and shaped with scissors (I've done this over a box to collect the offcuts for which I have plans) and glued with PVA. It's a little overscale for 15mm but I reckon it would be perfect for 1/35. It can be painted and extra flock can be sprinkled on if necessary using a spray glue. I've used about 11/2 sheets for what I've got on the board - mainly because I wanted fairly long lengths and a corner piece.

I also painted up the rough stone wall. I primed it with Stynylrez grey as it originally came in different coloured resin bits. I painted a random selection of bricks with browns and greys, then added an Ultimate light dirt wash and finished with a brightish green for the moulded 'grass'. I cleaned most of the wash off with a damp cotton bud and I think it looks OK.

 

[spanner570]

Top work, Mr. Dave!

...be very careful, this diorama lark can be very addictive. There is no known cure either.

 

[Gern]

Top work, Mr. Dave!

...be very careful, this diorama lark can be very addictive. There is no known cure either.

Been there and done that Ron. Addictive yes. But fun - absolutely!

 

[Gern]

Started the green stuff.



Still got lots of flock to add and another couple of hedges once I decide on final placement of the house in the corner. I'm going to have to do something with that tree that's leaning badly ....

 

[scottie3158]

Dave,
Great work a very interesting scene with lots to see.

 

[spanner570]

Great stuff, Dave.
Coming on a treat.
Is that an apple orchard I spot? if it is, best put security cameras in. I'll be sneaking in to rob the apples for my home brewed cider!

 

[JR]

Coming on well Dave.