A WWII scenic diorama

Discussion in 'Specifically for scratch builds' started by Toto, Aug 24, 2020.

  1. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    You know us Toto... any opportunity to throw in a curve ball to get a reaction :avatar::avatar::avatar:
     
  2. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Fair play to you. I let my guard down. :avatar:
     
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  3. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    maybe so but hey the military diorama is looking very interesting and is something different :thumbup:
     
  4. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Said the actress to the Bishop

    Just as a test, try spraying a fine mist of IPA (not the Beer) on the mould before pouring the plaster, just to see if it helps with the moulding process.

    Paul
     
  5. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    corsie is a local term for courseway, or pavement .

    A Jitty, or Jinnel is the small passageway from one place to another, like a path, or the covered over walkway between two houses front to back...

    May give some ideas for unusual names for projects.
     
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  6. Mark4mm

    Mark4mm Guest

    Hi Toto I’m enjoying following your WWll build, the wall castings are very nicely done. I look forward to seeing more of your build.:thumbs:
     
  7. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Many thanks mark. Glad it's of interest. More soon hopefully.

    Andy, a jinnel up in Scotland would be a vennel. It's like a small covered over thourghfare between two separate buildings, houses ( like a mews ) etc.

    Thanks for the feedback. As you say, quite good trivia if you are looking to come up with a different name for something.

    Cheers

    Toto
     
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  8. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    I thought a Jitty was a small medium powered tank engine used mainly for shunting and local trip working. :avatar::avatar::avatar:
     
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  9. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    :avatar:
     
  10. Wolseley

    Wolseley Full Member

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    Could well be. I've always called them that....
     
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  11. Walkingthedog

    Walkingthedog Full Member

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    Which part of darn sarf are you from. It has always been kerb. Curb is the north American spelling. :scratchchin:
     
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  12. jakesdad13

    jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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    Korsey edge here in Staveley :avatar:
     
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  13. Walkingthedog

    Walkingthedog Full Member

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    That sounds very up market :tophat:
     
  14. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    My crystalite plaster arrived and I immediately put it to use on the finer casts that were so far alluding me. BINGO a 90 % yield rate on all parts. Big increase on the 0 to 10 % yield rate experienced with the other stuff I'd been trying. I reckon 100% would be relatively easily achievable ( in fact 1 cast has been ) just allowing a fraction more time and being a little more careful in reading the parts out of the mould.

    So ..... i zoomed ahead with the more fragile pieces required for my sewer wall lining and I reckon i just about have enough cast to progress the build.

    Also, the little " slim Jim's " as i call then used for door and window reveal returns are now having a great success rate as well so once the sewer Is done, and the road down, the bombed out building will be ready to start with plenty of the required casts available.

    It has very much been another learning curve but a good one. It interesting to see the behavioural differences when altering plaster type, time and water temperature.

    So, hopefully I will soon be finished in " cast mode " for a while and back into " build mode "

    Fingers crossed.

    Cheers

    Toto
     
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  15. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Crystalite Plaster... I'll have a look at that product... look forward to seeing the photos as the diorama progresses :thumbup:
     
  16. Ron

    Ron Full Member

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    Hard dental plaster is called 'Kaffir D' much stronger than P of P and yellow in colour. Used for hard dental models..
     
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  17. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    jinty... JINTY!!! Lol
     
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  18. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    so .... after yet more casting, the sewer construction eventually got underway ....


    courses of flemish bond start rising up the sides .......


    and creep towards the top. I had to let the courses dry a bit before chasing towards the top ......


    As the brickwork works its way around the arch, 0.9mm balsa props were placed between the courses to help maintain both a distance between the courses and form the " bend " of the arch as the courses work their way round.


    there we go ....... just call me sonic. ( the hedgehog ).

    once it drys out .......


    the balsa props are cut back .......


    and a plaster slurry applied all over to fill the gaps between the courses and add strength ....


    I then used a bit damp sponge to take some of of the surface slurry off and help re-expose the brickwork a bit.


    and that is how its been left to dry out a bit for now.

    once dry ..... it will be some dry brushing with browns and reds etc to bring back some of the brick colour then an all over wash of some mucky rinse to dull it all down again.

    When finished you will see very little of the outside anyway so its a bit of a waste of effort but i will leave a little bit exposed to suggest what has been done.

    now ...... the section above is only about a third of the original section proposed. I cut it to that size as next on the to do list once this section has been finished off and released from the former will be ....... a chamber.


    the two sections either side will be cut out and a concrete chamber built in. It will be a little bigger than marked and moved towards the front a bit more.


    the manhole lid in the middle of the road will access the chamber and the chamber will be lit. the sewer and chamber will be benched inside with a small platform either side of the chamber as would have been in some real life situations.

    dundee gave me an idea of using the chamber to have a couple of soldiers placing charges as if making ready to blow up the road above if any " special guests " should happen to pass.

    I'll look at that. you may be able to see into the chamber enough. One of the reasons that the length of sewer channel was so sort. To try and enable sight of the chamber.

    There will be another section of sewer channel exits the other side of the chamber towards the rear of the scene. Again, you will be able to see inside from the right view point.

    So ..... there we are for now. hopefully the above will be dried out enough by tomorrow night to let me continue. If not ..... I'll make a start on the main chamber.

    thats me for now

    toto
     
  19. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Wow Toto this diorama scene is coming along like an express train... loving the idea of a chamber which can be looked down into, I'm a big fan of these little hidden and unexpected facets in a scene... the more the merrier I say. Nice work and following with great interest. :tophat::tophat::tophat::tophat:
     
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  20. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Glad you like it. As I said at the start, the sewer idea and its construction methods are 100% stolen. Once I get the hang of doing video links, I'll post up the originators video. He has a series of videos working in 1/35 th scale plaster cast builds using diorama debri silicone moulds of which I now have several and they are really impressive.

    The manhole chamber is something that I came up with but not exactly rocket science. A natural progression from the sewer I think. I have worked extensively in civils for the past 20 years, the first 10 in the water industry before switching to power generation and distribution so I have a few ideas.

    If it had been more modern, then sluice gates and the likes could have been introduced as details but I think that 1939 to 1945 was maybe too early for mechanized versions. Maybe not. However, weir walls etc as a means of controlling flows would certainly be up for inclusion. We'll see. It will be very limited viewing unless I model the sewer as bombed out from the road down giving full viewing access to the chamber.

    I think I'll walk before I can run though.

    Hopefully more tonight. I checked the cast this morning and it seems to be drying out nicely. I'll add the rest of the coverings, dry brushing and washes prior to trying to release the structure from the mould and let it dry out 100% as every time you re-wet it, it weakens it a bit as the glues plasters etc soften a bit.

    More later

    Toto
     
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