HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

[JohnReid]

This is the floor plan of the WC-rear door-coal storage area.
The figure started off as a 1/16th-120mm combo that never really worked.So rather than throw it out ,I put it in the WC doing what comes naturally.(I don't know what the hell he is smiling about).He can only be seen when looking down through the windows from the outside .He adds a bit of humor to the piece and it saved him from the garbage pail.

[JohnReid]

Once again I have been way too optimistic about the completion date of this diorama.Jan-Feb-Mar is a slow time for me energy wise and it is getting worse as I get older.I can't see this finished before the end of the year .Part of the problem is that I keep adding stuff and learning other stuff as I go along .For example the outside landscaping and flora and fauna(horse).
It is fun doing it this way but it sure eats up the time.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

This pic gives you an idea of how the whole diorama was constructed.Foam core sandwiched between wood on both sides.The only problem I encountered was some warping caused by the drying glue.If you were to clamp them down during drying this would eliminate it.Most of the time I just work around this as I kind of like the idea of nothing being totally square.
The lighting is typical of the whole diorama.Doll house light sockets,speaker wire wiring.Light fixtures made from cigar tube ends or Xmas bells and junction boxes from Radio Shack.(or whatever they call themselves now)
The bare bulb look was common in those days.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

At the junction box you can see how the small wires are hooked up to the main speaker wire.You would just insert another speaker wire into the opposite end and continue on to the next junction box.It is simple and allows for easy maintenance when required.The bulbs are screw in type,like an ordinary light bulb and can be changed separately at any time.The whole thing is hooked up to a train transformer which also acts as a rheostat to vary the lights intensity.
The final lighting arrangement I will leave to the experts at the museum.

[JohnReid]

I have been really busy with doing a painting tutorial for the past couple of days. Hope to get back to the diorama tomorrow.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]