HOW TO BUILD AIRCRAFT DIORAMAS

[JohnReid]

I take it that thumbnails have been removed,I guess that takes the heat off learning how Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

For those who may be interested I am running a new thread over on http://www.diecastxchange.com on building diecast dioramas and extreme weathering techniques.(why do I get myself into these things? as though I dont have enough to do already )Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

for those who asked over on the chat section here is a site that has more pics than the other that I gave you.
http://www.hyperscale.com
click on Feature Articles,then Armour,Maritime 2003-04 and scroll down to HMS Victory scratchbuilt 1/72. Cheers John.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Once again, John, I am awestruck by your level of craftsmanship and your patience to create them. They are true masterpieces! Though I'm not a modeler, and seldom say anything on the modeling threads, I do enjoy peeking in on your pictures and shared words from time to time. Thanks for sharing with all of us. Keep up your fine work!

[JohnReid]

For me,it truly is a labour of love, going back to childhood building models and playing with trains and cars.It is wonderful to be a kid again at my age and to have all the wonderful friends that I have met on the internet.Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

This seems to work on any surface plastic,wood,metal whatever.
The secret is in surface preporation.It works even on a highly polished enamel surface.
Prepare the surface by sanding off the shiny new surface with 600 or higher sandpaper.You want to dull the surface not create scratches.Rub until all the shine is gone.Next paint the surface with a 50/50 gesso -water mix and dry with a hair dryer if you like.Dont set the hair dryer too close to the surface but just blow the warm air across it.(you can always just air dry it if you want)
Now if you want to put some color on, put it on in thin layers (at least a 50/50 mix,even more water if you are using tube colors)Dont completely cover the gesso surface with a solid new color if you want a real antique look,some of the undercoat should show through.
Now the fun part.Take some watered down burnt sienna and using an old brush and a washboard surface vigorosly scrub the paint until it foams up.Then take this foamy paint,bubbles and all and dap it onto the surface.Dry with a hair dryer and repeat as many times as necessary to get that nice rusty and corroded looks.Works great on old barrells,oil cans,engines ,cars whatever needs antiqueing.Take your time and have fun,I sure am. Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

there should be a pic below if I did it right

[JohnReid]

OK ,Stand by one,Im trying to get some help with this
Damn this is getting embarrassing!

[JohnReid]

I hope that I am not boring you guys with all this antiqueing of surfaces but I just want to share what I have discovered up until now.
To antique a chrome or nickel suface:
-immerse the part in household ammonia till all the chrome disappears of the part
-take an old toothbrush and scrape off any remnants
-deburr any mold lines
-paint part with 50/50 black gesso-water mix
-paint on one thin coat of acrylic silver (let some of the black undercoat show through)
-when dry,dab on the foamy burnt sienna(Dabbing is the secret to an authentic looking surface)
-Dab on as many coats as you like but let some of the silver show through.

Remember work with very thin flat acrylic paint.You want to build up transparent layers not cover up all your hard work.Hey! this is fun.
Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

I hear that some modelers add baking soda to their rusty mix for an even more corroded look.Cheers! John.