More dioramas

As unfocused as ever, I'm presently playing with a couple of dioramas. Very slowly as it happens what with one thing and another.

The first is a scene based on Hale Station which has a wonderful canopy.  Obviously that doesn't appear in the picture.  I'm still figuring out how to do it.  If there are no more posts on this, I didn't manage to figure it.

The second is of a row of seaside cottages with rough stone tile roofs.  That's an interesting challenge - styrene sheet and scribed DAS - and I'm struggling to get the colour right at the moment.  I can never seem to anticipate darkening colour as the acrylic paint dries.  The scribing also needed to be finer as the gaps between tiles appear too large.  I may lose interest in this one.

Westbay Halt Diorama

The experimental diorama is finished.  Or at least as finished as its going to be.  It would be possible to tinker for hours adding detail, and perhaps I ought to, but I'm afraid I don't have the sticking power.

I have been doing a lot of reading lately about layouts in boxes and found the concept very appealing. This is hardly a layout but I've enjoyed experimenting nonetheless.

The diorama is in an adapted IKEA APA storage box suggested to me by Mikkel.

Here are a few photos, with thanks to Mrs Chas for artistic advice.

The thing I most wanted to do with this diorama was experiment with a few of the scenic techniques I'd seen on other blogs - Rails to Llangunllo is a prime example - and improve on my past attempts.  There are some wonderful scenic materials available - Silflor grass mats, Mininatur ivy, Greenscene static grass, Noch leaves, Woodland Scenics fine leaf foliage - so little excuse not to improve.   Some materials have been around for ages though but I've just never thought to use them - hanging basket liners for the wild grassland base layer and rubberised horse hair covered with leaves for hawthorn hedges. I thought of making brambles from horse hair but decided life was too short.

It's satisfying to have made progress but with more patience I could do better.  Anyway, on to the next project. 

Seaside Cottages ..... and a new toy

At the moment I'm quite into the idea of constructing small dioramas so as to experiment with different modelling techniques in a small and contained area.   I came across a photo of seaside cottages at Mousehole which I fancied having a go at modelling, full of character and in an attractive setting too. But should the walls be of embossed styrene sheet or DAS?  Since the idea of the diorama is experimentation, it had to be DAS.

After cutting out the structure from 30 thou styrene and lots (I thought) of bracing, the walls were covered with PVA followed by a couple of millimeters of DAS, smoothed with a wallpaper seam roller.  None of this is new of course. I copied all of the techniques from Iain Robinson's blog which is full of superb examples. Have a look here at the latest.

The drying process overnight showed up some inadequacies in the bracing with a few warped walls. However, they can be bent back into shape and braced after the event and any cracks filled with DAS.

Then comes the scribing which leaves a sore forefinger but is actually quite relaxing when accompanied by Radio 4 (or Radio 4 Extra when the alternative is Front Row with Mark Lawson).

What about windows?  Off the shelf, bespoke, home made? On Mikkel's blog I read a discussion on the Silhouette Cameo cutter.  I couldn't resist buying the smaller version - the Portrait - and what a wonderful toy!  Reasonably priced too considering the cost of bespoke windows. With forgiving and easy to use design software included it was no trouble to produce a few sample window built up in layers -  window frame, top sash and bottom sash for example.  I couldn't get it to cut through 15 thou styrene but the sheet was sufficiently deeply scored to make cutting through by hand with a scalpel a very simple task.

I just wonder how durable it will be and how often the blade will need replacing but so far so good.  It goes without saying that I am looking for more excuses to play with it.

Bay Hotel

It's taken me ages to get round to the final few jobs that needed doing to the hotel what with Christmas, general laziness and starting other projects but the previously named Westbay Hotel is now finished.   At some point I may get round to changing the hanging sign - my printer is just not fine enough to print anything at that scale which looks half decent.

The ornamental barge boards are from a Langley Models kit, the chimney pots are from Wizard Models and the balcony balustrades from Scale Link.

 

For the next project I have two dioramas in mind.  The first is the Westbay Halt which at the moment I'm thinking will be in quite a remote looking location......

....and the second is a town scene featuring the hotel and probably reflecting a little of Aberdovey. I'm planning a trip to the Stafford  model railway exhibition next weekend so by this time next week I shall have changed my mind.

Seasons Greetings from the Westbay Hotel

As Google+ had gone to the trouble of adding snow to this image of the incomplete Westbay Hotel, I thought I would post it to illustrate the temperate climate of Westbay.  No matter how much it snows, it never settles.

Still plenty to do on the hotel in the new year - slating, guttering, balconies, signage and so on which I look forward to doing.  In the meantime, a very happy new year to all.

The next sleigh to arrive at platform 1 .......

I know, I know, you'd never see a sleigh in that configuration on the Cambrian Coast line but I don't care. It's my train set.

Happy Christmas!

Westbay Hotel

The diorama, Westbay, of which the halt forms part is based on Penhelyg on the Cambrian Coast line.  The line there  runs at the back of the rooftops of a row of houses but I'm aiming for a more seaside feel and decided a harbour side hotel was needed.  So this is the Westbay Hotel, unless it looks wrong, in which case it will be cast aside as something else.

I have learned the hard way that styrene walls, to which DAS has been applied with PVA, warp alarmingly without bracing and even then that it doesn't mater how much bracing I use, the styrene will still find a way to warp in some unpredictable way.  I have also learned that DAS is forgiving and will happily bend back into shape without cracking provided the warping is not too bad.  Wonderful stuff.

For the first time I have used, mostly, windows from Truetexture which are quite expensive but very good. Worth it.

Lots still to do, which suits me just fine.  This is another model I don't want to finish.  Blogging about it puts off that day!

The Halt

The Halt is done, and very enjoyable it was too.

It will, I hope, look quite lonely - an underused attempt by an imaginary railway company to attract extra customers to an imaginary seaside resort.

Experiments with trees

I had a wish to make much better trees for future projects. Until now I have used Woodland Scenics tree trunks covered with clump foliage - fine from a distance but not a patch on some of the trees I have seen produced by other modellers.

Having looked around at a few "how to build trees" tips on numerous websites (and there is some excellent advice around) I thought I would experiment. 

One site suggested heather or sage bush so during a walk up Moel Famau I gathered a few bits of  broken off heather.  A few choice bits went into the microwave (as advised) for a few minutes, sufficient to kill any bugs or fungus but not enough to set them alight.  (The following picture is a serving suggestion only)

The bits were super glued together, roughly copying an ash tree.....

 ....followed by the addition of a few sprigs of sea moss. The joins were covered with Green Scene flexi-bark. The trunk looked a bit thin for the size of tree so that was filled out with DAS then painted with acrylics.

And a coating of Display Mount and Noch leaves to finish.

Time consuming, but I  am happy that this looks much better than earlier attempts.  Mrs Chas suggested using dried herbs instead of Noch leaves.  What a good idea!  I shall give it a go.   The next challenge is a generic conifer.

Addendum:  Geoff's comment below includes a link to one of his typically detailed master classes, this time on model trees.  It's a much better description than here!

St John's Church Lychgate

I forgot to post this close up of the hurriedly made Lychgate for the parish church diorama, set in the unfinished wall.  I have a love/hate relationship with fiddly jobs.  I love modelling detail but hate it when a bit of microstrip would rather stick to my fingers or the tweezers than to another piece of styrene.  What on earth is that about?

On closer inspection of the "timber" I can see that the surfaces are far too smooth and need to look more distressed.  Another lesson learned.

Disused Railway Photographs

After reading a post on Geoff's blog about "Bridges for Modellers" (a book which I have now ordered) I came across this collection of photos of disused railway architecture and engineering on Flickr.  Lots of detailed photos for modellers.  Fascinating and well worth a visit.

The Halt

Since finishing the parish church I have spent the last few weeks faffing about wondering what to build next. After only a brief few years modelling I am, I'm afraid, hooked and now when I have nothing to work on I feel at a loose end.  Perversely though, I couldn't find the motivation to make anything.  Very odd.

However, after seeing a few photos of the Cambrian Coast railway and recalling a couple of very pleasant trips along the coast, I purchased my first railway DVD, a driver's eye view of the section between Machynlleth and Barmouth.  I am concerned, by the way, that this is the start of a steep descent into the crepuscular world of rivet counting from which there is no return.  Anyway, every few seconds brought a captivating scene which I would have loved to try to model, so I am going to have a go at a short section of an imaginary line and have started on a station halt with a wooden platform.

I thought about Wills wooden planking for the platform but I find it just too thick to work, difficult to join seamlessly and, in any case, space means that the platform must be slightly curved.  Instead I have experimented with some cheap oak veneer.  We'll see what it looks like after sanding and painting.

Parish Church Diorama

"Diorama" is a bit of an exaggeration.  The vicar of the church on which this version is modelled asked to display it for a week.  Of course I was delighted she thought it good enough but decided I ought at least display it in some sort of setting.  So I have rather hurriedly modelled the lychgate and put together this diorama.

I have decided two things in the process.  First, because I am easily distracted, building a diorama gives me a fighting chance of finishing a project. Secondly, I am far from satisfied about the way I have been modelling trees, hedges and grass.  From now on I shall attempt to copy the techniques here http://radnorailways.blogspot.co.uk/

The Parish Church - final post (well almost)

I've had such a wonderful time building this that now it is done I am quite despondent.  In fact, towards the end of the build I was finding distractions so as not to finish it.  It's been a huge and very, very satisfying challenge.

I haven't got it quite right in parts but I'll know what works and what doesn't for next time - if there is a next time.

I have installed some lighting and will post a few more pics when it's dark - if the lights work and look half decent that is.

I shall now drift aimlessly until I start the next project.  But what will it be?  I've decided I don't like the West Quay station building so I need to find a replacement. The research alone will take a while I expect.  Any suggestions for a branchline country station gratefully received.

Church Window Appeal

Work on the church is progressing.  The octagonal steeple proved less difficult than I had anticipated, styrene sheet being remarkably versatile - and thank goodness for squadron putty which covers multiple botching.

I have found that I enjoy adding the detail to a model more than any other stage but it is also the most time consuming.  I don't mind at all.  I'm enjoying it.

However, I need advice.  How do I model the louvre windows in the church tower? I have tried sticking styrene strip straight onto the window backing (painted grey in the photo) but it just isn't working. Any suggestions gratefully received.