Simple Diorama Base

[lawman56]

First, let me say, this is kind of picture heavy, but I guess it needs to be.

I thought some might be interested to see what my techniques are for building a simple diorama/display base. I start by writing a few notes and doing a little research. In this case, the base will be for my G50 Freccia, which is very near completion . Once I determined which aircraft I would depict, I did the research to find where it was stationed during it's time in service. In this case, the aircraft belonged to 152 Squadrigalia, 20 Gruppo, based in Libya in 1941, (by 1942, the same aircraft had been moved to Torino, Italy and re-assigned to 151 Gruppo). I then used Google Earth to find the airfield and printed a color picture of the terrain. This aids in determining ground cover. Next I placed the aircraft on the base, moving it around until I came up with a position I liked.



My simple wooden base. I purchased this one, along with a few others of various sizes, at a craft store when they were on sale. You can build one out of scrap materials as well. I have before, but for $2 USD a piece, I couldn't pass these up. You'll notice, I've placed tape around the edge to protect the sides from any sort of paint run off.




Here you see where I took a pencil and traced the front gear. Once I did that, I drilled holes mid-center for screws to mount the aircraft. I've learned to mount these things. Oddly, for aircraft, they don't fly so well.....




I then placed the aircraft back in place, and keeping the edge with the holes over my bench, pressed a small drill bit into the tire to leave a mark, then drilled a hole for the screws.




Next came paint. I use a cheap craft paint that most closely matches my ground cover. The reason for this, is so if I miss a spot, it won't be as noticeable.




Now i gather my materials. White glue, and old brush that I plan to toss when done, small container of sand, which bears a striking resemblance to my grand children's play sand....




Glue time! I'd suggest working in about 3-6 inch sections. This gives you a chance to apply the sand before the glue starts to get too tacky and dry.




Once it was down, I dragged the brush in the "direction of travel", so to speak. The idea is that my brush marks run parallel to any potential wheel marks or ruts, so as to look natural.




I then shake the container to lay an even, but thick, layer of sand on the whole base and let it dry overnight.




The next day, I tipped the base over my container to allow the excess to fall off, then started to apply "wet" water. This is an old, but very effective technique I learned from model railroad scenery construction. Pretty simple recipe, actually. 50/50 mix of water and rubbing alcohol, with a drop or two of dishwashing soap added. This mix is then applied gently with a dropper. The point is to break down the surface adhesion properties. If you don't, your glue mix will float your ground cover and make a nasty mess. Trust me on this one....




Next, apply a mix watered down white glue. Depending on the brand, your mix of water to glue may vary. I find it needs to look like skim, or thin milk. No need to wait for the previous step to dry, just apply it right on top. The purpose here is to displace the "wet" water with the glue mix.




Like so. Give this ample time to dry. I usually wait 24-48 hours. When it's fully cured, it will feel like an abrasive shell. Remarkably tough, really.




Then make the edges pretty. I love these stain markers!




Lastly, I add the title of the diorama with dry rub transfer letters from Woodland Scenics. Easy to apply, and I have a ton of them! Then I put a thin coat of Future on the edge, and she's done! Btw-the title translates from Italian to read "An Arrow In Libya".


Hope this helps, I know it's a simple base, but I'm one of those weirdos that has just GOT to put something besides my shelf under a model.

I'm in the planning stage of an Eastern Front diorama using an Sd.Kfz.250/1 that will be a bit more intricate as far as terrain. When I get to that stage, (Lord knows how long it may be!), I'll see if there's any interest in that as well.

As always, any suggestions, comments and questions are welcome.

Thanks for looking!

[mlp]

Thanks for taking the time and postin this it's very interesting as I would have done it totally different

[Thomas_M]

Joe, thanks for this very well illustrated tutorial! I know doing all the pictures and doing the comments is a lot of work, so I appreciate the time you invested in this here!
BTW: get the 251 done! I surely will follow the next tutorial here, too!

@ Joe: I just published the link to your tutorial on SPAModeler´s Facebook page!

[lawman56]

Thanks for the kind words

@Thomas, thank you, and I've already started attaching some of the tiny PE parts to my halftrack. I like aircraft, but boy does armor feel so much more comfortable!

With any luck, after the halftrack, I'll be starting on my HK B-17G.....

[BorgR3mc0]

A question: why glue the sand twice? The few times that I did a base I just glued the sand to the base using white glue and tapped off the exces. What is the benefit of wetting it and adding glue on top of the sand?

[tigrazor]

I guess that depends on the modeler itself. Made some bases now too and find it easier to put the white glue, (bird) sand and if neccessary some paint together in one step. Fixing with hairspray follows, if needed.


Another question: Isnt that something for the modeling tips?!

[lawman56]

A question: why glue the sand twice? The few times that I did a base I just glued the sand to the base using white glue and tapped off the exces. What is the benefit of wetting it and adding glue on top of the sand?

Just a personal preference, really. My models, along with my HO railroad, are kept in my garage, with limited climate control. The double gluing, I've found, has two advantages. It helps ensure that anything that didn't stick to the initial glue layer, stays in place. Plus it adds durability in my environment. This technique has actually become habitual for me more than anything else.

I've also found, especially when building dioramas for others, it makes cleaning them much easier as you can use a stiff brush without having to fix ground work.

[CallSignOWL]

awesome tutorial! Ive got a couple of wood bases to trey this on too.

what is your technique for grass?

[lawman56]

awesome tutorial! Ive got a couple of wood bases to trey this on too.

what is your technique for grass?

First, thanks

Secondly, the only thing different in all of my dio bases, is the basecoat of paint, for grass I tend to use a dark green or brown. Otherwise the steps are identical. if you haven't already, check out model railroad supplies. The groundwork comes in multiple shades, thicknesses, colors, and quality. I find that Woodland Scenics brand has a pretty good price to quality ratio. JTT makes some of the best trees, though.

If you look at my M7 Priest WIP under the armor thread, you can see a good example of how the grass looks. Btw-I model an HO railroad as well, which is 1/87 scale, using this same grass. O guage is equal to 1/48. G Guage between 1/32 and 1/35, so you scan find stuff, (like trees), to match your scale.

[Thomas_M]

...Btw-I model an HO railroad as well, which is 1/87 scale, using this same grass. O guage is equal to 1/48. G Guage between 1/32 and 1/35, so you scan find stuff, (like trees), to match your scale.

Wasn´t aware of this! Thanks for this information!