"Bear Encounter" diorama

[Max Corey]

Hi.

  I have been reading Westlake Publishing Forums a while now.  Some damn fine model building.  Learning a lot.  I would like to contribute, so here we go.

Quick intro:  I am 64, currently restoring a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor aircraft, s/n 4-AT-38, for Kermit Weeks.  Have been a model builder all my life and a professional model builder for thirty five years, as well as an A&P.  One of my current model projects is Ford #38 in 1/32 scale, so figuring out making my own corrugated aluminum from foil for the skin and scratch building three Wright 760 seven cylinder engines for it.  Is very fragile and thin so will have to be cased.  I also make very nice leaded glass display cases for myself and for sale.

  Some of these photos are a bit fuzzy but are all I have of certain models, dioramas and museum displays.  Others are current projects (my model building room is jammed packed and it overflows into the rest of the house).  Need to do some serious scanning of these 35mm photos, many of which were taken by Darryl Huffman.  Also take more digital photos of what I am now working on and do some show and tell here.





  Darryl Huffman took this photo. A small diorama about 12" by 18", of an encounter between two Alaska Railroad surveyors and a grizzly bear, around 1917.  S.N. Cappers and "Red" McGee were helping build the Alaska Railroad working for the US government.  I drew from actual black and white photos, property of The Anchorage Museum of History and Art, and saw that the handcar carried a canoe and a lot of equipment, as did the velocipede, including transit in cases and tripods visible in the photos.  These guys were living off the land.

  I started with two 1/48 scale kits, an Period Minatures armstrong speeder velocipede, and a Durango Press handcar (both nice kits).    Laid standard guage track across a small stream just out of this photo to the right, as is the bear.  I will find the rest of the pictures and scan them cuz you can't really tell what is going on here.

  Scratch build the canoe and had fun with it.  Carved a basswood form over which I vacu-formed a thin styrene hull because it wanted it thin to add ribs of styrene strips inside.  Made up the seats of styrene and screen and a couple of paddles and painted it green with a small gold fillagree decal at the ends.  Gave one canoe hull to Gary Nash and another to Darryl Huffman years ago.

  The big ol' griz I made from Sculpy with a bit of carving afterwards.  Bears are kinda easy, actually.  The two figures are Magnuson Models  and the dog is from an old Revell Chuck Wagon or OK Corral kit.  Had fun making the lantern's basket of .008 wire and carefully soldering it. (currently attempting a lighted version using the Utah Pacific Illuminated Lantern Kit).

Aren't you kinda big to be playing with little trains?
Max in MI

[BKLN]

Love the authentic story and the canoe, but where is the bear? 

Welcome to the forum, Max!
Christian

[Ray Dunakin]

Welcome aboard! Nice work, what I can see of it, especially the canoe.

[Chuck Doan]

Welcome Max! I look forward to seeing more pictures of your works. What you have shown looks great!

[Max Corey]

Where's the bear?  Oh here he is on the other side of the bridge.  Hesitating.  Everybody is on hold.

I sure wanted to have better photos of this.  Probably too many steps between original photos and here.  I see a few things that don't look good but oh well.

Not visible here are many small animals (hawk, rabbit, squirrel, porcupine, etc.) you have to look for in the trees, bushes and grasses for fun.  For some reason the velocipede is missing from the second picture.  Darryl Huffman painted a basic pinetree background for photography he used here.  It would be better photographed outdoors with real trees behind, probably, and with sunshine shadows that always look best.  My mom has this model so I might be able to take better photos one of these days.





Time to move on to the steamboat Susie maybe tomorrow.  Same deal, not the best photos.

Max playing with little trains in MI

[BKLN]

Ha, this is a good!  Thanks for sharing

[SandiaPaul]

Max, canoe looks great!
A Tri motor! Wow, what memories...my aunt and uncle would take me on them from the shore of Lake Erie to Put-in Bay when I was a kid. One of them would be stuck with the ferry with the car and I'd get to ride the plane(usually with my uncle!) He'd then take me fishing to his fav spots around the islands.

Paul

[darrylhuffman]

Max,

One thing I remember about that diorama is the fact that you were able fully scenic each square inch.

One of the advantages a diorama has over a layout.

I sure like digital cameras compared to my old Nikon Ftn.

Much easier to work with.

I'm very glad to see you sharing your work on this forum.

I certainly enjoyed our years of modeling together.

I just wish we had taken more photos back then.

[Ray Dunakin]

I like the bear!

I hope you can get some better pics taken of this dio someday.

[finescalerr]

Satisfactory. -- Russ

[Lawton Maner]

Ignore Russ.  He's upset that the bear isn't wearing a thong.  Move over Nick, I've got some Toad-in-a-Hole to share.

[marc_reusser]

Max a very cool and nicely constructed scene. The canoe is most excellent.

[chester]

What everyone else has said, love the canoe too.

[finescalerr]

I should have written this days ago: Lawton, go stand in the corner. And leave the whiskey here. -- Russ