This little diorama was an exercise in mud and planking. It's in 7mm-1Ft scale. The Dinghy is a model of my Uncle's little boat, made in Pearwood veneer.
Beautifully done! Looks like the real thing. I had to look a couple of times to make sure it wasn't.
Can you tell explain a bit how/what was used to do the scenery?
Marc
Hi Marc, thanks for the kind words. I am quite basic with techniques. The substrate is polystyrene foam to the rough outline and contour, then plaster is spread over it with a hint of the detailing like the streams and rills of water. The plaster I used is a hard moulding compound called Chrystacal K. It's the one used by Lilliput Lane, etc. Once it's set I file, sandpaper to shape and engraved the slabs of the seawall with home made chisels. The mud is just painted with yacht varnish for the wet look. The grass is medical bandage lint, stuck down with contact adhesive, then worked up with enamel and gouache paints and powders. I use oil pastels and grind them myself. Much cheaper than buying weathering compounds with an infinite range.
The stile and the mooring staithe are hard woods, carved and painted to look old and decrepit. This is based on a real scene from my childhood and made me a life long boat lover.
Building the dinghy would take a seperate article I think, but I'd be happy to prepare one. Cheers, Martin
Beautiful. Thanks for the explanation. Really has the feel of those Channel marshes.
"Medical Bandage Lint"? ???
Is this scene a part of a larger dio/module?
If you feel like doing it I would be interested in how the dinghy was done. Looks like it was "prototypically" built.
Marc
I also would love to see / hear how the dingy was made.
Beautiful work - Russ its not a train, but sure is neat! (hint, hint....)
-Marty
Marty, thanks for the kind words. I would happily do a description of the dinghy construction, but when I did, my machine wiped it as I corrected some spelling. It took half an hour and it just went. I'm asking around how to do it again safely as I'm not good on these things! If I can do it offline then transfer to the forum it will be done, so all I can say is watch this space.
A good start is to read any book on clinker built boats. It sounds complex when you read it, but actually becomes one of those jobs that just "flows" when you get started.
Cheers, Hector PS to Marc, lint is a fluffy cloth used to cover wounds.
this is very nicely done
Hi Jay and thanks for the kind words. Welcome to the forum.
I'll have to do that article some time on building the dinghy. If I can remember how I did it!
Hector
Hector
I'm in total agreement with everyone else, oustanding. Please put on the thinking cap and remember how you did this it would be a terrific thread, would be very helpful for people doing waterfront scenes.
Jerry
Hector:
Nicely done - the mud shore is quite convincing. I'm interested in the open boat construction as well. Reminds me of some of the work by Ewart Freeston. He published a superb book several years ago about modelling open boats. Believe I have a copy of that around here somewhere - now I'm going to have to look for that as well... ;)
Bill
I can tell you roughly how I did it, but if you have Ewart Freeston's book you'll have all you need, EXCEPT... I seem to remember he carves the shell as thin as an egg and planks over it. That, I didn't like. I don't think it practical.
I made a jig like a boatbuilder would, made a keel and stempost unit, put up a midshps section and a transom and started planking. You'd be better off getting a good book on clinker boatbuilding. I'm really strapped for time and space, so I can't actually buildone for the article just yet, but I will have a go for you soon.
Meantime, go get some really fine grain wood veneer from a marquetry supplier, something like pear or sycamore. I'll join you later!
Hector
Just reconnected as I miss the quality work on here and with winter approaching, the scenic muse is upon me.
I'd forgotten all about this thread and only just found the actual diorama after a couple of years in storage.
Since work is a bit thin on the ground I thought i'd have a go at the build explanation since some people were interested. I see you're all still here, so would it be of interest if I did a build how-to on the wee boat now?
My dear bride just bought me the two books that I consider my bibles, The Inshore Craft of Britain in the Days of Sail and Oar, by Edgar March. I always fancied doing a collection of model fishing boats right round the coast for display.
Maybe a small diorama setting for each might be better, but I could select a simple one from the book and do a run through on how to build a scale model boat. The dinghy took a long evening to make and another to paint and letter. So it's well worth doing to save the enormous costs of buying a moulded one.
I look forward to your responses.
Cheers,
Martin
I would like to see a 'how to' on a small open boat. That is about the only room I will have on my On30 module ..
What IS a module? I've no idea. Too modern. We used to have baseboards or little layouts and finally dioramas, which are of course really set-pieces.
Martin
I've been working on some small boats. My primary reference is Tidecraft: The Boats Of South Carolina, Georgia, and Northeastern Florida, 1550-1950. I'm glad I bought it a few years back, since it's out of print and goes for around $150 these days.
It's pretty easy to construct accurate replicas out of styrene, since the original "bateau"-style boats I need were roughly cobbled together from dimensional lumber. The larger steamboats, sloops, and schooners I'm eventually going to need will be a lot more challenging.
Hey Martin... good to see you back, been a long time.
I'm sure you're familiar with this book but others here might not be: Ewart Freeston's The Construction of Model Open Boats, published by Conway Maritime Press in 1975. I've had my copy since the early 80s, though unfortunately it is currently buried at the back of the black hole of our storage unit. He had an interesting technique of carving a paper-thin hull from a solid or laminated block of wood, adding the ribs, interior framing and details and planking the outside with paper or sometimes thin scale lumber. I don't know how well they've stood the test of time, but he certainly did some beautiful work. The book's been out-of-print for years but you can find copies on Amazon for a reasonable price. Stay away from the rare book dealers though, they want an arm and a leg.
Paul
Paul. Thanks for the heads up .. just placed an order for a copy from Amazon.com
I'm interested. I'm a fan of river packets. Framing seem to be a lost art as references are scarce. I was down at Green Castle Ky... browns lock and dam back in May of this year and thought I'd share this photo of the lock wall, overgrown by grape vine.
A how to would be nice!
Philip
OK chaps, I'll have a go. I'll do a fairly simple boat, like a Humber Gold duster. Two simple removable masts, a sprit rig, not too much shape, clinker built.
Ewart Freeston was a renowned builder of beach boats, but that carved shell system is something I can't get my head round. Too fragile and I couldn't be bothered to get a set of fine gouges and keep them that sharp!
Mine are basically built like real boats.
I use pear veneer as it has no grain to speak of. Plasticard could be used , but warping is always a pain with styrene. That little dinghy is now about 15 years old and is still in perfect condition, painted with good old Floquil, my favourite paint.
More anon.
Bed time now.
Martin