bryan_m Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 it makes me really happy to see you fixin this dio Dan, its just too nice to not fix it! keep up the good work. cheers bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyi Posted August 11, 2012 Author Share Posted August 11, 2012 B!...how the heck are ya?......where have you been? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madworks Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 AWESOME!.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaughn Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Dannyi...that is looking so darn good ! Keep on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81zxing280 Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Wow this is just awesome man great job... Your making me wanna try my hand at this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyi Posted August 14, 2012 Author Share Posted August 14, 2012 ...thanks guys! ...Ricky, definitely go for it! ..you'll be amazed at how easy it becomes after you get a couple basic techniques down... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyi Posted August 14, 2012 Author Share Posted August 14, 2012 ....got all the ceiling joists in place again. The lights are back to their original possitions and still working...still can't believe that.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Will your diorama be used on it's own or as a photo background? It looks really excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTMust Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Far be it for me to tell you what to do.......... but don't forget our previous discussion regarding laying the structural floorboards diagonally.... and the finished floor boards (if you add them), lengthways. But then again... it's up to you. LOL! Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Shock and Awe...Shock and Awe... Page 6 gave me the willies... the following pages of reconstruction just gave me more Shock and Awe.. Great patience and attention to detail. Thanks for sharing your Dio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Doan Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Order is restored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madrdnckbldr080 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I really like this Dio.. Can't wait to see it done... Red Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyi Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 ..thanks guys for the kind words! ....crazyjim, it originally started out as a photo backdrop with side walls and a half roof. Once I got the walls up and started the roof, it became a full on dio. Decided to go with an upper story and now possibly an elevator......maybe... .....Tony, as for the flooring I'm going with the original one I made. I know that the most common method for this type of flooring is like you said, diagonal sub-floor and parallel finished floor. But I seen quite a few diagonal finished flooring at the old plant I worked and thought it looked pretty neat.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 this is incredible! what are your plans for this if and when its "done"? are you going to take it out and show it or just use and enjoy it at home? it would certainly shock and awe an in-person audience, especially with some nice build ups inside it. it is plain spectacular! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyi Posted August 17, 2012 Author Share Posted August 17, 2012 ...thanks Bill, I do plan on taking it to a couple local shows and possibly NNL East next year. I'll also be using it to showcase some of the parts I make on a '41 Plymouth and a '50 Ford pickup. Got a feeling this will never really be done..lol, it will probably be getting constant additions...... ....thanks Mike!....I called ya a few days ago, give me a shout when you get the chance.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaughn Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Just went back and viewed all 11 pages of this project and I have got to say you have come a long way and it just gets better. A few questions for you. The raise brick areas...did you make those from foam bd by gluing a front to two side pieces or were they already formed that way ? What kind of wood for the rafters and joists...balsa ? How thick is the FB and what is it attached to, to give the walls strength ? Sorry to ask so much but its this part of the construction end that I need some clarification on. Anyhow...Great work and great reconstruction since the disaster. Keep on keepin on Dannyi !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyi Posted August 22, 2012 Author Share Posted August 22, 2012 ...thanks Terry.....the brick columns are three separate pieces each of foam board. I made an extra panel just for those. The front and side pieces are cut on a 45 degree angles so the bricks on the corners look like full bricks. I made the front piece a full 3 bricks wide. The side pieces need to be cut so they match the full brick, half brick on the front panel. Then I used a tooth pick to add Elmers glue to the sharp edges. After the glue dried I lightly sanded the edge to round off the bricks. Making the columns was a bit time consuming but I really liked the effect once finished. The foam board is 3/16" thick and I got it at Hobby Lobby but most stroes that have graft/hobby section carry it.. The panel side use to scribe the brick on needs to have the paper backing removed. Some brands of foam board you can just peel it right off but other brands it needs to be dampened to loosen the glue on the paper. Once the paper backing is removed the panel becomes pretty flimsy. So I glued another section of foam board to the back of each panel for strength. The back and side walls are tied together with 3/8" pine trim boards. Once it's all screwed and glued together it's a pretty strong set up. Case in point was after it was dropped from nearly 6 ft., just the upper left corner split open. The rafter/joist are actually bass wood, 3/32" x 1/2". It's a bit stronger and has a cleaner finish the balsa wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaughn Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Thanks for the info Dannyi. Putting together a project bit by bit when time allows. thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyi Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 This thing just keeps getting better and better, Dan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misternemo Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 this is-bar none-the absolute best and most realistic dio i have ever seen!! thank you for posting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyi Posted August 28, 2012 Author Share Posted August 28, 2012 ..thank you Joe, Jim and Ryan... ..Joe, the only foam board I know of is the kind with the paper backing which has to be removed to scribe the foam. You could use rigid insulation foam board, the kind found at big box hardware stores but the thinnest I could find around here was 1 inch thick and only comes in 4x8 sheets. As for the hobby foam board, the paper backing has to be removed on the side that your going to scribe the brick on. Some brands the backing can be peeled right off with ease. But the brand I got (Elmers) has to be dampened with water to loosen the glue. First I cut the desired size I need then put it in a pan of water for about 15 minutes. The paper backing comes off with no problems. Let it dry thoroughly then scribe away.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony T Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 Danny...Glad to see this coming back together and moving forward...the service panel is awesome! I gotta ask about the lights...I bought a pair of shades from you for my dio and would love to light them. Is the info on the functioning lights back in an earlier part of the thread? If so, I'll go looking. If not, do tell!! I love the diorama. Like you, I don't really think mine will ever really be "done"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyi Posted September 9, 2012 Author Share Posted September 9, 2012 Thanks Tony! ...the bulbs I used are "grain of rice" from Model Power #252, the conduit is made from 1/16 aluminum tubing. I could of used larger diameter tubing to make wiring easier but the thinner tubing looked more to scale. First I drilled a hole in the top of the lamp shade to fit the tube. The problem with the 1/16 tubing was that both wires would not fit through it, so I removed the insulation from one of the wires(the one I was using for ground/common) and then wrapped it around the other wire in a loose spiral. Once thought the top of the tube I separated them and soldered them to their prospective "bus" wires running along the top edge on the back side of the ceiling joists. From the side of the dio they went to an HO train transformer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony T Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Thanks for the info Danny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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