My first garage DIO

[rustymodeler]

Well Jim I havent really decided on a floor yet. I am still not sure what I am going to do about roof as far as shingles or steel roof. I thought about shake shingles, but I triesd a couple rows of them , and it just doesnt look right.

Shardik, I am going to put fire blocks between the studs, but I am out of balsa studs and hobby lobby wont be getting any in for a week or so. If anyone has any ideas on a roof or a floor I would be interested in hearing them.

my friend came to the house the other day and when he knocked my eight year old daughter answered the door. He asked where her dad was at and she said, He is down stairs playing with his doll house. You gotta love kids dont ya. I dont think my buddy is gonna let me live it down.

[crazyjim]

I vote for a steel roof.

[rustymodeler]

I am starting to make progress on roll up garage door, but it is putting up a heck of a fight. I will post a couple pics when I get off work.

[dragster fever]

im building a 2 car garage i used standard size sandpaper for shingles its 11"by9" first iused flat black spraypaint then a light coat of gray primer on the granules then sprayed the back of the sheet white to make it easier to see when you measure and mark it.1/24 scale asphalt shingles would be one and one half inches by one half inch[1/1/2x1/2 inch]or 3 feet by 1foot. i measured and marked the back including the two tabs on the shingles.i left the tabs uncut until i cut all the individual shingles.i used barber sissors for those tabs half way up the shingle.if you decide to do this its tedeus and time consuming and one row at a time and you have to use weights to hold them down cause they will curl up. but they look very realstic when done.my roof took 4 and a half sheets.i overlaped them just like real shingles useing elmers glue.thing of it is sandpapers cheap iget spray bombs at wallys for a buck or two also bought acorrugator for making metal roofing useing soda can aluminum.HOPE THIS HELPS heres a couple pictures

[rustymodeler]

Thanks for the info Maynard. That will help me out alot. I really like your garage and your shed. Could you give a little tutorial on how you built your side door, I am really digging it.

Here is where I am at so far. I finished the door railing and am now glueing the hinges to the door. I had problems with putting too much glue on my hinges and glueing them shut so they wouldnt move, so I had to do it all over again. I had also finished up all the siding and most of the trim. I am waiting on more balsa to finish trim and a few other exterior things before I shingle and paint. I am still not sure what I am goint to do for a floor. I really want to do a full diorama with a small yard and gravel driveway, but I dont have enough room to store it or to show it off.

[rustymodeler]

Here is a couple more, and 1 of the door (it is still drying, so I didnt want to turn over). The door will have a little more detail to it once it dries.

[Mercman]

Looking good. For the floor, why not use wood. Cut a sheet of 1/4" plywood to size, and paint it. Or you could cut strips of basswood,or balsa, and make a wood floor. Another possibility would be masonite. This is generally only 1/8th in. thick.

[crazyjim]

Did you just bend some Evergreen channel for those rails?

[rustymodeler]

Thanks Junior, and no Jim I glued two everfreen strips to a piece of styrene sheet and then cut around it later on. I tried using channel, but I couldnt get two seperate pieces to shape exactly the same.

[rustymodeler]

[GTMust]

Excellent work Jerred!!!

As far as a base is concerned...... I make mine seperate to the model..... and it can stand vertically when not on display, cutting down on storage space. A raised garage floor of 1/8" masonite (finished to suit and glued to the base), will locate the building when on display. If you add trees and fences etc, to the base, just drill toothpick sized holes where you want them to be located and use cut down toothpicks set into the bottom of the fence post or tree (or whatever)...... which can locate them on the base and make them removable for storage.

Just an idea that works for me.

Tony

[dragster fever]

hey jerred to make the side entry door i used elmers foamboard but its alittle to thick if you got some sheet styrene might work better. but icut the foamboard 1and 1 half inch by 3 and 1 half inch. then i put it between 2 peices of smooth plywood and pounded it with ahammer to make it thinner .For the window i cut the opening to the proper size and used clear cd case for the glass just scribe it 4 or 5 times useing a metal straight edge it breaks just like real glass .for the window trim i used square kitchen matches i painted mine white first then cut al the pieces .i glued the sides and top and bottom and let that dry then the center one let dry then the small crosstrim .after dry a drop of white glue in each corner then set the glass the doorknob i used stiff copper wire its a little smaller then house wiring coating removed cut to lenght you dont want it stick out to far it wont look right i used BBs for the knobs use gel super glue for these HOPE THIS HELPS its not done yet i need to do a little fine tuning yet.some more trim oh i forgot grind the copper door knob thingy flat so the BB glues solid to it.

Edited September 21, 2012 by dragster fever

[rustymodeler]

Thanks guys, that is a good idea for the diorama base. I actually have long short dresser in my toy room that the top is coming lose. I thought if I take the top off and turn it over and do my diorama with removable pieces on that side and when I'm done I can take everything off and turn the top over so it looks nice.

Thank you Maynard that tutorial will help out a lot to redo my door.

[charlie8575]

Very nice work so far.

Charlie Larkin