Anglia105E

Nice detail to the inside of the V8 crankcase. I like the random objects on the workbench to the left, including tools and an aerosol can. David

I can see that you enjoyed building that one...... good result too. Like it ! David

JC..... Without a doubt, it is the figures that have been the main issue with my diorama project too. I realised at the beginning that I had to decide, do I go the way that the well respected Michael Paul Smith chose to go, which is to have no people whatsoever in the setting, or do I attempt to include VERY realistic looking people? Adding figures to the scene, especially for the purposes of close up photography, is a risky business at the best of times. It sounds like you will need 1:25 scale figures for your foreground position, and they need to be in keeping with the vintage period. So far, the best figures that I have found are the ICM 1:24 scale Henry Ford & Co set. The kit is a set of three figures, made in Ukraine and very cheap to buy, just over £11.00 here in England so around US$ 14.00. The kit includes an engineer, a businessman and Henry Ford himself wearing a bowler hat, and they are easily assembled from 8 - 10 pieces of plastic. Once painted carefully they can be very realistic and seem to be suitable for 1910's, 1920's, 1930's scenes, and even 1950's for my diorama. There are literally thousands of 3D printed figures listed on the Shapeways website, some of which I have used, but it does take some time and patience to go through the many pages of figures listed, all shown as white on white. Why they show a white figure on a white background I don't know, but it makes no sense to me. For you, 1:24 scale would not be a problem, being so close to 1:25 David

Nice looking tractor build Pat, and it is a good example of the unusual subject matter that Heller come up with. Maybe the words ' delicate ' and ' tractor ' don't exactly go together in the same sentence? Every once in a while it is a good idea to build something that is not part of your usual theme. That's why I built the Aoshima Mitsubishi Pajero SWB. David

Mark...... that exhaust system of yours is perfectly accurate to the 1:1 exhaust system, and from your photo you couldn't tell the difference I bet. Good results from your 3D printer guy and clearly you got the 3D design files right. David

What a great idea Dax...... while this is not my kinda build, I do understand your thinking behind this project. It is a nice scale model car in it's own right, but what you are planning to do to it is intriguing. I shall come back to follow your work in progress, and good luck with it. David

I had been weighing up the Fujimi kit for a few months really, because the bicycle was the only item I needed from that product. What made me decide to order the kit was when an MCM member posted on a topic that this vintage bicycle was actually very good. I think if I paint it very carefully, and use some Molotow Liquid Chrome Pen over the gloss painted surface, this should turn out to be a realistic looking bicycle for the diorama photography. David

JC..... I am very interested in what you are trying to do here, and for a number of reasons, but what fascinates me most is your idea to use different scales going from foreground to background. I noticed you mentioned 1:25 scale truck, then 1:87 scale buildings, then 1:160 scale riverboat and then 1:43 scale Packard or Cadillac in there somewhere. The reducing scale concept could work of course and it will be interesting to see how it comes together. My 1:24 scale diorama does have lighting inside the building, and I am also in the process of pulling a rolling chassis along the main street of the diorama using fishing line, and a small camera mounted on the rolling chassis. This has produced a short test video that gives the impression of driving a 1:24 scale car along the street, passing the Rolls-Royce dealership building on the left side, and a London black taxi cab appears to be travelling towards the camera in the opposite direction on the right hand side. My diorama includes all 1:24 scale cars, trucks, bus and coach, as well as figures that are diecast, plastic and 3D printed also. This project of mine has been 2 years in the making, this December and the diorama has been exhibited once at an International Rolls-Royce event in the UK. If you want to exchange ideas or simply ask me the odd question, I would be happy to help you. I am 65 years of age now and still working, but able to find more time to work on the building of the diorama and building the scale model cars. Building an early 1950's Bedford OLBD dropside truck at the moment, to compliment my Bedford OLB petrol tanker. There is a red double-decker London bus, Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars, Talbot Lago, MG, Morgan, Jaguar and others, also motorcycle, motor scooter and bicycles too. The photography is at a more advanced stage now, and I like to use black and white photography especially because of the period, which is 1958 specifically and this enhances the ' vintage ' look of the immediate post war period in this case. Anyway JC, enough of my ramblings for now...... you can have a look at the Hooper & Co diorama in the dioramas section of MCM forums, which you may have done already. David Watson ( England )

No apology necessary Eric..... Dobbies and Bobbies...... we've got them all ! ( Harry Potter appeals to all ages, and there is of course the Ford Anglia 105E in there too ). At the moment I am building a 1953 Bedford OLBD LWB Dropside lorry by Emhar, and also building a man's Vintage Bicycle which is from the Fujimi Garage Set Tools No.3 for dioramas. The Fujimi bicycle kit has 12 parts, compared to the Tamiya Vespa motor scooter which has 8 parts. Among the parts in the garage set I have found two stoves, a kettle, a fire extinguisher and one or two odd shaped parts that could come in useful. The fire extinguisher is described as a ' Digestive Organ ' according to the Fujimi kit instructions...... ? David

There you go Pat..... it has all come together really well, or should I say.... you have brought it all together really well. I like the roller shutter door, and you just want to know, what is on the other side of the roller shutter door when it is raised. Those doorways lead to somewhere and the details like the control box to operate the roller shutter door, and the door knobs, the door handles and the keyholes are all important within the environment of the diorama. You must be happy with the result. Great stuff! David

I like the two stacked up Pontiacs..... if that is what they are, Russell? David

Oh I see, ..... soon I'll have the Bobby talking...... thanks Pat, and maybe they have Dobbies in Michigan? David

Thanks for your comment Eric, and I didn't have time to reply earlier today. What is a ' Dobby ' ? Thanks also to olsbooks, and I am pleased to hear that you approve of the technique for the video testing. David

Nicely done Patrick....... those decals are looking superb on that car. I haven't built a clear bodied model car yet, but I am thinking of casting a clear body in Gedeo resin, from my mould of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. Done two Ivory White resin bodies from that mould, but not clear resin yet. Your engine and interior detail is very good, and I had to cut off the outer edges of the Rolls-Royce dashboard to fit inside the side window glass as well as the door cards. David

Pat..... now that is really interesting about the vintage bicycle, and by the way your save of the 35 Chevy with Ford wheels & frame is clever stuff! The bicycle I have in my diorama is a Shapeways lady's bicycle, which I do like, apart from the wheel spokes being a bit too thick. For some time now I have been looking at the Fujimi Garage Set on Ebay and thinking the bicycle is just what I need, but £26.00 GBP just for the man's bicycle is a bit expensive. It is a very accurate bicycle having said that. David

Yes, that does make sense, and in a way it helps me to think outside the box.

So am I right in thinking Pat, that you have two dioramas linked by a door and a roller shutter door? This has set me thinking how I might extend my diorama..... I just need that shelving system that you have there...... and a bigger house! David

Nice job on the muffler Mark....... just remind me please..... this Lotus is a 1:24 scale model car is it?.... or is it 1:12 scale? David

As usual, your attention to detail is first class Tulio, and I like all 1940's and 1950's motor cars, including American, British, French and Italian too. David

" The microwave's digital display will make a table "........ of course, and why not. Nothing goes to waste, Pat. I like the way your eye is drawn to the window in the room, and then you notice what is in the next room. Creates a feeling of space and depth. David

As others on here have said Mark, your skilled scratch building for this project is something to admire, and indeed learn from. Certainly, this type of work is beyond my skill level, and I like the 3D drawings showing your detailed understanding of each component part. David

The old Monogram kits of the 1930's motor cars are so interesting and well made too. Your build is really nice Dominik and I do like that paint colour. You seem to have got the lighting just perfect to show off the model beautifully in the photos. Well done! David

Oh yes, I see now. The crushed corner shows up more clearly after you applied primer, and then very clearly once you applied silver or aluminium. At the moment I am building an early 1950's Bedford dropside lorry ( truck ) to carry various different loads around the diorama. Placed a built Tamiya Morgan 4/4 sports car on the load area of the lorry, which looks absolutely perfect, in terms of both size and colour. I need to scratch build a couple of ramps for the Morgan to be hauled up onto the truck, and also scratch build a tarpaulin cover and ropes.The roping and sheeting items can be stored in the box rack on top of the cab roof. David

I really like your roller shutter door Pat, and I notice the damaged area down in the bottom left corner, which is so typical of the kind of damage you very often see with these real doors. Maybe someone tried to break into the garage.... or maybe a mechanic brought the door down on an obstruction of some kind.... You could so easily have made this door with no damage, but it's just like the weathering and ageing techniques that make a diorama much more interesting and authentic. You are going to tell me now that you damaged the door while making it, and it is accidental rather than intentional ? Certainly, the roller shutter door looks real from your photo of the end wall. Thr chain is correct to scale also. David

My first thought Mike, was that the tubes were six vertical induction trumpets..... like you get on some V8 engines...... no, it's a battery ! David