ZombieHunter26

Haha! Cranky, you know I'm in. (I kind of have a head start though ) but I may just start something new for this one, who knows!

thanks harry!

ENJOY! 'til next time!

AFTER more after the break...

Here's some before and afters for reference- BEFORE printed sheet- sheet after cutouts-

This is a new 'larger detail piece' (the function of which I will leave up to your speculations until I finish it ) (you'll have to click this one >.< ) http://images44.fotk...9_145756-vi.jpg 'til next time!

"NO SMOKING BEYOND THIS POINT" and worker schedule "DANGER- ELECTRICAL HAZARD" Quarterly supply list (slightly damaged) Still more coming...

I did a tutorial in the how to section on scale signage/posters/etc and I figured I'd update you guys on what I've been working on while waiting for the foamboard to fill out my structure. I added some signage, posters, and 'schedules' to the dio. propaganda poster! "The ENEMY is LISTENING- KEEP IT TO YOURSELF" another propaganda poster- "AMERICA CALLING- Take Your Place In CIVILIAN DEFENSE" COSHH poster and "protect your HANDS! you work with them" more past the break...

i will be uploading some new pics in my diorama post, and i will take the related pictures from that and post them in a reply over here

So, I was fiddling with my detail work in my diorama today and realized that I have a unique way of making my own signage for my builds. Whether it's for caution signs, propaganda posters, or just random detail work, this is how I do it. First things first, I think of -what- it is I wanted to make, and then open up a photo/paint program (for this tut, I will just say MSpaint, but you can get better results and detail with photoshop or gimp 2.6- the freeware version of photoshop). I then open up google images, and then type in what it is I am looking for. For example, I wanted some propoganda posters, industrial safety signs, and some spreadsheet looking images for my dio. Once you find something you want to use, right click the -thumbnail- of the picture you want. this will provide you with a good start for your scale picture. Click "copy image" and then open up your paint window and press ctrl+v. Voila, you have just started a page of "decals" for your model. Resize the "floated" image to your liking (i usually pop it down about 50-75% myself) before left clicking the open space to complete the pasting, and repeat for however many images you need. I usually fill my sheet before printing it out, so as not to waste paper- and I always make at least two copies just in case i make a cutting or detailing mistake. Once you've got your printed images, cut them out as neatly as possible. I use my #11 blade and a straight edge for this, however you can use whatever you feel comfortable with. Take your cut-outs and line the back side with a light spread of superglue (I use superglue because it gives a good rigidness for one of my later steps) and lay it evenly on another sheet of computer paper. Flatten it with a paper towel in a swift motion to get rid of air bubbles, and let cure for ten minutes. Do this with each one, making sure to keep them even and straight. From this step you have a multitude of options. You can coat them with a light brushover of clearcoat (flat or gloss, depending on what you want) to give it a nice, clean look- Or you can "age" them like I did with mine. To age your signage, take the appropriate color for the material your signage is representing (for mine, I used Citadel Colors' Yellow Ink, since my signage is representing paper-based materials) and set it to the side. Take your #11 blade and flat-edge it against your glued cutouts. Give them a good light scrape around the edges, and a few lighter scrapes evenly down the middle. Done correctly, this should make for a good faded look (and the rigidness of the superglue bond helps tremendously with this) to start with. You then take a small flat-edged brush (one with medium bristles) and "wash" your cutouts in their appropriate ink lightly. remember to dab them off as you go with a dry paper towel, and then let them dry out. Once they've dried, use the same method you used earlier to make your cutouts to remove the signage from the sheet, making sure to keep your cuts even and straight. Your are now ready to glue your home-made signage to your diorama or model (for which I also recommend superglue)! After gluing, feel free to fine-detail your signage with paint or inks to your specific liking. I hope this tutorial comes in handy for you guys!

Much appreciated, Doc! And I definitely will be continuing this. I'm just waiting on some foamboard to fill in the space between the interior and exterior walls (to help with some of the slightly uneven parts, as well as the scale wall thickness accuracy), before I continue work on the structural points of the pump house. I am, however, still scratchbuilding some small bits here and there for detail points. The repair bench wall is just a little naked for my tastes, and that locker could use something stashed away on top of it 'til next time!

thanks tony. i will say it's a bit daunting though knowing that i'm still not even 25% done with the entire piece! It's really fun so far though. I think once i get the main attraction pieces out of the way, the rest will be cake. Oh, and before I forget- I need to say thanks to Chuck Most for his suggestion of blackwashing to bring out the detail a little more. It -really- helps that oily, rusty steam damage look the interior of this piece needed. More to come soon!

free is -always- a good price.

I'll upload more later, but for now it's back to the workbench! 'til next time, -Rob

Locker Detail (kinda fuzzy >.< Sorry)- Sorta better angle on the right side new detail- Left side, new detail (status display for pressure housing)-

Fan Detail- Repair Bench Detail- Right side new details (drain pit, supply locker, repair bench)-

Ok, I've done some more work and finally got the opportunity to take pictures of my progress so far. Here's some pics to whet the appetite: Overview of the pump house interior(still adding minor details) Front Interior pump house detail- Rear Interior pump house detail-

I need to invest in something better than scotch tape and a soda can, my hands are a testament to overspray problems. I may have to use your spray can top/pick method for my smaller parts!

Another idea, if you've got some laying around (god knows I do, especially for the multitude of migraines I get), but the little bottles of equate brand acetaminophen (500mg 10tab tube) makes for some good tubing as well- just cut below the screw cap and above the rounded off bottom and you've got yourself a nice little 2" long 3/4" diameter tube that's about... I'd like to say 0.4 gauge thick? I don't have a way to measure the gauge exactly but I've used this method for the dio I'm working on. Of course, I wouldn't go out buying tons of these little mini bottles just for parts use, but if you've got 'em lying around... Also, medicine bottles work wonders in a pinch. -Rob

Thanks guys! I am -just- finishing up the interior of the pump station, adding little bits here and there- Then it's on to the exterior walls and the removable roof (for viewing purposes ). And good thinking Doc, I was actually going to have the vehicle posted right in the front of the pump station, and as the scene progresses the vehicle will end up being a means of cover for our war-torn heroes. On a side note- I ended up tearing down the pump station's original exterior piece- during the process of building the interior i found that my original plan was not quite thought out well enough at first. So it's back to the drawing board for the second phase of the pump station build >.< but alas- sometimes the best ideas come after making a mistake or two. I have decided on a material for the pavement sections for my little corner of this industrial park. My dad has some old black roofing tile with grit and grain in it that looks to be perfect for 1:18 scale pavement/blacktop. I will be cutting sections of it to slide between the buildings, and the consistency of the material will allow for believable ruptures, cracks and mortar holes. I am excited to see all my work pay off. I will be adding more pictures to the gallery soon, keep your eyes peeled! -Rob

So I've been working on this piece for the past few weeks. I'm having to do this the cheap way, seeing as how I have limited funds- Scrap signage plastic(luckily, it's styrene based), 3 3/4" figures(of which I have amassed a good collection of), and random pieces of plastic I find that catch my eye have been the baseline for my materials. Here is the link to the gallery- http://public.fotki.com/cryodert/dio-stuff/ Just wanted to open this topic as a heads up for you to keep your eyes open, because I am quite pleased with what I have accomplished thus far. As a side note, I am building this piece in sections- which I have found to be easier than assembling a base first. I am not quite sure how large the entire piece will be, and I prefer not to be limited by a set amount of space at the moment. 'til next time... -Rob P.S. Oh, and to give a description of what I plan to have in the diorama- There will be a pump station set in an old industrial park, surrounded by a few aged and slightly destroyed buildings. The pump station will be manned by post-american rebellion fighters (basically remnants of american militants and service personnel after WW3) attempting to repurpose it for their own use. They will have a small security detail as lookout, and for good reason- there's a medium sized enemy patrol... coming right for them. The enemy patrol hasn't spotted the rebels just yet, but they may be in for a good fight.

Great work, I can't wait to see the finished piece. Just wanted to let you know, I ended up learning a technique or two from those vids...that I am now applying to my own diorama