Planning First Diorama.............Help Needed

[BigBlockLyle]

Hello all, as some of you may know, Im planning out my first diorama. I have a floorplat/blueprint made with wall lengths on it, which the biggest part of the building is 28"x35" with a 14"x20" section cut out of one corner. I am planning on using a base of 1/2" thick plywood cut down to 40"x60". This is as far as I have gotten, and dont really know what to do next other than buy the wood and lay it out with the actual dimensions I planned for on paper. Any help is greatly appreciated. BTW, the diorama will be in 1/24-1/25 scale.

Thanks

Benjamin.

[crazyjim]

I'm not much of a diorama person, but yours is going to be HUGE!! Have you looked in the diorama section? Industrial photo op and 2 car garage are being built.

[Jim B]

For a diorama that size, I'd think 1/2" plywood wouldn't be strong enough to support it when you need to move it. It might be heavier, but you might consider 3/4".

Also, have you seen these: Scale Modeling by Chris? They might be helpful. As would Scale Equipment, Ltd..

[GTMust]

First of all, welcome to the world of diaramas.

At 40" x 60" you could almost build a whole street! That's a major commitment for your first diarama. And it will not be easy to move around. It would be better to break it down into smaller, more manageable sections that could be joined together if you need a bigger scene. Do you have some kind of idea about the type of building/s? Commercial, industrial, residential, street scene or?

You've started off right, as the first thing to do is to create some kind of sketch layout on paper. Keep sketching until you come up with a layout you like but remember, it will probaly change a lot as you build it... as you find that things won't fit as you first imagined. Remember that 1/2" on your diarama represents 1'-0' in real life. Can you show us a pic of the layout you plan?

Once you have a layout idea in mind, many people here can help you with construction methods and materials. A whole book can be written, and has been, on the subject of diarama construction. So to try to generalise in the forum would take pages and pages. Good luck with your plans.

[vaughn]

That is very ambitious. But with respect,I agree with the others. Check some other sites out on Dioramas...techniques and sizes. For a first,you want to rethink the size and come up with a plan and or theme first. Good luck.

[BigBlockLyle]

The main idea for my diorama is a repurposed commercial garage/body shop, that the owner will use to work on his own projects (he has lots of them). I may change the size when I lay it out on the plywood, but I have it sketched off in 3 general areas: Office, General Shop, and Body & Paint. I do know that I want it to still be large enough to pull my semi into and work on it. The base is going to be big because it will not only have the building, but a parking lot, a dead end commercial street, and a fenced off vehicle storage area. This diorama will not be moved very often as when I get done it wont be coming out of the basement. It will be for me only and mainly used for pics and showing to friends. I will try to scan the layout and post it on here tonight.

Thanks

Benjamin.

Edited December 19, 2010 by BigBlockLyle

[Tony T]

Make sure you have a very sturdy base for this, as it is going to be heavy. If you plan on making it in place and leaving it there in your basement, I'd build a 2x4 frame so you have no issues with weight as you add to your dio. If there is a chance you are going to move it at all, consider it being able to be broken down for carrying and transport.

Will be watching this cool and ambitious project!

[GTMust]

I agree with Tony.

You might want to check out some model railway websites and forums to get a design for the base supports. Lowes or Home Depot have free plans to build a sturdy workbench that might also work for you. The diarama will also have to be located away from the wall as you'll never be able to reach across 40" to the back of it.

I'll definitely be interested in how you overcome these problems.

Edited December 22, 2010 by GTMust

[BigBlockLyle]

George, Im on the north side of Peoria by about an hour. But, if I remember correctly, it was yours, Envious, and 1320Wayne's dios that made me want to do a big diorama. Bracing and that I have no problem with as I have a bunch of wood left out in the garage that I can make braces out of.

[ronr]

Ben, Your project sounds like there will be a lot of room for detail. When I built Pops Texaco I used 1/2" Plywood with a frame built from 1" x 2"s. It was 26"x38" if I remember correctly. The surface was made from Durhams Rock Hard putty. When finished it took 2 people move it and set it up. A project the size of your is going to have some weight to it. If there is any thing I can help with just ask.

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=22440&st=0&p=203062&hl=pops%20texaco&fromsearch=1&#entry203062

Edited December 28, 2010 by ronr