
I then turned to the bents. I cut the legs and caps from 12” x 12” lumber. The prototype doubled the caps which were each different lengths. I cut my caps in a similar pattern with the shorter lengths on the bottom. Once again I used my razor saw to roughen the timbers and my hobby knife to add deeper gouges to the wood.
You will notice I’ve began adding a few bulkhead timbers to strengthen the bent legs, however, I left most off to allow me to work with the plaster. I have also temporarily added strip wood to the base of the bents which will act as the back of the mold for the plaster footings.
I used Styrofoam as a base for my concrete castings. I glued two bulkhead board to the back of the legs and built up the forms using stripwood. Using white glue, I temporarily attached the forms to the styrofoam base. My concrete mix was poured into the form and allowed to set up but not cure. While still setting, I removed the forms and used a damp makeup sponge to roughen the castings and expose the sand in the plaster.


To create the waterline effect on the wood and concrete, I started with a base coat of light-gray acrylic paint from Ak-Interactive. I created a wash by thinning the paint in water and dabbing it onto the legs, concrete footings and bulkhead board with a brush. I let each coat dry until I was satisfied with the look. Then another wash of AK-Interactive earth enamel was made and allows to flow over then light-gray acrylic.
Good suggestion for modelers to try their hand at a diorama.
I think they should follow your lead to keep the scene simple with a single focal point.
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I have learned so much through out the years from building dioramas. I remember when I was younger reading fantastic articles in the Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette from you and Bob Brown that got me started.
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Thank you. That was far far away in an another galaxy
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Great little mini project. Since I’m not at the scenery stage on my layout, a small diorama is a great way to get to play in that area of the hobby. I think it’s time to build a small diorama for my office.
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You will learn a lot from building them. They are not daunting like a larger layout. I personally have found that I fear mistakes less when I’m working on a smaller footprint. It’s quite liberating!
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