imai destroid defender

[HWR MKII]

the diorama will be built i got the wooden base yesterday and i have the materials to do it on hand but it may not be a river scene at least not a crossing. i was looking at poseability of the model and size of the wood and they wont lend themselves to a "river" crossing scene. maybe a stream or marshland. the wood is too small to make a deep cut river to go on it. and the models knees wont bend enough to give the river a steep slope. i plan on doing something with water in it though. the acrylic gel gomes in a tube over here and it isnt easy to find its probably easier in the states.

the project is on hold again due to the flu. i cant stop sneezing and coughing long enough to cncentrate on making it. i hope i get better soon

[jardann]

You've had enough time to recuperate!

Now get back to work on that diorama!! jk

Hope you're feeling better, especially for the holidays.

[HWR MKII]

well im better now and have 3 days till christmas so lets see what i can whack together. the destroid is finished but the hummers and abrams still need some construction and paintwork. but i have enough to shell out the base .

you know what FRACK it ill sacrifice my sturmtigers base and use it to make a decent river scene on. its big enough.

Edited December 22, 2004 by HWR MKII

[HWR MKII]

heres a list of basic supplies for making the base.

wood base, elmers white glue, sculptamold, clear acrylic gel medium, and your favorite dirt colors with a big block of styro foam packing

Edited December 22, 2004 by HWR MKII

[HWR MKII]

first the whit glue. find it at any good walmart, kmart, walgreens or food store. this will be used to glue the chunks of foam to the wood since crazy glue(cyanoacrylate) and model glues or epoxies have a trend of melting the foam.

[HWR MKII]

next is the acrylic gel. it is used to layer on the water for the stream or body of water of your choice. put it on in relatively thin layers and let it build up to the thickness you like. its also good for small windows and cockpit guages

Edited December 22, 2004 by HWR MKII

[HWR MKII]

sculptamold. this stuff is a dry powdery paper like substance that becomes thick when you mix it with water. it gets put down as groundwork to cover the foam and wood. i use it for the fact it has a good dirt like texture to it once its painted.

mix it until its like oatmeal and then slather it on. this stuff will take a day or 2 to dry in some thicker areas. DO NOT put it under a heat source to dry it since the heat and water may react with your wood base and cause it to warp.

[HWR MKII]

last is your favorite color for dirt. its up to you what you use but i like colors like dark earth and khaki(shown in pic). brush paint or airbrush them on once the sculptamold has set and your all set. ill cover other little items along the way but these items are a must for this scene.

[HWR MKII]

man did i pick a good day to do this. its been raining since 3 am and there is snow on the way.

left to right bandai VF2SS, VF1J, 72 charger street machine 1/16 (rare kit to find),MAXIMILLIAN from the black hole(even harder to find) VINCENT from the black hole(just as hard as maximillian to find) last 2 are still in work.

Edited December 22, 2004 by HWR MKII

[HWR MKII]

KIDS GET YOUR PARENTS PERMISSION. if your married or living with a girlfriend make sure they wont blow a top. this is the mess after i shaped the foam. make sure you have a good vaccuum(yes i do)

[HWR MKII]

be sure to check the shape of the foam as you cut it. ensure you can make your subject work. im doing a field test scene where the tank and the destroid will be crossing at the same time to see which one does it better.

[HWR MKII]

in a tupperware dish or nonimportant bowl mix up about a handful of sculptamold and add water until its like watery oatmeal

Edited December 22, 2004 by HWR MKII

[HWR MKII]

slather the sculptamold onto your base where you want it. smooth it out after it has set for a minute. if you look closely i have added little tufts of "weeds" around what will be the waters edge. the weeds are nothing more than toothbrush bristles cut from the brush and shoved into the sculptamold while its wet. they will stand out much better when painted. if you want to imprint a foot or track mark into the wet stuff wait until it has set for an hour or 2 and then push the subject into the material. if you do it too wet the sculptamold will stick to the model and come off the base.

now im off to drive one of my tanks around in the mud while this sets up.

Edited December 22, 2004 by HWR MKII

[jardann]

Wow, I feel like I have great power ordering you around like I did! j/k

If I could get my wife and kids to respond like that I'd be a very happy man!

Since your working hard and making such good progress I'll reward you with a little time off for Christmas!

Everything looks great. Thanks for the step by step info. I'm really enjoying watching this build!

[HWR MKII]

sorry for no updates recently. im having trouble with the gel meduim. always test something new out before you waste alot of material on it. the gel gets foggy when its too thick. i may have to go for a type of polyeurathane or shellac to do the water. so cross the gel meduim off the list. its still good for puddles and such just not things a quarter inch thick or more.