Dinghy diorama

[Hector Bell]

This little diorama was an exercise in mud and planking. It's in 7mm-1Ft scale.  The Dinghy is a model of my Uncle's little boat, made in Pearwood veneer.

[marc_reusser]

Beautifully done! Looks like the real thing. I had to look a couple of times to make sure it wasn't.

Can you tell explain a bit how/what was used to do the scenery?

Marc

[Hector Bell]

Hi Marc, thanks for the kind words.  I am quite basic with techniques.  The substrate is polystyrene foam to the rough outline and contour, then plaster is spread over it with a hint of the detailing like the streams and rills of water.  The plaster I used is a hard moulding compound called Chrystacal K. It's the one used by Lilliput Lane, etc.  Once it's set I file, sandpaper to shape and engraved the slabs of the seawall with home made chisels.  The mud is just painted with yacht varnish for the wet look.  The grass is medical bandage lint, stuck down with contact adhesive, then worked up with enamel and gouache paints and powders. I use oil pastels and grind them myself. Much cheaper than buying weathering compounds with an infinite range.
The stile and the mooring staithe are hard woods, carved and painted to look old and decrepit.  This is based on a real scene from my childhood and made me a life long boat lover.
Building the dinghy would take a seperate article I think, but I'd be happy to prepare one.  Cheers, Martin

[marc_reusser]

Beautiful. Thanks for the explanation. Really has the feel of those Channel marshes.

"Medical Bandage Lint"? 

Is this scene a part of a larger dio/module?

If you feel like doing it I would be interested in how the dinghy was done. Looks like it was "prototypically" built.

Marc

[lab-dad]

I also would love to see / hear how the dingy was made.
Beautiful work - Russ its not a train, but sure is neat! (hint, hint....)
-Marty

[Hector Bell]

Marty, thanks for the kind words.  I would happily do a description of the dinghy construction, but when I did, my machine wiped it as I corrected some spelling. It took half an hour and it just went.  I'm asking around how to do it again safely as I'm not good on these things!  If I can do it offline then transfer to the forum it will be done, so all I can say is watch this space.
A good start is to read any book on clinker built boats.  It sounds complex when you read it, but actually becomes one of those jobs that just "flows" when you get started.
Cheers, Hector     PS to Marc, lint is a fluffy cloth used to cover wounds.

[jay_imok]

this is very nicely done

[HectorBell]

Hi Jay and thanks for the kind words.  Welcome to the forum.
I'll have to do that article some time on building the dinghy.  If I can remember how I did it!
Hector

[TRAINS1941]

Hector

I'm in total agreement with everyone else, oustanding.  Please put on the thinking cap and remember how you did this it would be a terrific thread, would be very helpful for people doing waterfront scenes.

Jerry

[RoughboyModelworks]

Hector:

Nicely done - the mud shore is quite convincing. I'm interested in the open boat construction as well. Reminds me of some of the work by Ewart Freeston. He published a superb book several years ago about modelling open boats. Believe I have a copy of that around here somewhere - now I'm going to have to look for that as well...

Bill

[HectorBell]

I can tell you roughly how I did it, but if you have Ewart Freeston's book you'll have all you need, EXCEPT... I seem to remember he carves the shell as thin as an egg and planks over it.  That, I didn't like.  I don't think it practical.
I made a jig like a boatbuilder would, made a keel and stempost unit, put up a midshps section and a transom and started planking.  You'd be better off getting a good book on clinker boatbuilding.  I'm really strapped for time and space, so I can't actually buildone for the article just yet, but I will have a go for you soon.
Meantime, go get some really fine grain wood veneer from a marquetry supplier, something like pear or sycamore.  I'll join you later!
Hector

[Hector Bell]

Just reconnected as I miss the quality work on here and with winter approaching, the scenic muse is upon me.
I'd forgotten all about this thread and only just found the actual diorama after a couple of years in storage.

Since work is a bit thin on the ground I thought i'd have a go at the build explanation since some people were interested.  I see you're all still here, so would it be of interest if I did a build how-to on the wee boat now?

My dear bride just bought me the two books that I consider my bibles, The Inshore Craft of Britain in the Days of Sail and Oar, by Edgar March.  I always fancied doing a collection of model fishing boats right round the coast for display.
Maybe a small diorama setting for each might be better, but I could select a simple one from the book and do a run through on how to build a scale model boat.  The dinghy took a long evening to make and another to paint and letter.  So it's well worth doing to save the enormous costs of buying a moulded one.

I look forward to your responses.
Cheers,
Martin

[eTraxx]

I would like to see a 'how to' on a small open boat. That is about the only room I will have on my On30 module ..

[Hector Bell]

What IS a module?  I've no idea.  Too modern.  We used to have baseboards or little layouts and finally dioramas, which are of course really set-pieces.

Martin

[gin sot]

I've been working on some small boats.  My primary reference is Tidecraft: The Boats Of South Carolina, Georgia, and Northeastern Florida, 1550-1950.  I'm glad I bought it a few years back, since it's out of print and goes for around $150 these days.

It's pretty easy to construct accurate replicas out of styrene, since the original "bateau"-style boats I need were roughly cobbled together from dimensional lumber.  The larger steamboats, sloops, and schooners I'm eventually going to need will be a lot more challenging.