Advice Requested for Diorama Parts:

[Dead-Eye]

Hello! I am currently construction a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles diorama for a client. They requested the vintage 1988 action figures for display, which I believe range in size from about 5-6 inches tall depending on the figure. I will be doing a cut-away view in a piece of 10 inch diameter PVC pipe. What I am looking for is a manufacturer of plastic or foam brick for dioramas. I would like to line the inside wall of the pipe with brick or stone to make it look more like a sewer tunnel. I know I could cut the bricks individually from modeling foam but it would be extremely time consuming considering the area I have to cover. I have found sites that offer really nice brick wall portions, but the scale is much to small for the size of the figures to be used in this diorama. I am looking for something much more equal in scale to the action figures. Any help or advise on this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Richi72]

Hi,

well not sure if this is really help full because you aren't really in to cutting foam you sad but i would go with foam.

I use depron foam for all my stone walls.

1 you can decide the size of the stone.

2 you can go very realistic with the foam.

3 you don't have to cut individual stones, you can go with complete sheets and glue it in place.

if you don't mind here is a link to a little how to of making a brick wall.

Cheers Richi

 

[monica]

hi I would go with Richi,way of doing it ,once you get started its very quick and easy to do, i have used his method

and it dose true out so well,

and you can just alter the brick size to scale, a nice little way is use there hands 3/4 hand High, buy 1, 1/2 to 2 length

 

[Gern]

Richi's tutorial is just the job, but if I understand what you're trying to do, you'll need some thinner polystyrene to bend around the walls of the pipe. Same techniques, just shallower cuts for your brick outlines.

Gern

 

[eddiesolo]

As above really, or score the the tube itself, just take care.

Si

 

[Dead-Eye]

First and foremost I wanted to thank all of you for your advice and responses. I am going to reconsider using foam to line the PVC walls in order to achieve a stone or brick look. I was initially very reluctant to use this method as I know first hand just how time consuming it can be. I used the same method in a previous diorama that I recently completed. It depicted Jabba the Hutt's Rancor pit. Just covering the inside walls of a 3 sided plywood box took me several weeks. That being said, I realize that you only get out what you put in. Time, patience and attention to detail are what dioramas are generally all about. I just need to suck it up and get to work. I am also considering just cutting the PVC in half 50/50, instead of the cut-away view previously mentioned. I found some great 1/16th scale diorama accessories that will really go great with my sewer setting! Some old trash cans, a 50 gallon drum (mutagen perhaps?) and of course some to scale pizza and 2 liter soda jugs! Thanks again to all of you for lending your advice!

 

[Dead-Eye]

Richi's tutorial is just the job, but if I understand what you're trying to do, you'll need some thinner polystyrene to bend around the walls of the pipe. Same techniques, just shallower cuts for your brick outlines.Gern

This is true. Forming the polystyrene to the contour of the pipe wall will be the real trick! Thank you Gern.

 

[Dead-Eye]

Hi,well not sure if this is really help full because you aren't really in to cutting foam you sad but i would go with foam.

I use depron foam for all my stone walls.

1 you can decide the size of the stone.

2 you can go very realistic with the foam.

3 you don't have to cut individual stones, you can go with complete sheets and glue it in place.

if you don't mind here is a link to a little how to of making a brick wall.

Cheers Richi

Thank you kind sir. Your tutorial is very insightful and I will refer to it often during the construction of this project.