Alley project WIP (Some pics of the finished box dio)

Thanks PWB. Much appreciated.

 I was worried that I had bitten off more than I could chew on this project, but I made it through. Its been a year on this one so far, but I want to get it done by Christmas so that I can get going on some new ideas.

Last night I installed the last little ladder, and started touching up the brass with a brush.

There is only one more tricky part left, which is joining the horizontal pipes on the right to a down-pipe...measure twice...and measure again before cutting, and then file carefully.

Like I have said before....fantastic work. Looking at the pictures, I fell like I am back in Brooklyn. Museum quality!!!

Rounds Complete!!

Wow I think I have seen that view before!  Very very well done and something to feel very proud of!

The finest work I've seen from you so far, and the very first thing I saw from you in here made my jaw drop...masterful...Speaking of your work, how about a post with a pic or two of all of the work you have posted in here over the past couple of years for those that may be newbies and haven't had a chance to see...???

Thanks guys. I appreicate your feedback. I still have a way to go on this one, but I'll keep on plodding until I reach the end!

 Manny: Rather than start another thread, anyone who is interested can use this link http://public.fotki.com/nkhandekar  to look at photos of my builds.

vespa boy wrote:

There is only one more tricky part left, which is joining the horizontal pipes on the right to a down-pipe...measure twice...and measure again before cutting, and then file carefully.

Makes me think of that old joke: "I've cut it three times and it's still too short!"

Beautiful work! Now all you need in the windows is pictures of a bare-chested Robert Plant, an astronaut on the moon and an oversized cat's head and you've got a 3D replication of the Physical Graffiti album cover!

Jim I have not thought of that Led Zeppelin album since high school. You are bang on. Thank you.

I've now finished the construction of the alley walls. There is still some paint and weathering to do. This update has the drain pipes completed on the RHS and LHS  and cable TV added, and a loose cable on the small side wall. I'll soon be able to screw the box sides together. I am now working on the front wall which is a hotel window which looks over the alley. The main components are in place and I'll have the rest of it done in a short time. As always any comments are welcome. Thanks for looking.

overall view

Detail showing the cable

The drains on the RHS painted and all glued together

Side wall with loose cable added

Hotel room being planned. You'll look through this window to see the alley. A room with a view.

Great to se you back with an update of this. It's a stunner, by all accounts. I'd say no one does what you do, better than you. It's a  wonder everytime I look in. I have the feeling this is going to really need to be viewed in person when finished.though..I'm sure you'll post plenty of shots "through the looking glass"?

OUTSTANDING work. I was just looking at a couple of the pics and my wife (working on her computer next to me) said "Why are you looking at photos of old buildings?" When I told her what it was, she was amazed.

Jim

Incredible workmanship Vespa !

Thanks Jim Buddho and Indy. When I get praise from respected peers it means a lot. .

I am working on the logistics of getting a mirror in place and deciding which is better, a glass mirror or the "first surface" mirrors that oldhooker uses for his airliner in flight dios. I'm going to just have to try both and see what works. I also have to order some 1/700 scale PE steps to use as louvers for the room heater.

I want to get the two sides and bottom of the box together in the next week (the lid will have to be constructed by a cabinet maker, its beyond me to do neat woodwork). And then a visit to a fabric store for some "carpet" and "curtains". Finally its all falling together.

I'll post more updates as I make progress.

You continue to amaze me...are the fire-escape structures going to stay in dark paint, or are you going to weather them down?

Thanks Mannie. I'm going to weather the fire escapes a little, add some streaking and a wash of a light dust colour to collect in the nooks and crannies. I also want to have a darker patch on one of the doors where a sign protected the paint before falling off.  I have noticed that fire escapes are usually in pretty good condition, which suggests to me that the penalties must be high if the fire code is not followed.

Narayan, what you do is just SOOOO unbelievably prodigious, man--it truly is just heads and tails above anyone else's work with structures and materials in terms of absolute fidelity to replication.

Words fail me. It's just ....."real;"!

Honestly---and I mean this with 100% seriousness--you should be working in Hollywood, doing backgrounds, sets, scenic pieces, etc--the works! You deserve the "big money" for your talent.

Watch me find out now that you're actually a clerk at "Starbucks" or something now! I think I'd come out there and throw you in a potato sack and drive you to Hollywood myself! LOL!

Just sincerely FABULOUS WORK!!!!

What he said   ^^^^   This is just beyond phenomenal!  Fantastic job!

Thanks Karl and DirkPitt.

Karl, I am humbled by that huge vote of confidence. I had never thought about the Hollywood angle, but my guess is that there are no big bucks for the model-makers...and its nice that you think I could fit in there, but those guys REALLY know what they are doing.

BTW I am not a clerk in Starbucks. If I were, it would be somewhere warm, like LA, not Boston!

Vaspa, there are not enough words to describe your work. It's amazing!!

Coming along beautifully!

I was thinking, when you go to look for "curtains" and "carpet," perhaps you might try a Goodwill or Salvation Army thrift store and look at the used clothing. You might find something that's faded or stained that you could cut up to replicate carpet and drapes that are aged and tired.

That's a very good idea Jim. Thanks. Thanks for your kind words mm23t.

The side wall is now attached and the wall with the mirrors is almost ready for installation. Photos soon .

A friend sent me a baggie full of resin bottles (brown green and clear) and I wanted to include one sitting either in the drains of on the landings...a little glass monument to a drunken moment. The castings were more beer bottle shaped, so I set to work getting them to look like a scale wine bottle. This was my first go. The original is on the left and on the right is the bottle I ended up with after I spent a little while whittling. I've made a couple more since and I am getting close to what I want. A Chateau Lafite label is my next bit of research...

Here are some more update photos. I have the two side walls in place now:on the left is the duct work and on the right is the mirror. It is now much more claustrophobic, which is going to be a good think in the end.

Overall:

A bottle of Chateau Lafite abandoned on the landing...this is not the final bottle, just a trial so see how it would look. Its not quite there yet.

A view of the mirror interface, which has worked better than I expected. The mirrir is a little hazy but will work in context. The vertical drain is raised a little off the wall and hides the join nicely.

I also had to join the mirror mid-way so I hid the join the a half-round rod painted to it looks like a wall reinforcement

Some more detail shots

This looks like light reflecting off a nearby window

A low angle shot

The fire escape door

More in my fotki account

Time to get the box sealed up....stay tuned.

Hi Narayan,

    Looking at the scene you are creating, one can literally feel the breeze whipping between the buildings and detect that back-alley smell; absolutely beautiful work!! 

     The hazy reflection gives the scene its realistic deph of field.....

.... which is one of the qualities that make the mirrors so well suited for modeling, regardless of the subject.       Any half object against the mirror further aides in fooling the viewer.

    Outstanding work, as usual, and will continue watching with interest!     Thanks!

Take care, 

Frank  

Thanks Frank. You are right about the mirrors giving a sense of depth. It really works well. I would never have known about the mirrors if it hadn't been for your amazing in flight airliner dios. I can't wait to see your 747 project take off.

~Most impressive Narayan! It's quite increadable really. Gives one the feeling of being there, and as stated, somehow there' s enough atmosphere that a chilly breeze even seems included. Don't take this the wrong way but, It's one figure away from being the finest Batman Diorama ever seen. Batman I say? Well, that would add interest 

It gets better every time you post... even tho it was already great many posts ago.  This has to be published in the FSM!  Hope you are keeping documents of your work.  They are always looking for something different and new to be published...

That's a great idea about submitting an article, Narayan!

They are always looking for something different and new to be published...

Yes, that's what I thought also, Andy; I submitted an article using the mirrors back in October '08 which was enthusiastically accepted, but has been on indefinite hold ever since...?        

*INDY

It's one figure away from being the finest Batman Diorama ever seen. Batman

 

Indy: Funny you should say that. I was watching the most recent Batman movie and I think it was filmed in Chicago as the fire-escapes are almost identical to the ones I photographed in the Windy City and used as a reference for this diorama. I am afraid that it may be a VERY VERY long time before I include a figure in any of my dios. They are something that just don't interest me.

DP and Frank the idea of an article is a good one, thanks for suggesting it. I am seriously thinking about that as a possibility.