R & R Malaysian Scene 1975(WIP)

Thanks Narayan, that's a good idea. Instead of paper fliers, the locals use pieces of plywood planks tied with wire. The advert is usually for plumbing or garage services.

Let's see if I can scrounge up some scrap wood, wire and paint.

Cheers,

Richard

Thanks Jason, I really appreciate what you've said. I'm glad my techniques are helpful.

I didn't mention how I painted the tree and underbrush around the billboard...well the method I used was to spray an undercoat of very dark green almost black. This will act as the shadows under tropical sunlight, then sprayed layers of a lighter shade of fresh green and yellow from the top adding spurts of Tamiya Lime green. Better still you can pick out details using a brush with the Lime green.

I would have loved to enter this in the "Official No after market Group Build" but alas two of my figures have Hornet heads plus the Banana and Yam plant were AM products although a lot of work had to be done to get it to look real at least.

You're right patients will get this done eventually and hopefully I won't disappoint.

Cheers,

Richard

The wiring really looks good Richard. Well done. Are there any extra little doo-dads that you are planning of hanging off the pole and/or wiring...maybe some paper fliers stuck at the base of the pole?

rtfoe,

The street scene is looking excellent! I will bookmark your thread to follow your techniques for modeling realistic jungle type vegetation. The banana plant shows how close one can be made in scale to the original, great eye for detail, accuracy and creativity to build you own.

The only critique is waiting to see the final scene, take your time the results are worth it!

Jason

Hey thanks Adam, Andy and Pawel.

Adam - Yup same ol same ol me. Chugging along merrily and finding new challenges that are fulfilling when I accomplish it. Not far to go now.

Andy - Hold your horses, although I appreciate it but I'm still eons from being called a master. There are many others I would lie prostate or bow because of their achievments. Glad you're liking the WIP and happy to have you along.

Pawel - Most humbly thank you for your contribution. Also found another use for the 10 gauge wire...they're good for antennas. I'm going to replace all existing antennas with it.

I've got some progress on the figure site if you'd like to see.

Cheers,

Richard

Hello Richard!

That's a really nice installation! I'm glad I could be of assistance! Keep it up & have a nice day

Pawel

WOW!  This is a truly work of a master.  Now I want to climb those poles!  It has been fun following your work...

Richard-

Scratchmade pole & wiring looks every bit of brilliant my friend.

Well done per usual  

You're putting me into a spot Narayan. I'm hoping to get wires that are stiff enough to stay suspended. The only way I can think of for the ends is to snip it off at where it stops in the dio.

I found the guitar strings just right however the 16gauge one works best. They have a natural slight curve which will help in the sag of the wires.

I coated the wires with Mr Metal Primer before painting.

Painted the wires black. Will trim it when I put it on the dio. So far looks ok.

I've seen the tapering lamp posts and your aluminium tank barrel idea works best. You could try telescoping the tubing, coat it with putty and sand to taper if you're only making one.

Thanks for looking.

Cheers,

Richard

Richard:

I am looking forward to seeing how you solve the age-old problem of what to do when power lines reach the edge of a diorama. I do know you will put a lot of meticulous thought and planning into it, which is why I am so curious.

My thoughts about the aluminum tank barrels was for tapering lamp posts...there are a lot around Boston which is what got me thinking that way in the first place. I completely understand why you chose tubing in this case. I was off on a tangent!

Thanks Pawel,

Just got the guitar strings from the shop during my lunch break. They were cheap at RM2 each that would roughly be US 65 cents. They're nice and springy. Thanks for the idea.

Have to wait till work quietens down to execute the telegraph wiring.

Cheers,

Richard

Don't worry, we'll wait. Good models just take time. And in the time you're not building, you'll sure think about it, maybe get some cool ideas, get more enthusiasm, so it's only for the better. I look forward to updetes on this one, have a nice day

Pawel

Bitter sweet news... lots of work in the office meaning good for the future... no building time meaning R & R is stalled for now. I won't even be able to complete it for the local GB. Anyways I'll be inspired to look forward to continuing down the road.

Thanks all for keeping pace with this build.

Cheers,

Richard

Hi Richard~

I really think the ethnic diversity well-modeled in your figure work will really make this scene the masterwork I believe it to be---not to mention taking the long,long time That's really the way to do things right. These things take a great deal of time--no good way around that. The figures you are putting together are just a rare bit of reality I seldom see even approached (When those figures are placed in your scene we are to really witness greatness).  As for the other thing--if you say enough said, that's good enough for me, in fact, even though one feels compeled to contest the dung being spoke, it's often best to not give them yet another chance to open thier mouths.

Hi Adam, glad to have you back...no worries for being missing.

I couldn't help noticing the fireworks happening in the adjacent forums. Pity and enough said.

Masterwork?...not so sure, let's see how it turns out first but it's getting exciting for me, that is. Apologise for the long WIP but that's me... a bluddy tortoise some would say.

I hope to part with as much experience in building up this dio and thank the guys for hanging in there.

You will see in the end that all my figures in the dio are of different races that make up our country, Malaysia. We're still working hard to maintain the unity for the future as we have done in the past.

Great hobby this.

Cheers,

Richard

Cool idea Pawel, thanks. I'll ask a collegue if he has any broken strings from his collection of guitars.

Cheers,

Richard

Hi Richard--

Sorry I missed a few posts.More wonderful progress on your Masterwork. we're coming to a very exciting part of this long project aren't we? Look forward to it.......

Glad I could help, and I have another idea for you - ask them guitar guys for broken strings, they usually throw them away, so there might be a freebie in it for you!

Have a nice weekend

Pawel

Hi Pawel, that easy huh.

Thanks for the heads up on the sag...also there's a guitar shop nearby my office. I'll pop in to look at the strings and get the right size ones for the cables. Now I won't be so worried about the glass case bending the wires. Thanks again Pawel.

Cheers,

Richard

Oh, that's easy Richard - you just hit the reply button, and then you get to write the subject field. It's so easy I wonder nobody misuses it yet.

Copper wire makes perfect sense, however you might want to consider thin guitar strings here - they are much more resistant to damage, should something touch them. With the cables running to the shop, please remember they have to sag at least a little, so don't stretch them too much.

Good luck with your projects, have a nice day

Pawel

Thanks WaiKong. Coming from you is a great compliment. I hope my final compo with the figures won't disappoint.

I got to see your article in FSM...really cool.

Cheers,

Richard

Thanks Steve...I too find it hard to retrieve my tongue from the floor whenever I see your figures in go for broke. If only I can get half the finish on my R&R figures.

Cheers,

Richard 

Hi Narayan...thanks for the tip from Ken Hamiltons Diner...real awesome builds. His electric poles are wooden and I think he uses stretched sprue for the thinner wires. Good inspiration for me.

BTW use plastic, aluminum or brass tubing from the hobby shops that stock them would be much cheaper than the aluminum turned tank barrels although you could still use them if it suites you. I'm a bit of a cheapskate and will use any scrap I can find.

Cheers,

Richard

Thanks Pawel for correcting the header. How did you do it?

As for the wires...I thought of using thin gauge copper wire. Since the pole is at the edge of the dio and to clear the glass case, the wires will be short and thread through the pre-drilled insulators. The wire leading to the shop house will probably be nylon invisible thread which is much stronger and will take the stretching.

Thanks for asking.

Cheers,

Richard

I've been following your progress, and while I was intially impressed by what you've done. I'm notching that up to 'blown away'.  Forget the realistic plants, the sign, the weathering on the shed - what strikes me the most is that everything comes together to give a sense of place. One look, and I am in Southeast.

the sound you may have just heard is my draw hittin' the floor. Outstanding! Remarkable! Jealous!

Steve!

Nice work on that telepgraph pole Richard. A little weathering and it will fit right in. I've often wondered if those aluminium turned tank barrels could be used for traffic light/telepgraph poles.

Check out Ken Hamilton's diner diorama http://public.fotki.com/khamilton/models/ and see what he did with his HO scale electricity

Howdy Richard!

A very nice looking dio and I read it so many times its a wonder this is my first comment in this thread. The pole is looking really nice, I wonder how you are going about the wires.

By the way, I fixed the Subject for you - you see when you place the "&" character in the subject somehow it ends up displayed as & after every reply and after a few replys you get this &amp... So I recommend avoiding &s in the subject.

Good luck with your project, have a nice day

Pawel

Hi Fellas,

I was just telling Steve in the figure forum that I had thought of adding an electric pole to R&R. There was a debate about whether the poles at the time(1975) were metal or wood. A recent program on the Malayan Emergency in the '50s settled that they were at the time already made of steel.

Figures here:  /forums/t/130433.aspx?PageIndex=2

I got some photographs of existing telecommunication poles in the old part of my town to refer to:

I then proceeded with the WIP using part of a sign pole from Tamiya slotted into a larger clear plastic tube tapered at the joint and some plastic card.

I added the bracings and insulaters from the Mini Art Telegraph pole set as I couldn't find the Italeri one I had.

I made the circuit box from plastic sheet...

Also added foot braces to the length of the pole.

Then I gave it a coat of base paint...weathering to come later.

I set it on the dio to see the effect...looks ok. I will attache wire and insulators to the shop house later.

That's all for now and thanks for looking. C& C welcomed.

Cheers,

Richard