Very Large Street Dio WIP

Sorry , I thought this thread was started by Tigertankman in regards to his display idea which I think is great. My apologies.

Re IPMS I would not know the US scene however here in NZ I attended a model expo thingy in Waitakere [which is part of Auckland] recently which had quite a number of model club displays, vendors etc which the IPMS was only a part - one table.  Where I live there are two groups of enthusiasts, both with strong membership covering all areas of modelling/collecting, who are not part of the IPMS and do things differently.  All have the facility for thematic collections/displays and often display themes e.g. Monte Casino/Pacific Air War/Maori Battalion/Vietnam The TET/same model out of the box etc. etc.  The public seem to enjoy themes and of course it gives, me the modeller, something to aim at and I can compare and contrast my efforts.

Looking at Tigertankman's display idea, it would not look out of place here, in fact it would probably add interest for the public.

Tigertankman, if you used your imagination or idea you may be able to stretch the modular concept further to incorporate other settings - e.g. town centre, countryside, river etc using the ideas that wargamers and model railroaders use to mount them together.  One modeller in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand, used about four modules to display a street scene.  All modules could be displayed independent of each other and were stored on shelves.  Okay when mounted together there was this seam/join line that he could hide by a bit of ground cover. More the pity I had shots of the modules on disk but cannot seem to find them.  Oh well! as they say, back to the drawing board.

All-in-all agreat idea Tigertankman , well done. 

Major Nuisance, no problem, I understand your points, and to be honest, like I said, if Tigertankman wants to build a "dio" like this, who the heck are we to say anything disparaging about it? With all due and sincere respect, I just think you've misinterpreted the reasons for the posts that I and some others have made.

I was just honestly putting myself in his shoes, and thinking, "Hmm...the idea will come out great, and I'l' want to show it off to people."

The logical place to do that would be a local hobby contest. And I only tried to help out from a base of knowledge with which I have some experience. I just wouldn't want to see the scenario happen which I related, because it could sour a person's impreesion and willingness to participate in shows. contests, etc.

I truly believe that model shows and contests foster and promote our hobby. There's nothing like going to a show and feeling the inspiration from a fabulous build, and then going out and getting that kit and giving it a whirl yourself. A lot of young builders start here. I always see Dads picking up kits with their kids.

But a bad experience with what you feel to be poor or biased judging--without understanding the standards and rules of the contest and the framework in which it exsts---can really put a damper on the enthusiasm. I was just trying to be helpful, not condescending.

PS--as an avid contest participant here in the USA, I can't think of one that I've attended which hasn't used a version of the IPMS rules? 

the doog wrote:

PS--as an avid contest participant here in the USA, I can't think of one that I've attended which hasn't used a version of the IPMS rules?

The Doog, rather interested in this as here in dear old NZ even IPMS as a national less body cannot agree on rules etc. etc.  Most IPMS branch shows are based on IPMS USA rules and guidelines but some are a bit left field, or was that right field.  This years [2008] IPMS nationals rules have caused a few to gnash their teeth. Nough said.

Must away and play with a bit of plastic, sniff a bit of glue and various other solvents, destroy a few more brain cells [not many left now] and continue with a diorama or was that, take the dog for a walk.   Now where did I leave the dog?

major nuisance wrote:

the doog wrote:  PS--as an avid contest participant here in the USA, I can't think of one that I've attended which hasn't used a version of the IPMS rules?  The Doog, rather interested in this as here in dear old NZ even IPMS as a national less body cannot agree on rules etc. etc.  Most IPMS branch shows are based on IPMS USA rules and guidelines but some are a bit left field, or was that right field.  This years [2008] IPMS nationals rules have caused a few to gnash their teeth. Nough said. Must away and play with a bit of plastic, sniff a bit of glue and various other solvents, destroy a few more brain cells [not many left now] and continue with a diorama or was that, take the dog for a walk.   Now where did I leave the dog?

Being that Tigertankman is a resident of California, I am admittedly assuming that any contest he might enter would fall under these generalized guidelines. I'm not talking about splitting hairs here, nor do I know one whit about what transpires in New Zealand (?). I know that England has some different rules/bylines for contests. I'm simply trying to convey some information to the lad which might help him to make a decision to enter a contest in the future more easy, and hopefully, witha more satisfying resolution.

I humbly offer that I'm not sure why this seems to have hit a nerve with you or anyone else here? It is not a criticism. It is simply the sharing of knowledge and experience, and it is not a "hijacking" of the thread. Topics diverge here all the time, and the topic of what constitutes a "diorama" as opposed to a "display" would be an important one to know for a younger modeler who may not have the benefit of that experience.

Anyway, I've said enough about it; at this point I'm just trying to assuage the misunderstanding of my intent by you and some of the other members here, becasue I certainly don't want to introduce any tension to the forums, especially with a new member.

Hope you take the olive branch............