[Cruver Collecter]

Originally Posted by JohnReid

Starting the weathering!

I like the flat tire.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

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It now looks like this old girl has seen her last airshow! Its basically finished except for the old tarp which I will make later when it is permanently installed in the diorama.I find that weathering is mostly fun and really fast and easy to do.Over the basic burnt umber gesso coat I used only burnt sienna and little black and some white pastels for the tires.I use a very soft brush to apply the pastels,almost like a mini makeup brush.
I have no interest in doing factory fresh anything ,airplanes ,cars or whatever.I guess that it is just my way of personalizing my work.It also helps to take the heat off trying to make everything perfect, which for me is very liberating.
Well anyway,now its on the Camel/Ford truck piece!
You auto guys will just have to suffer through the airplane build until we get to the truck,just like the aircraft guys had to suffer though the car build!(only kidding!!!!!) Although the modeling techniques in making dioramas is about the same. Cars and aircraft go well together in any diorama as they both were developed around the same time.

[JohnReid]

Please note: in order to make the best use of my time I have decided to post the day-to-day details of the Camel build on only one website ,Welcome to The Aerodrome - Aces and Aircraft of World War I ,where it all started a few years ago.I am presently contributing to 29 websites which takes up a lot of what would otherwise be building time.The subject matter only has a very limited audience on a day -to -day basis. I will be doing summaries on the other websites, maybe twice a week or so .This will also leave me more time to be involved in the daily discussions on the other websites.If anyone has any particular questions regarding techniques or "How to...." please feel free to contact me at any time.Somewhere down the road I would like to condense all this into a more organized and readable version ,as some of these threads are getting way too long.Thanks to everybody for their continuing interest and support.
Cheers! John.

[JohnReid]

Well the Camel build is not going well! Like I suspected the quality is just not there like it was with the Jenny.I have already had to start the build over because of a lack of fittings for the wires in the fuselage.In fact the only wires shown in the fuselage are for the sides only ,no internal bracing at all!Luckily I have some fittings left over from the 2nd Jenny build fuselage which is fabric covered.I only wish that I had a digital camera when I built the Jenny ,it would have been so much easier.

[JohnReid]

Another change of plans!

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When I started this Camel model I wanted to approach it like a newcomer would to this type of build. I held off on any serious research other than just a cursory look at the plans and the instruction booklet.I wanted this to be a real time build, with all the ups and downs of what a typical modeler would experience.
What I wasn't expecting was to have to scratchbuild most of the airplane!I now can see that to make a model that meets my minimum standard ,it will require a level of commitment that I am not ready to commit to at this time.Building it now will seriously lengthen the the completion time of the diorama as a whole.
Therefore I am putting this build on hold until I finish the rest of the diorama.It is fortune for me that where the Camel/Truck build would sit in the diorama only effects one of the outdoor landscaping panels, and in no way even touches the main storyline.It is only an extra that could be left in or left out. The rest of the diorama is not optional and has to be finished first.
I regret this change in plans and hope I haven't encouraged anyone to buy this kit who wouldn't have bought it otherwise.Like I have said before,if you want a good kit with the minimum of scratchbuilding buy the Jenny,it really is worth the few extra bucks.

[JohnReid]

There maybe room for compromise on the Camel!

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Darn ,It just bothers me to give up (postpone) the Camel. The engine is built and I can't think of a place to put it in the diorama other than on the yet to be built Ford truck.I could build some kind of a trailer just for the engine and let it go at that or (and I just thought of this) use some well placed tarps over the fuselage and wings like I did with the basketcase Jenny. The fact that a lot of the aircraft would be covered would eliminate the majority of the scratchbuilding and would not be unexpected by the viewer who would just assume that the tarps were there to protect the airplane for its road trip.It will also help to rescue my enthusiasm for the whole project.
You know it is funny about art sometimes what looks like a failure at first can be just a change in direction! I must admit that I was very disappointed when things didn't work out as I had planned.I don't want this episode to turn into a creative dry spell for me ,which would just delay this diorama further,so I had better find a compromise solution.
One way or the other the Ford truck is going in, so I will build that first which will give me lots of time to think about the Camel.
Why am I bothering to tell you all this? Well creative U-turns are part of doing a long term diorama project like this ,especially when you just kind of wing-it as you go along.It ain't easy sometimes but it sure is a hell of a lot of fun working out the unexpected problems that you can run into once in awhile and not let your self get discouraged.
Bring on the Ford..............!

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

In my 2nd diorama I used an old T with a Neiuport 28.

[Cavtanker]

Wow....