Jabba The Hutt Diorama (The Viewing Frame WIP)

Still taking it relatively easy, but over the last couple of days my impatience has gotten the better of me, so I glued the pieces together for the final arch; I had them cut prior to surgery so it was relatively easy and didn't require any strenuous activity. Then I finished adding the texture to the stairs to the left of Jabba's throne, and added the texture to the Han arch and the wall & arch behind the band. I still need to fill in the gaps in the wallpaper and along the edges, but it's getting there.

Awesome mate, and great to see you feeling well enough to get into this again.

Paul

That is coming together really well.

CHEERS!

I think we're getting close to the "almost there... almost there" stage.

scalawag wrote:Awesome mate, and great to see you feeling well enough to get into this again.

Paul

Thanks. I’m getting there. Can’t stand around a lot, yet. I have a stent in place, and the more I move around, the more I have to go to the bathroom — it’s like pissing razor-blades! I’m hoping they take that damn thing out on Friday when I have my post-op.

Rogerbee wrote:That is coming together really well.

CHEERS!

Thanks, Roger. Glad to see you posting again — you must have finished your video-game. Have you been able to find a new place, yet?

GubernatorFan wrote:I think we're getting close to the "almost there... almost there" stage.

The bulk of the main diorama build itself is coming to an end, but still a long way to go, yet I’m afraid. The Rancor pit grating is going to be... problematic, to say the least. The main floor level is going to have real (crafting) sand on it — need to find some adhesive that can be spread evenly with a paint brush, but first I want to put down some contact paper in sort of a rippled, uneven form to give the effect of pliable “desert” floor. Then, of course, there’s painting everything up to look like an old desert castle, the arch designs (if I can make a mask and use spray paint for that, I will — but I don’t want it to be too uniform).

Then comes the side walls and ceiling — the wood I’m using for the walls is just under 1/4”, the floor and ceiling is only 3/16”. All of it will have to have struts on the hidden side to keep the wood flat, but the section behind the throne will have to be removable so I can either paint the BBQ pit area, or attach an image. The floor and ceiling will have “keys” (ie, tiny blocks) at the top (in the case of walls) and bottom inside corners of each separate structure, to keep them in place — as right now they are pretty easy to move around/knock down.

Once the dio itself is built and all wired up, then comes the building of the cabinet to enclose the entire thing — need to finish the dio in order to get the exact measurements. The cabinet is going to have removable panels on the sides and top so I can get to the lights in the event they burn out. The glass front is going to be the biggest problem — logistically — as it’s one sheet nearly 8’ x 2’ — heavy, to say the least. And I need to be able to open the front to get at the figures — I still haven’t quite figured out how it’ll open (flip up, flip down, slide to one side or the other, or both — how big do the hinges need to be, will heavy-duty pneumatic hinges be able to support the weight of a piece of glass that heavy...). Ughhh.

Then once that’s done, I have to build the table to support all that weight — again, it has to be done last to get the final measurements exact. The cabinet itself will be bolted down onto that table (due to the front glass door’s off-kilter weight when open), and their needs to be places to hide the power supplies for the lights, and the surge-protector. I want only one switch to turn all the lights on, but some lights require different power supplies with a dimmer switch.

So... all in all... still a long, LONG way to go.

Alright, I take back my words, but reserve the right to use them later. Like I've said before, "epic" might be appropriate for this project.
Hope you're feeling better already!

Happy to see you back at it, it surely means you feel a bit better, which is a great news!

Thanks a lot for the new pics, the texture is really perfect! If you need a photographic background I can work on it for you, I already made a couple of starwars backgrounds for a friend's shelves...

Feel free to ask anyway, I'd be happy to give a hand if possible!

GubernatorFan wrote:Alright, I take back my words, but reserve the right to use them later. Like I've said before, "epic" might be appropriate for this project.
Hope you're feeling better already!

Thanks. When I think about the whole thing... it starts to become overwhelming, so I’m just trying to take it one step at a time (while sort of keeping the big picture in mind) — quite the mental acrobats. Think ahead, don’t think ahead...

blackpool wrote:Happy to see you back at it, it surely means you feel a bit better, which is a great news!

Thanks a lot for the new pics, the texture is really perfect! If you need a photographic background I can work on it for you, I already made a couple of starwars backgrounds for a friend's shelves...

Feel free to ask anyway, I'd be happy to give a hand if possible!

Thanks, and I appreciate the offer. GubernatorFan had been talking about helping me, so if he hits a wall, I might take you up on that.

Instead of crafting sand, try tiling grout. Pick the colour you want, wet the surface, and apply liberally. Then spray water over the top. It has the right texture and has its own adhesive built in. If you are worried about it sticking, apply a diluted mixture of water and PVA glue on the surface first before applying the grout. Use a spray bottle not a paintbrush.

To apply the grout, get a tea strainer with a small weight (like a coin) in it. Hold it over the surface and tap it gently. The grout sprinkles out like a flour sifter and can be easily controlled.

shazzdan wrote:Instead of crafting sand, try tiling grout. Pick the colour you want, wet the surface, and apply liberally. Then spray water over the top. It has the right texture and has its own adhesive built in. If you are worried about it sticking, apply a diluted mixture of water and PVA glue on the surface first before applying the grout. Use a spray bottle not a paintbrush.

To apply the grout, get a tea strainer with a small weight (like a coin) in it. Hold it over the surface and tap it gently. The grout sprinkles out like a flour sifter and can be easily controlled.

That sounds interesting. I’ll check into it. Thanks for the tip.

Stryker2011 wrote:

blackpool wrote:If you need a photographic background I can work on it for you, I already made a couple of starwars backgrounds for a friend's shelves... Feel free to ask anyway, I'd be happy to give a hand if possible!

Thanks, and I appreciate the offer. GubernatorFan had been talking about helping me, so if he hits a wall, I might take you up on that.

I haven't hit a wall (other than just busy) but I suspect blackpool is much better at this than I am. Perhaps you can show him what we are working on -- although I haven't gotten to effacing the printed arch.

GubernatorFan wrote:

Stryker2011 wrote:

blackpool wrote:If you need a photographic background I can work on it for you, I already made a couple of starwars backgrounds for a friend's shelves... Feel free to ask anyway, I'd be happy to give a hand if possible!

Thanks, and I appreciate the offer. GubernatorFan had been talking about helping me, so if he hits a wall, I might take you up on that.

I haven't hit a wall (other than just busy) but I suspect blackpool is much better at this than I am. Perhaps you can show him what we are working on -- although I haven't gotten to effacing the printed arch.

No worries, G. But, I'll see what he thinks.

This is what I've done today:

Cleaned up and finished the textures on the two pieces I had been working on previously. Filling in the gaps and edges is a slow and tedious process that requires daintily working with the plaster material one tiny pinch at a time and working into the seams and trying to blend them. And then I took some pics with them in context with the other pieces.

Oh, it's looking SO good! The texture seems to catch the light really well!

I agree, the textures are just right. But I think I missed something -- at one point I came under the impression that this was somehow a sort of wall paper.

skywalkersaga wrote:Oh, it's looking SO good! The texture seems to catch the light really well!

GubernatorFan wrote:I agree, the textures are just right. But I think I missed something -- at one point I came under the impression that this was somehow a sort of wall paper.

Thanks.

Guv, it is wallpaper, but if you look at the images I just posted and compare them to these...






... you'll notice that I have to fill in the edges, and other joining spots where I had to add different sections together. I'm using a vinyl spackle compound that has to be put on with my fingers -- which actually works well, though it's time-consuming -- because the stuff tends to stick to the fingers and leaves a sort of rough remainder when you work with it. It can be smoothed as it tends to start drying almost as soon as it comes out of the container, but it's still pliable enough to maneuver. Once I get it to where I like it, for the most part, then I leave it alone to dry.

Thank you for explaining -- I was a bit confused as well. And wow, I love your solution, it's very effective and definitely makes it all look quite seamless.

That´s so Great ! George Lucas has to made You an offer

I love that wallpaper. I'm gonna get me some.

skywalkersaga wrote:Thank you for explaining -- I was a bit confused as well. And wow, I love your solution, it's very effective and definitely makes it all look quite seamless.

Thanks. It's time consuming -- but probably not as time consuming if I had to do all that texture by hand.

Ephiane wrote:That´s so Great ! George Lucas has to made You an offer

30 Years ago, that would have been a dream come true!

shazzdan wrote:I love that wallpaper. I'm gonna get me some.

Yeah, it's great stuff, and if you use a good industrial aerosol adhesive it works great (I wasn't about to use the stuff that's supposedly on the back of it -- you get it wet and it becomes pasty -- 'cause I read horrible reviews of it pealing off the walls after a very short period of time).

Ah, I see what you meant -- just for filling in the gaps between the sheets. What exactly is the wall paper called? And, for that matter, the filler stuff?

I'm starting to work on your background today bro, I'll try to post some WIP pics here for your aproval and comments, and GF if you want to join I'd be pleased to share the photoshop file, I'm pretty sure a group effort could lead to a glorious result (since the dio is already to the "glorious" level, the bar is raised high lol)

GubernatorFan wrote:Ah, I see what you meant -- just for filling in the gaps between the sheets. What exactly is the wall paper called? And, for that matter, the filler stuff?

This is the wallpaper I'm using (purchased off Amazon):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FGBY4V8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is the spray adhesive I'm using to adhere it to the wood (purchased at Menards) (it comes out a little like Spider-Man's webs, or thin "Silly String", so you have to be pretty liberal with the stuff to make sure you cover as much of the paper as possible -- it's a bit of a pain to get off your fingers):

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Hi-Strength-Spray-Adhesive-Clear/dp/B01MDP96WQ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=RTS7BK13UQXN&keywords=3m+high+strength+90+spray+adhesive&qid=1558004722&s=gateway&sprefix=3M+Hi%2Ctools%2C168&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

And this is the spackle I'm using (purchased at Ace Hardware):

https://www.amazon.com/7079818742-Flexible-Spackling-Building-Material/dp/B074H9WHGV/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=DAP+Alex+Flex&qid=1558004897&s=gateway&sr=8-5

blackpool wrote:I'm starting to work on your background today bro, I'll try to post some WIP pics here for your aproval and comments, and GF if you want to join I'd be pleased to share the photoshop file, I'm pretty sure a group effort could lead to a glorious result (since the dio is already to the "glorious" level, the bar is raised high lol)

Thanks, blackpool, I appreciate it. You don't have to rush on my account, and I certainly don't want you to take away from your own stuff. But I do appreciate it.


I started applying the wallpaper to the Main Arch last evening -- now I have to fill in the edges with the spackle, apply the screen and gel for the two crevices, and wire up the lights for said crevices. (I really need to get working on the mask for the arch design; I like the Ralph McQuarrie design best, as it was a little more expressive than what we ended up with on-screen, but that might be a little too complex).

Finished cleaning up the texture application on the Main arch, and started on the last two (the band section) -- texture applied, but edges not clean on that one. I'm going to wait on adding the gels/screen to the crevices in the Main arch until AFTER it's been painted; don't want to slop paint on those.

Pictures of the Main Arch with texture and clean up completed, the band arches after wallpaper applied, and the Main Arch in it's space with the other pieces.

Looking gorgeous!

Just keeps getting better and better! : )

GubernatorFan wrote:Looking gorgeous!

skywalkersaga wrote:Just keeps getting better and better! : )

Thanks.

Cleaned up the last of the arches, now I have to wait for the spackle to cure. I'll be starting on the Carbonite platforms next.

Final arches next to the band. Tomorrow I'll start on the other pieces (like the band riser, as well).

This new photo really conveys the impression of a realistic, nearly complete structure.