Just a teaser Completed

[Gern]

Hi guys. Been busy the last few days working on my next dio. Only a small one this time.

Not going to tell you exactly what I'm doing just yet, but made a start on the base:



The pavement and wall are just 6mm foam. The slabs and brickwork were marked out using the same method that Ron uses - and if it's good enough for him, it's for certain sure good enough for me! Scribed first with a shallow cut with a knife, then run a pencil along the cuts to create the joints. Bashed around on the wall a bit with an old piece of brick to create dents and dings. Still got to do the paving and road but not sure yet just how old and battered I want them.

Painting was done with some of those old powder paints we all used in infant school. Mainly red and yellow with black spots here and there to darken it. I used a big soft brush and literally just splashed the paint on and stirred it around.



There will be a tree in the middle of that bench. The underbrella is from Lego.

I've not done too much work with wood and I need to darken the balsa I've used for these. Can I use really well thinned Vallejo acrylics to make my own stain?

[Komedy]

Your doing Love Island no ?

[Gern]

Never seen it - and never will unless tied to a chair and my eyelids cut off!

What made you think that Warren?

[Komedy]

The brolly and the fact it's 2am and I can't sleep :sleeping:

[monica]

nice start to what ever it is,a cafe, before 19 hit,

[Gern]

nice start to what ever it is,a cafe, before 19 hit,

Nice thought Moni, but no.

[Gern]

The brolly and the fact it's 2am and I can't sleep :sleeping:

Still don't understand Warren. If an underbrella is the only attraction on Love Island, makes me wonder why anyone would be interested!

What's wrong with not being able to sleep at 2 am? I've been like that most of my life. If I'm not tired I'll do something - read a book, do some modelling, listen to music or whatever - until I'm tired, then I'll go get some sleep. The last thing I'll ever do is lie in bed staring at the ceiling trying to force myself to sleep. It's much better to go to sleep when you're tired and get a couple of hours of good, deep sleep than fidgeting around cat-napping all night. It's worked for me for the last 50 years.

[colin m]

I read that wrong. I thought the title said just a taser.

[Jim R]

It's the beer garden of a nice country pub. Good beer, good food and nice atmosphere. Remember back before this b****y virus.
Jim

[Tim Marlow]

Are you doing the cafe scene from the great escape?.......as to staining balsa with dilute Vallejo, that should work, but depending on the glue, you might have issues where the glue joints are because the glued wood won’t absorb the stain.....

[spanner570]

That's my boy!..... :thumb2: Simple is best.

I know exactly what it is. You are making an extension to the outside area of 'The Clacker'. You didn't make it either. Idu Chukumupp and his mates did!

Nice design for the picnic bench too.

[Gern]

Nice ideas folks but all wrong!

Tim: Thanks for that. I see your point about the glue but that will only show in the corners where it doesn't matter. Off to mix some paint!

Ron: I'm not. I did. He didn't. Thanks.

More additions. A couple of litter bins and a plastic dragon.



Oh poop - all that means is that my base ain't big enough! Back to the bench! Why is it that all my dio ideas are like acorns? They start small and simple and end up huge and complex! Oh well. While I'm doing them it keeps me off the streets and out of trouble.

PS Forgot to mention. Using that powder paint doesn't work unless you add just a teeny tiny drop of washing up liquid to your water. The powder just sits on top held up by surface tension otherwise.

[Gern]

It's the beer garden of a nice country pub. Good beer, good food and nice atmosphere. Remember back before this b****y virus.
Jim

Sorry Jim, meant to get back to you earlier but forgot.

Where's this nice pub? We don't got none of those near here except The Clacker an' I'm not sure I want to run into any of Ron's Zulus!

[Gern]

OK. Teasing time over. This is my plan - a roadside catering van in a layby - subject to amendments, omissions and additions:



I've marked out an area of paving and there will be a lawn area on the left hand side and green stuff along the fence (some square section balsa wood and cut down coffee stirrers) at the back - and at least one tree to go in the middle of that bench! I've also allowed for a drop kerb on the right hand side but haven't shaped it yet.

Based on this 1/24 kit from Aoshima:



This is the art stuff I was talking about the other day. I need to replace these decals with English equivalents, although I won't need anywhere near as many. I've managed to get a load of images from the 'net which I've sized to print out (I'll see if I can get copies for you guys). I'll just use normal paper and cut them out as they would be stickers on the real van anyway. I still need a couple of home made signs which Gary MacKenzie is kindly having a look at for me. Although if someone could tell me how to size the cells in Excel so they will print with specific dimensions that would be a big help.



Nice straightforward instructions



Nice one-piece body saving all the problems of fitting panels and filling joints:



One piece drivers compartment and kitchen area (with details moulded in for hotplate and condiment jars etc.



Separate wheels and tyres - a blessing for me as I find painting tyres a real nightmare:



Only fly in the ointment as it were are the two identical figures supplied. Quite frankly they're b****y awful! Somebody needs to practise their figure skills.

Details are nice enough for me and test fit has shown absolutely no problems anywhere, although I have made changes to the kitchen area. I removed the moulded seat and replaced it with a shelf. I've added cupboard doors with simple holes for opening (didn't fancy faffing about with tiny bits of wire to make pull handles. There are lots of spare bits included which I assume are for other versions of the kit. I've used a couple of them for cupboards and added a kitchen roll holder to one. I've also made a roller shutter for the serving window.



Can somebody tell me why this image is blurred. I used a tripod with a timer so I wasn't touching the camera, it was sitting on my workbench.

You'll see the original has lots of bits attached with flagpoles, shelves, poster boards etc. which I won't be using. I've filled in the holes using the pegs from the bits which were supposed to go there. I thought that would save a lot of sanding and filling although most of them will be covered with posters. There's a nice awning which fits over the serving window (Yes. I checked that my roller shutter will fit!) and a shelf and menu board. The original has serving windows on both sides and at the back. I've used the windows provided and just painted over them on the inside. I reckon that's what the owner would do in this country. I'll probably mask them when painting the outside and just put posters there so the inside colour shows around them - again, just as I think the owner would do.



I've done the inside a pale blue/grey and I'm planning wooden doors and cupboards with aluminjum fittings. I'm looking at an Emerald green for the outside - what d'you reckon?

[Guest]

I wish they would make the panel van version of that Suzuki … my mother used to have one for her shop, back in the ’80s, and I’d buy the kit straight away if Aoshima were to make it — but all they’ve got is 37 (yes, 37!) variants of the short-cab pickup/box truck.