"There's an old mill by the stream, Nelly Dean!"

[spanner570]

Younger members probably won't recognise the title. To you older ones, I only know the Rugby Song version!!

Hello folks....

I had reached a blank for a diorama idea when I passed an old mill recently, complete with water wheel, and Bingo! What a great subject to have a bash at, so......

It's 1/72 scale, and is just my imagination running riot and not a copy of anything. I alway start dios. with just a rough idea of what I want, then things happen as I go along. I never plan to the 'enth degree, as I find the great thing with unplanned dioramas is the chopping, changing and yes, binning, as ideas come along.

I hope you join in the fun as I attempt to come up with something. It might have some military in it, I don't know yet.....I've been pootling away at it for a couple of weeks now, so this is the first installment of the story so far.

O.k., let's make a start. As usual all the material is for free, scrounged or dead cheap anyway. I found some pieces of polystyrene and an old cork notice board at our local tip - sorry, Re-cycling Center! This formed the base. Then, with some shed paint, I roughly painted where I wanted the water to flow and made a paper template of my imaginary mill building.

First stage. The rough painting of the water and the paper template...plus my wee man!

[ATTACH]82119.IPB[/ATTACH]


Next a thin layer of polystyrene glued down with PVA for the lower river bank and mill race...

[ATTACH]82120.IPB[/ATTACH]


Thicker poly. formed the top level....See my mysterious plung pool? I didn't spot it 'till I'd stuck the piece down....Hey ho!

[ATTACH]82121.IPB[/ATTACH]


Then the top water course was formed, complete with weir. ( More on this later!) I also cut my template to suit the contours a bit better and to get the wheel summat like for height. [ATTACH]82122.IPB[/ATTACH]


You can see how it is starting to take some form now. I'm never fussy about how rough it looks at this stage 'cos now I'm getting a 'feel' for the scene anything can happen and usually does!

I hope you approve of this initial stage and all comments and suggestions are always welcome as we have some fun and roll along into the unknown together.......

Cheers,

Ron

[Guest]

an artist at work again young sir ronald

[bluriusz]

Will definately watch this! I like the idea and how you show the progress, so we all can learn from the pro

[Ian M]

Where we used to sit and dream, Nelly Dean......

Well I'll be watching this little dream of a dio come together.

Ian M

[papa 695]

Another Ron masterpiece on the way me thinks

[Guest]

Nice one Ron, I'll enjoy watching this!

[Guest]

Ron always a treat to watch you work your magic! Off to a great start,eagerly awaiting the next update!

[Guest]

Magnificent start Ron!

Nice to see another of your masterpiece

[Alan 45]

I see another great dio coming Ron

[monica]

i will be watching this one as well Ron, im a little the same get an idea, but it never turns out as what i started with,

[spanner570]

Thanks for the great posts for the start of my diorama folks. Get's me in the right mood!

O.k., I forgot there was no way for the fish to get upstream, so I scrapped the weir and made a salmon leap....then they can jump into the plunge pool - I really must get rid of that!

[ATTACH]82216.IPB[/ATTACH]


[ATTACH]82217.IPB[/ATTACH]


Next up the start of the building. First a paper template to get the wheel the right scale, then transferred to a piece of my fav. polystyrene pizza base.

[ATTACH]82218.IPB[/ATTACH]


Try for a fit......

[ATTACH]82219.IPB[/ATTACH]


Then mark out the stonework and any doors and windows. This is very straight forward....

A- Using a pencil and steel rule, mark out the horizontal lines.

B- Mark the vertical joints freehand, staggering the joints in a random fashion.

C- Go over all the pencil lines freehand with a modelling knife - this ensures a slightly wobbly line to the stonework seams.

[ATTACH]82220.IPB[/ATTACH]


Next up more stonework and a bit more of my method of doing the same...Then that Wheel!!!

Cheers,

Ron

[Guest]

Another master piece Ron.

But so disappointed in you not knowing the words !

Used to sing this at school.

There's an old mill by the stream,

Nellie Dean!

Where we used to sit and dream,

Nellie Dean!

And the waters as they flow

Seem to murmur soft and low.

You're my heart's desire.

I love you,

Nellie Dean! Sweet Nellie Dean

Laurie

[monica]

coming along nicely Ron,and a nice afterthought, with the salmon leap ,the side off the mill looks good as well

your lucky to get polystyrene pizza base, we get soggie cardboard boxs

[spanner570]

See the last photo? I needed to lengthen the stonework.

To avoid a continual straight line join, here's how I did it...It can obviously be used for as long or high a piece of wall as you want.

[ATTACH]82224.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]82225.IPB[/ATTACH]


Here is the section placed roughly in position. I then added the outer mill race wall.

[ATTACH]82226.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]82227.IPB[/ATTACH]


The outer stream wall was then added......Nothing is glued, just loose fitted.

[ATTACH]82228.IPB[/ATTACH]


Note the indents in the stone, this is achieved by simply gently pushing in at random the 'pieces of stone' with something the right size.

[ATTACH]82229.IPB[/ATTACH]


A small section was then fitted to tie in the end stone work

[ATTACH]82230.IPB[/ATTACH]


All the stone walls were then given a wash of grey acrylic...See how the joints have come to life?

[ATTACH]82231.IPB[/ATTACH]


Except for painting proper, that's basically it for the mill race and stonework......or is it?!!

Next up the bit I was dreading....The wheel itself!

Cheers,

Ron

[spanner570]

Sorry Monica and Laurie our posts crossed.....Thanks for your input.

Laurie, the only words I know wouldn't get past the censors....full stop!!

Monica, this is what we both find with our dios......Coming up with ideas and alterations as we progress....Don't you love it?

Cheers,

Ron