Dakimbrell

Put your model on a base an fix it down.....glue, wires, screws, whatever. The biggest problem I have seen with most models is evidence of handling. Paint worn; oil and dirt from skin. As well as repeatedly broken parts. Even soft gloves will wear on the finish, over time. Bases are cheap to by and prepare. Usually just a small dab of Elmer's is enough to hold a car model in place. All that pretty paint job, conversion, and extra detail will not hold up to repeated packing and unpacking. Or simply taking it out to be seen. When the judges have to move you models around......and they will.....a base makes it a lot easier. A lot less chance of damage. Dak

Just got an applicator from Grasstech. Works pretty well. Used both short and longer stuff.....6.5mm. The applicators aren't cheap, but the look is great. Dak

Tile grout is far superior to any other thing I have found for dirt in dioramas. It is fairly cheap and easy to use. A lot less work, too. As I said, it is far more versatile than anything else. No one who has made use of it has gone back to using anything else. Dak

I use tile grout from the hardware store for dirt. Absorbed water well. You can make it look like dirt, Tarmac, or concrete. Lots of colts and shades to choose from. Mix your own, if color doesn't match what you want. Woodland Scenic flocking works well for grass. Dak

Nicely done.

Ahh, there are electrical outlets at the front of the room, also. And most diorama stuff do not require plug ins, anyway. Dioramas have the category numbers they do because in the old days they were an afterthought. And until recent years they have not been mainstream modeling. That is changing. At Hampton, I had trouble shooting pictures because of all the people crowded around. Time to get them out of the corner. There is no rule that says the high number categories MUST go in the back. Consistency is a hobgoblin. Dak

I understand about the electricity. But it seems like more and more are showing up. It just seems they would be easier to see AND judge out on the middle tables. Dak

That's my point, it's always that way. I agree that there is no malice, now days. It's just a case of "that's how we have always done it".

It is so tiring to see dioramas a shoved up into the back corners of the display room at the contest. They should be out in the middle where the light is better and you can see them from different angles. Pictures I took at Loveland make it look like several are all one thing. This year at Hampton was not much better. Dioramas are pretty mainstream now days, so why not bring them out where they can be seen instead of putting them in the back like an after thought! Dak