introduction

Along with all the building kits that Dioramas Plus produces, there are also some accessory sets. One of these is item DP-10, listed as Brick Sidewalks.

The kit comes in the usual “bomb-proof” packaging of a very sturdy box with attractive labels and the contents securely wrapped with plastic wrap which is all sandwiched between layers of paper. See some other reviews if you want to see pictures of how well Dioramas Plus’ kits are packaged. Needless to say my sample arrived completely free from damage.

review

Inside the box you will find three straight sections and two corners. Each section is 1 ½” (3.8 cm) wide and 8” (20.3cm) long, so one set will give you plenty of sidewalk for most modest size dioramas. All sections are well cast in Hydrocal (plaster), and show great detail and relief with the bricks and concrete curb.

At first glance the sections seem a little thick, however this may be a advantage as it allows the modeler to use another material to make the street (either a resin or latex texture sheet), or scratch built, and the resulting thickness of the street will give the curb the correct height.

One issue will have to be addressed when butting the sections together. The brick pattern should be staggered between each row of bricks. When two sections are aligned, the bricks do not line up correctly to form a continuous pattern of staggered bricks. Removing one row from either of the sections will correct this.

The only other issue is at the corner. The corner sections have one edge that looks to have bricks that are thinner than the others. Remove this “thin” row and all will be good.

To use, clean up any butting edges so there is a smooth transition between each section. You can then align the sections on your base, and cut them to fit the area you are working on using a handsaw. Also you could scribe the curb to represent stone blocks instead of the poured concrete. Painting can be done with the rest of your diorama base using your favorite methods.

conclusion

Needless to say, another great item from Dioramas Plus that I’m sure will find lots of uses on many dioramas. I will be incorporating these in with the “Brick Ruin” diorama build log I have already started in the forums. The review for the Brick Ruin can be found Here on Armorama. Thanks to Dioramas Plus for the review sample.