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Prepping Plaster Diorama Kits

Hello - my name is Keith, and I'm a diorama-aholic...

Like many of you, I began building models as a youngster - cars and prop planes were favorites then. While I enjoyed the creativity (and the fumes!) of model building, I eventually lost interest in the hobby as I discovered Girls, Football, and Work.

About five years ago I recaptured my interest in military models after visiting eBay, trying to find a new hobby that would match well for a busy traveler and father of two young toddlers. Model building struck me as a possible lark and I purchased a Panzer tank that had always caught my eye as a teen. Soon I was hooked.

At first I was simply building the models as I had done in the past, but soon started mounting them on a base. The natural progression from there was to make the base more attractive, and that opened the door for me into a new profession -building dioramas for not only pleasure but for profitable gain.

When I first got back into the hobby, I was unaware of the vast array of kits available on the market for the serious diorama builder. I began my first diorama by building all the structures using one scale wooden strip at a time, and then adding makeshift plaster walls, cardstock shingles, and carving lines for the details of brick, stone, and mortar. Tedious, but fun. And messy!