Just got a MDF base for my first ever attempt at making a small dio.
Would like to know a few things...............
I'd like to make the ground look like hard compacted dusty soil,whats best to use for this?
What could i use to make a small hill in the middle of the base?
Any suggestions on the best colours for the type of soil i'm trying to replicate(acrylics,and i don't have an airbrush)
Have read an Osprey manual(WWII Dioramas)but it doesn't really go into as much detail as i'd like........
Thanks.

what i use is sheetrock compound that you can get at any hardware store. Its basically what you use to cover gaps or holes in walls. What you do is just slather that stuff onto your base and maybe throw on some really fine sand to give it some texture. And because sand doesnt stick to you...you can form it anyway you want as long as the compund isnt exposed. I would try a dark tan, airbrushed followed by a little darker tan, and then a lighter tan drybrush. PM me if you need extra info
Ian

You could make a thick paste of wallfiller. Mix eathcolored paint with the paste before applying to the base. That will make painting easyer for you.
For the small hill in the middle of the base, you could put a piece of what ever you have at hand and where you want the hill and cover it with wallfilling.

Hi John:

Not sure if any of these are available in the UK, but I use a mixture of Celluclay (paper mache mix that includes the glue), Durhams Water Putty (not sure what its non-modeling uses are, but I buy it at Home Depot here), water and white glue for my diorama groundwork. I mix in inexpensive craft type acrylic paints to get as close to the ground color that I want as possible. I add sand, cat litter, and other materials to the wet Celluclay mix after it has been spread out on the base. I use left over styrofoam or foamboard to build up any elevations that I may want in the base bu simply glueing then to the base with white glue. I have never used MDF board so I am not aware of its properties. However, I seal my bases with a polyurethane coating to prevent the moisture in the groundwork mixture from warping the base. Also, I drill holes in the base before putting the polyurethane on to decrease the likelihood that the groundwork will curl up along the edges.

Hope this helps.

Keith

Thanks for all the replies.Sorry i'm late getting back to this thread,st00pid NTL disconnected my broadband and telephone because they got my payment mixed up,only just got back online today.
My main concern with this is getting the stuff to stick to the base,and not having it crack or warp when it dries.
I found the MDF in a builders skip while i was delivering to a night club last week,so it's no real loss if it all goes pear shaped!
I'll try some of these suggestions,and report back at a later date........over and out

also, if you want to raise the ground a lot, use that pink stuff they sell in sheets to isolate the walls and cut it up

Frank

you said you got an MDF base... make sure you seal it well before doing anything. once moisture hits the base, it will swell like no ones business

Roughen up you MDF surface a little by scratching with a nail or similar and then give it a good coat or two of gloss varnish. This will waterproof it and the scratches will give your groundwork something to grip to.
Also adding white glue (carpenters glue), diluted slightly with water, to your mix of grout or polyfilla, helps it from cracking!
If you are going to add a vehicle to the finshed surface ..... as it starts to set, put a sheet of cling film over the top.Then place you tank/vehicle/figures where they will be placed and tap them into position lightly. Leave to dry. When this sets, it is rock hard and avoids having your models "floating" on top of the ground. Remove vehicle/etc the next day, and then remove cling film ..... you will have the positions ready for placing your tank/etc.
Add some dark brown acrylic paint to the polyfilla/grout/sand/white glue/water mix and you ground work will be pre-coloured. Makes painting afterwards easier.
Making levels of ground work adds to the scene. Not all land is flat. Build a little frame of balsa or mdf, where you want the height. Then fill this up with polystyrene. Then cover whole base with groundwork. Heres an example of what i mean ....

Good luck!

Hi rafterman
There are lots of things you can use i recently used in my mountain man dio the board that is used for suspended ceilings it cuts really easy and it worked for that perticular job i then used plaster of paris overthe top did it ouite rough gives a good effect you can put sand in when you mix if you want ..up to you
Hope that helps what scale are you doing ?
Cheers Chris tando 20

WOW!
Thanks again for some more great replies......
The scale of the kit i'm making is 1/35th,and is just gonna be a tank on it's own,with just 1 figure(tank commander)Trying to keep things simple for my first attempt.
It's my birthday this coming weekend,and i have the following monday/tuesday off work,so i'll make a start on it then........

happy birthday John!
What tank are you going to use?

Shep Paine was once asked what he used to make the incredibly realistic dirt effects in his dios. He replied "dirt". Since it may be tough to get that fine, powdery, dusty sand you need and then scale it down, here are a few suggestions for you:

1. Sealing the base - latex house paint, 2 coats. No MDF will warp after that.

2. Dry, hard dusty soil - here's what I'd probably do.

Make your usual base, then hit it with a mix of PVA, baking soda & a tiny drop of brown ink on the top. Scatter loose baking soda over the top of it once applied. Nice and fine, but retains JUST enough texture to drybrush it. Don't overdo the ink. The amount you tip on the top will determine the overall finish - very little or none for a smooth finish (not recommended), increasing it for the "dust" levels. Finally, you'll need to paint it (a quick drybrushing will do it, if you used the correct amount of ink) and then once you have all the elements in place, adding the "real" dust in the form of ground chalk.

Rafterman,

I'm sort of in the throes of a dilemma about making a diorama, too - what to use as a base, what materials to use to make some built-up ground, etc.

My (planned) dio is to set a 1/72d Tiger I in a snow scene - I'm more or less copying a picture of a Tiger from a book about the Cherkassy pocket. I'm going to use MDF also, 12.7 mm thick. I think it would be a good idea to put commercial grade primer paint on the MDF before adding any modeling compounds - MDF soaks up liquid and leaves a stain, so if you were to use either spackle (drywall compound) or a paper mache type stuff, I think the MDF would suck the liquid out of the material, thus leading to a bunch of cracks in your diorama surface.

How did you like the Osprey book? I was thinking about putting my money down and getting a copy.

BTW, I finished an A/V stand recently - made out of MDF. I used a roller (primarily) to put both primer & finish coats of paint on it, but much to my surprise, the medium nap roller didn't give a complete coverage of the MDF - I had to go back with a brush and do quite a bit of touch-up.

HOpefully, this post, once you read it, won't be a day late and a pound short, but...

Look forward to hearing the results of your efforts!!

I think a thin piece of plywood, 1/2 inch or thinner, with foam insulation board, up to 2 inches thick, glued to, and cut to the dimensions of, the plywood. The insulation board is light, shapable with a steak knife, takes paint, plasters and all the long grass you can stick into it.
Diorama builders, I can't stress how important model railroading is for technique references!
http://www.modelrailroader.com

Surf the sight for scenicking techniques. Trust me.

Cuhail