Anyone Build any Small Scale Crawler Dioramas?

[WickedFog]

I am looking for inspiration for a couple 2'x4' dioramas for rock crawling courses. I have a couple custom table frames being built and have built dioramas before for trains, but never a rock crawler course. So looking for any help I can get as far as obstacles, climbing paths, bridge ideas, etc. Any input will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Chubaka]

https://scalebuildersguild.com/forum/forums/scale-courses-dioramas.352/

Usually foam based and small bass or balsa for bridges.

I'm plotting out a crawler course with a scale drive through and a warehouse for tamiya 1/14 semis.

With it being 1/24, model rail roads also should help with grass and water.

 

[WickedFog]

https://scalebuildersguild.com/forum/forums/scale-courses-dioramas.352/

Usually foam based and small bass or balsa for bridges.

I'm plotting out a crawler course with a scale drive through and a warehouse for tamiya 1/14 semis.

With it being 1/24, model rail roads also should help with grass and water.

Thanks for the link! Lots of cool ideas there.

I have all the actual scenery stuff down. I have built diroramas before in N-scale and already have a lot of the supplies needed like rock molds, hydrocal, sculptamold, etc. I basically just don't know much about crawler courses.

With the huge 3d printer in my tool list now I can make some pretty cool stuff without having to model them. I am thinking I want to do a few junk cars laying around (1/25 model kits), a couple bridges, and lots of rocky and log obstacles. Going to build the majority of the terrain out of foam with a hot wire knife.

 

[STONER RC]

"Building a Rock Crawler Course - A How-To Guide - Nankin Hobby" https://www.nankinhobby.com/building-a-rock-crawler-course-a-how-to-guide/
Hope that helps you out bud

 

[WickedFog]

"Building a Rock Crawler Course - A How-To Guide - Nankin Hobby" https://www.nankinhobby.com/building-a-rock-crawler-course-a-how-to-guide/
Hope that helps you out bud

Thanks. Every idea helps

I have been watching some actual 1:1 rock crawling events and it is giving me ideas for the terrain. I have also downloaded some stl files for obstacles to 3d print. Barrels, concrete barriers, logs, etc.

I am also thinking about placing a few junk cars around an area of the layout, like around a smashed house trailer with a bunch of junkers laying around. I have a 1/25 Mustang model that I just opened to check the scale and found out the box had been smashed and the body damaged. Might as well finish it off with the reflow heat gun lol.

Tables are going to be a month or so out because the guy is pretty backed up. I should just make them myself, but he is going to whip two 2'x5' tables up for $90. And I have plenty of things I can make between now and when he gets them done. Going to start printing a few things tonight.

 

[Chubaka]

When you get your truck going, why not have a spare truck incase.

http://www.axialracing.com/blog_posts/1073913306

 

[WickedFog]

When you get your truck going, why not have a spare truck incase.

http://www.axialracing.com/blog_posts/1073913306

Lol, that's pretty cool! I may have to put a garage on it somewhere now just to put some scale RC boxes in it.

 

[STONER RC]

Thanks. Every idea helps

I have been watching some actual 1:1 rock crawling events and it is giving me ideas for the terrain. I have also downloaded some stl files for obstacles to 3d print. Barrels, concrete barriers, logs, etc.

I am also thinking about placing a few junk cars around an area of the layout, like around a smashed house trailer with a bunch of junkers laying around. I have a 1/25 Mustang model that I just opened to check the scale and found out the box had been smashed and the body damaged. Might as well finish it off with the reflow heat gun lol.

Tables are going to be a month or so out because the guy is pretty backed up. I should just make them myself, but he is going to whip two 2'x5' tables up for $90. And I have plenty of things I can make between now and when he gets them done. Going to start printing a few things tonight.

Sh*t for 90$ why not. That's a no Brainer. Less mess and headaches for you. Can't beat that deal. Can't wait to see what type of course and obstacles you come up with. That 3d printer is so awesome. Can't wait to get one. In the near future.

When you get your truck going, why not have a spare truck incase.

http://www.axialracing.com/blog_posts/1073913306

That is too cool. My wife's really going to hate me with a bunch of little paper scale trucks all over the house. That's one way to get a crawler LOL

 

[WickedFog]

Sh*t for 90$ why not. That's a no Brainer. Less mess and headaches for you. Can't beat that deal. Can't wait to see what type of course and obstacles you come up with. That 3d printer is so awesome. Can't wait to get one. In the near future.

That is too cool. My wife's really going to hate me with a bunch of little paper scale trucks all over the house. That's one way to get a crawler LOL

Paper models reminds me of my old model railroad days. When I was into N scale trains, I used to download all kinds of paper models to build. Fences, houses, outhouses, etc. I had a scene in one diorama that had a made-up business called Porta-Johns. The slogan was "Big John doesn't give a s#it, he takes it!". It was a late 1940's era porta-potty business. But instead of plastic porta-potties it was portable wooden outhouses, which made it quite funny. But people worked a lot harder back then, so maybe it could have worked

 

[STONER RC]

Paper models reminds me of my old model railroad days. When I was into N scale trains, I used to download all kinds of paper models to build. Fences, houses, outhouses, etc. I had a scene in one diorama that had a business called Porta-Johns. The slogan was "Big John doesn't give a s#it, he takes it!". It was a late 1940's era porta-potty business. But instead of plastic porta-potties it was portable wooden outhouses, which made it quite funny. But people worked a lot harder back then, so maybe it could have worked

That is fantastic slogan for that business. man that had to suck delivering wooden outhouses around wow. They don't know they meaning of WORK these days. It's sad

 

[WickedFog]

That is fantastic slogan for that business. man that had to suck delivering wooden outhouses around wow. They don't know they meaning of WORK these days. It's sad

It was all make believe

 

[STONER RC]

It was all make believe

Oh poop LOL made it seam like it was a real company back in the 40s.

 

[WickedFog]

Oh poop LOL made it seam like it was a real company back in the 40s.

Yeah, that was usually the fun part of my old dioramas. Something silly. Sometimes if you look around really closely on model railroad layouts you will find a few easter eggs like that

 

[STONER RC]

Yeah, that was usually the fun part of my old dioramas. Something silly. Sometimes if you look around really closely on model railroad layouts you will find a few easter eggs like that

I will keep that in mind next time I run. Into one at a hobby store like finding weird fun y poop like that nice job

 

[WickedFog]

So I think I want to do a couple rows of stacked logs about 2-6 layers high, with varying heights in each row to keep the truck teetering back and forth. Probably going to print about 100 of these little guys all different sizes.

Will probably start a slow moving build thread in the crawler forum tomorrow. I have some styrofoam and sculptamold so I'm going to break out the hot wire cutter and make a couple foam obstacles tomorrow.

 

[Doom!]

@WickedFog They look great! I went to use my hot foam cutter last weekend and it died. Need to order a new one. I forsee a lot of cool mini crawler diorama parts coming in our futures.

 

[WickedFog]

@WickedFog They look great! I went to use my hot foam cutter last weekend and it died. Need to order a new one. I forsee a lot of cool mini crawler diorama parts coming in our futures.

Hell yeah. I just have a cheapo Woodland Scenics hot wire cutter, and it does pretty good, but I know there are a lot better ones out there. I replaced my wire with Rene41 wire and it made it a lot better. The wire doesn't stretch as much. I want to get one of those with the wand so I can carve too, but I mostly do the shaping with the sculptamold.

Oh, I have a pretty cool car stand in the works too

 

[STONER RC]

So I think I want to do a couple rows of stacked logs about 2-6 layers high, with varying heights in each row to keep the truck teetering back and forth. Probably going to print about 100 of these little guys all different sizes.
View attachment 130206
Will probsbly start a slow moving build thread in the crawler forum tomorrow. I have some styrofoam and sculptamold so I'm going to break out the hot wire cutter and make a couple foam obstacles tomorrow.

Dude that's awesome that printer in great. Can't wait to see what you think up. It's going be a WICKED RIDE OF A COURSE

 

[Doom!]

@WickedFog My foam cutter was Woodland Scenics, my garage was so hot, it warped all out of shape and popped apart. After I get a new one I'll see if I can make some new parts for this one. I changed the wire on mine too.

 

[WickedFog]

@WickedFog My foam cutter was Woodland Scenics, my garage was so hot, it warped all out of shape and popped apart. After I get a new one I'll see if I can make some new parts for this one. I changed the wire on mine too.

There is nothing to a hot wire wand. Basically you can build a wooden bow, connect the hot wire to each wire lead, and you are good to go. Heck, you can 3d print a new handle