Topic: Materials for Dioramas: Finding crates, parts and miscellaneous stuff...

[Darth More]

So I found the aforementioned "lanterns" better known as lipstick containers in my mailbox today.







To my surprise those lipstick bottles are part of the containers...well, and they're NOT removable...that's a little bummer, but I will try to get them out of there somehow.
Initially I supposed that both halfs were hollow/clear. But obviously they are meant for lipstick customizing ladies...
you can still make one latern just with the lid. Or make one of two lids...which costs you $2 then.
So next time I wait until the stuff arrives, before I share something like this on here, again.
I apologize if you're not happy with those after having ordered them.
 

[Tamer]

Well if worst comes to worst you can just use two lids to make one lantern. I hope you can figure out a way to get them out though.

Off to share, thanks for keeping us updated.

[Starchaser]

Thanks for posting the follow up. I'll bet you can get the tubes out with some patience. BTW - saw some of the same design in black.

[Don]

Thanks for this the thread. Definitely going to have to get some plants before the scale-bar opens in my home office.

I mentioned this in my customs thread; I've been using soda lids to make scale scifi barrels.

[Darth More]

Thanks for your feedback gentlemen.

Tamer: Yes, you're exactly right! But this means double the cost for one latern ($2). Still I think those parts are very useful! Looking at the latest TROS products I think those red laterns will fit nicely in some Episode 9 themes dioramas. I will use them for my Tatooine, Jedha, Mygeeto, Kashyyyk or Utapau dioramas.


Starchaser: Indeed, they're available in different colors. I'm going to repaint mine. Just shared the cheapest offer I could find for you guys on here. If you can use the black ones more, I'm glad you found them and I apologize for not having mentioned them. Thanks for the hint, which I'll add now.


Chuckles: Thank you so much for sharing your idea on here, too! Using bottle cups for equipment to fill up our dioramas is a brilliant idea!
It took a little longer for me to reply to your post because the pictures I took of my "trash" a while ago seem to be lost.
But I took new ones and I hope you like them...thanks for the inspiration! They look awesome once painted up like that!

- Philipp

[Darth More]

What you can find in trash compactors...


With all the inspiration from forum member Chuckles I thought it would be about time to continue this topic and share this.
Over the years I collected some parts and pieces - let's face it: useful trash!

So here's what I got and can't wait to include all those different shapes in my diorama projects...

Let yourself be inspired and please let us know what you found. I hope you find this thread useful and inspiring, too.



In 2016 I went to the K here in Düsseldorf, Germany with a friend of mine. The K is the biggest industrial fair for plastic and other synthetic material in Europe. It was very impressive and I leanred a lot about process engineering and packaging there. Companies I talked to also sell machines to toy companies like LEGO, playmobil or SIKU. If I hadn't still been an apprentice back then, I would've had to pay 60€ to access. But as a student I only paid 15€. And I got a lot of stuff for free there including two of those green bottle blank. Today I wish I would've taken more...

During my time as an exchange student in the United States, I collected all kinds of material I wouldn't get here in Germany. At Wendy's or Burger KIng I found those cups and immediately thought of using them as pedestal/socle in the Jedi Temple and Palpatine's Office. Also seen above are cheap earrings, pencil cups, tubes from a toy box, an empty flacon and trays of teeth for dentures.

Palpatine's Office is one diorama I want to build to recreate the Office Duel...George could've done that longer, I wouldn't complain - it could've been epic...instead he let three Jedi Masters die within five seconds!?

Chuckles had the brilliant idea of using bottle cups to make craits/containers, which made me finally post this here, too. There are so many possibilities to make stuff out of packagings and random stuff you find everywhere. A bit of paint puts all the magic to it. Thank you Chuckles for having shared your idea on here! Make sure to check out his incredible customs here: http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10656.0



During my apprenticeship in a dental laboratory I collected quite a few parts. I'm going to use them as tanks, panels, barrels etc. on Utapau, Kashyyyk, the Death Star, Rebel Bases and much more.
You can make your shower gel bottle to a bank for Mace Windu to sit on while meditating with Master Yoda in the Jedi Temple. You can use your soda and milk cups to become barrels or a stool in the Mos Eisley Cantina...only your own imagination is the limit!
Talking about sitting in the Cantina...I got another project from 2016 to finish, soon:





I wanted to light up my Cantina table, but didn't want to sacrifice my original table that came with TLC Pons Limbic. So I made two molds for the table and casted 8 of them in resin so far. After a little bit of sanding and drilling I incorporated those LED tealights. I figures that their diameter fits right into the tables' top! Brilliant coincidence!
At the same time I've been working on a chair prototype and it took me forever to find this  corrugated cardboard!! I finally found it in a wine shop. It was a gift box for wine bottles. Once I finish this prototype I will also make a mold for it and cast it in cheap resin.
See more of my molds and casted parts after the jump:
http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10633.0

The prototype is made of cardboard, styrofoam and sculpting clay to keep the corrugated cardboard in place. I filled all fissures with sculpting wax to seal it against the silicone.




Check out my finished Mos Eisley Cantina Section here:
http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=3139.135

- Philipp

[Tamer]

Now this is awesome. I love reading about projects like this. Such ingenious ways to use trash to make some really awesome stuff. Thanks for sharing. Off to the front pages.

[Starchaser]

Cool assembly of bits that will work for diorama. I love what you are doing with LED's and the table. Nice job with casting parts. I look forward to seeing how the chair turns out.

[FialaFernbrugg]

That is recycling at it's best.
Really cool stuff for outstanding customs.
Thank you for sharing.

[Darth More]

Tamer: Thanks for the compliments Tamer! I'm always glad if I can inspire with my work with so many master customizers and model builders on here.


Starchaser: Thank you Starchaser! I finally need to finish that prototype and make a mold of it.


FialaFernbrugg: Thanks buddy! There are lots of useful parts out there that would end in the trash instead. Unfortunately my latest find leaves a lot of trash...

[Darth More]

A friend of mine made me aware of these buildable robots. But the reason he bought some of them is the box they come in. Have you every bought anything just because of the packaging?


They cost 2,99€ at Dutch discount store Action. And I think the packaging costs more than the content. It produces a lot of trash. But the robot figures remind me of Hasbro's Build-A-Droid line and some parts look perfect for potential custom figures! There are 18 different robots in this series. I actually like them. And of course the pilots of those Transformers like robots come in a jar of slime. Remind me of Pacific Rim a bit.

Here's the link to the item in the online store of Action:

https://www.action.com/de-de/p/ready2robot-uberraschungswurfel-2/







One idea I have for those parts is to use them for the B1-A Air Battle Droid as seen in the ROTS videogame.





Check out this Eternal Alliance Heavy Skytrooper made of a Fortnite figure by frum member CloneTroopr.






By the way if you also think the Rebel Honor Guard stands a little too wide, you can fix that with a rubber band over time:






I'm gonna sand down those digits and add more detail to the container. I will then make a mold of the modified version.

[Tamer]

I agree, perfect diorama fodder. Off to share to the front pages.

[The Spectre]

I am going to start checking my local discounters for some of these as well, thanks for the heads'-up!

[Darth More]

I think they should be distributed globally. Maybe you can find them online already. They are called Ready 2 Robot surprise die

Action got them online. I could (only) find them by looking for "robot" in German.

https://www.action.com/de-de/p/ready2robot-uberraschungswurfel-2/





I wish you good luck!

[Tamer]

I will start looking for them too. Whomever finds them first in the states give it a post here with a link if its online. Thanks for posting on this Philipp