Topic: JDeck's dioramas and displays.

[JDeck]

I really like how those redwood palms look (I may be biased however ). Great idea to use scrap Styrofoam for a ruined complex. This will be cool to watch develop.

PS - there's always more redwood scrap. The tree is three stories tall.

Thank you! I still have a lot, you gave me a great big box. The bark is really useful for ground cover.

Fish aquarium plants for reptiles are a great substitute for "island" backdrops. Not very expensive either.

Yes, Excellent idea! With the trees and so forth I have, a simple backdrop would make the jungle forest seem deeper.

awesome job

Thanks bud!


I painted the white EPS styrofoam pieces. Since I can't carve or do much with that type, I just broke the edges and made holes, make it look like ancient ruins. I sealed it with a mixture of spackle, modge podge and water. It's wierd, it curdled like cottage cheese, but it spread pretty smooth. It dried like spackle, but a harder non sandable finish. The woodland scenics earth colors still took to it like a spackle only finish.  I used, concrete, yellow oacher and burnt umber.

[Tamer]

Wow this is nice. Catching up on my posts and see this is awesome.

Off to share.

[Starchaser]

The strategy of just breaking off the packing foam actually works well for simulating irregular wear...especially on a "mud brick" building. I like it! Nice paint mix combo, too.

[JDeck]

Wow this is nice. Catching up on my posts and see this is awesome.

Off to share.

Thanks Bro! I've had this idea brewing of doing the ending of Full metal jacket with stormtroopers. It's funny because they sing the Mickey Mouse march.

The strategy of just breaking off the packing foam actually works well for simulating irregular wear...especially on a "mud brick" building. I like it! Nice paint mix combo, too.

Thanks man! With enough plaster and whatnot, you can't really tell it's styrofoam. I made it a little redder than I wanted but, no bigs. I wanted it to have a similar color as the shoretroopers, without them getting lost. As if it's actual camouflage . I could see all white on a ship like the Tantive iv, but in a forest, SMH.

[Tamer]

Yeah, I remember that scene.

[JDeck]

Did my patrol shot. Used cat litter for a basic ground cover. Made a ton of smoke with the microfogger and a cigarette. Pretty much filled the whole room. Lol.

[Tamer]

Nice, hope your room cleared out. 

Off to share.

[JDeck]

Nice, hope your room cleared out. 

Off to share.

It did clear, eventually. Microfoggers will set off the smoke alarm. I need to construct a condenser. Get some surgical tubing, coil it in a container of ice water, then drill holes and plug the end. That way the smoke will be heavier than air and linger instead of going straight up.

[Starchaser]

Love that image! It looks really cool, the cat litter actually worked really well. Glad your room cleared I'll be interested to see how you fix this. You should post a picture of your condenser when you build it (eventually).

[JDeck]

Love that image! It looks really cool, the cat litter actually worked really well. Glad your room cleared I'll be interested to see how you fix this. You should post a picture of your condenser when you build it (eventually).

Thanks bud! I think ice water would be overkill, don't want to liquify the smoke. I'll figure it out. Fortunately Vosentech makes all the parrs and connections except for the condenser.


I bought some Joytoy Mecha depot diorama buildings. Maintenance Area and Testing Area, and I ordered a second Testing Area from ebay, to make something symmetrical. I've watched several videos on these things and one take away was do it right the first time, because it's almost impossible to take apart.
  My plan is to build the Maintenance Area straight, then mash it with the Testing areas on both sides. These things are 90 percent the same parts, each kit might have one unique part, but the rest are the same as all the others. Which makes them super modular and customizable.  Ultimately my plan is to build an AT-ST maintenance hangar to go on the bottom shelf of my imperial army display.  I can always buy more kits and make a motorpool.

One issue with these kits are missing parts. I ended up with 5 extra beams and short one connector.  I reckon i can live without one connector. The extra beams will be nice to have in the future.  According to my estimation the maintenance area should be big enough for the AT-ST while still fitting in the shelf.

[JDeck]

It took about an hour to build the Maintenance Area. Its just under 18 inches, so it will clear the shelf, and it's about 15 inches wide.  Kind of waiting for the second Testing Area to ship much less arrive.  I want to incorporate some star wars diorama parts, lights and what have ya. These are cool kits. GTP should have done modular kits like this.

[Starchaser]

That looks great! I like wrestling column in there, its a good addition. Sorry about the odd parts, though it doesn't sound like it's too big an issue. Good heads up though. I've thinking about getting a set or two from this line, but I'm still not sure what for, so I haven't pulled the trigger.

[JDeck]

That looks great! I like wrestling column in there, its a good addition. Sorry about the odd parts, though it doesn't sound like it's too big an issue. Good heads up though. I've thinking about getting a set or two from this line, but I'm still not sure what for, so I haven't pulled the trigger.

Thanks! I use the wrestling tower as a reference for now. The hight fits exactly on the bottom shelf ill be using. They are great kits. Due to their modularity, you can make whatever you want. I sed the Testing Area to make a speeder bike garage, and AT-ST driver staging area on top. When I get the second Testing Area, ill make it a two door garage, with an extended AT-ST driver staging area.

[Tamer]

Wow, I just lost some time this morning. Just great stuff JDeck.

I see they even have Mecha Depot Mainteance folks and such. I could easily see a ton of this stuff being repurposed into the Star Wars Verse.

So off to share this.

[JDeck]

Wow, I just lost some time this morning. Just great stuff JDeck.

I see they even have Mecha Depot Mainteance folks and such. I could easily see a ton of this stuff being repurposed into the Star Wars Verse.

So off to share this.

Thank you! I got the watching Area and the Weapon Area, to make an armory/ patrol trooper staging area and ITT loading area to round out the rest of the shelf. These kits come with peg boards to attach weapons to, by the trigger guard. The pegs are a little too large so the trigger guards have to stretch. These are just extra weapons I had.  I just started building the walls first, to make it easier.

Im still waiting for the other Testing Area from ebay to ship, so I can make a second Speeder bike garage. I've been getting them on Amazon. HiPlay JoyToy Science-Fiction Theme Scene Base for 1/18 Scale Action Figures- 1/18 Mecha Depot:Observation Tower https://a.co/d/56JpS07 Hiplay sells almost all of the different kits.
Amazon is wierd. I live near Ashland, they ship it to Ashland, then all the way up to Fredericksburg to be put on a delivery truck to be delivered back to Ashland. I guess they know what they're doing, but I sure don't.