Diorama product info required

[Vlad Seabrook-Smith]

Over the years at MA many of yous guys produced some stunning dioramas or bases etc utilising some great products.

My question is can you guys share information on what these products are and where they can be sourced from, I remember Rob used a dried product on the base for the universal carrier, Shawn uses some awesome pine trees and forest litter....... the list goes on

Can we form a resource list from combined knowledge?

Gary if this is in the wrong dept please feel free to shift it

[Yngve Sjodin]

Reality in Scales Forest in a Pot , Armorfarm has some great items , Silflor , Plus Model,,just which came to mind right now

[John Everett]

I've been impressed with a product called Forest In A Pot as well as just about anything from Armor Farm. What these two products share in common is a heavy use of natural materials like flowers, twigs, moss, seeds, etc.

Ingve has done some great, great work with crushed florist's foam and some old junk he found in the forest. (Granted, his local forests are unique on the whole planet, but it's still stuff he found in the backyard.

Remember this one? The trees are done with synthetic railroad stuff. But all of the shrubberies were done by Roger, the Shrubber.......... from forest collected materials.



After a number of sizable dioramas I think there's just nothing better than carefully collected natural materials for use as landscape covering.

[Yngve Sjodin]

The forest and gardens yes, important Places to score some great materials. When out there remember to dig up a couple of roots and let them dry , makes awesome bushes , twigs and whatnot from it

[Phill Brooks]

treemendus have a fantastic range of diorama materials,from leaves to whole trees

brooksy

[Justin Wooding]

Hi chaps,

Kamizukuri do some very nice paper items, especially flowering plants. I think it was Shaun Symonds who did one of their Cherry Trees?

[Rob Matthews]

Hi Vlad

I think the boys have covered most of the bases

The "Tree" on the Carrier base was a piece of "Seafoam" - which I bought in a big box from one of the Railway model shops.

Thses guys who haven't got a mention yet are good - Shawn uses their stuff. Current delivery prices to UK are however punitive!

http://www.thescenicfactory.com/

Rob

[John Hoenig]

Hi Rob,
Thanks for the mention, unfortunately the UK is in their own world for shipping (+Vat), its beyond my control, I only charge actual rates and refund any extra but I agree its excessive.
I really feel your pain because I buy Precision Ice and Snow from the UK and every time I look at the shipping I have a hard time justifying it because of the shipping.
(By the way Brazil is worse)
- John

[Vlad Seabrook-Smith]

Thank you all for the very positive replies fellas, there is some good links and info there to absorb.

One question pops into my mind straight away and that is regarding the 'live' materials found freely in the environment, surely it would dry out and become very fragile, much like a pressed flower? would it lose its colour and is there anyway to 'treat the items to reduce this occurrence?

John, its a shame shipping is so expensive as your products are stunning!

[John Hoenig]

Vlad,
Almost all materials will dry out and lose color(turn brown)
They have to be treated with a glycerin solution and that only preserves the plant not the color. Some materials will retain color but few.
90% of all my materials are glycerin preserved and then dyed with special floral dye, including the plumose fern.
Unfortunately for most there are many different ways and formulas for glycerin preservation (as well as different kinds of glycerin). One way may work for one material and not for another, some materials won't preserve at all.
You have to be careful when you read "just spray glycerin on it" - doesn't usually work that way.
Color loss is usually slow so it may take a while to know if it works or not.
Any item I preserve gets shelved for 6 months before offered for sale to make sure all is well.
- John