Building a Diorama - Part #1 - New Basic Materials

New Basic Materials:  Part of my reason for building this diorama was to experiment using materials that were new to me.  These new materials were Foam-Core Board, Plaster Cloth and Light Weight Spackling.  In Part #1 I will describe these materials, explain some of their unique characteristics and why I chose to use them.  Below is a picture of the diorama I am building.  A little crude, but a goal for the new modelers learning from it.

Foam-Core Board:  The material I am using is Produced by Elmer's Products, Inc. and is correctly called Foam Board.  This product is a composite material consisting of a foam sheet faced on both sides with a heavy paper creating a very light weight, stiff and quite strong display building material.  It's normally used in booth displays for picture backing and upright display panels.  I make the distinction because I have found similar products in the same area that did not have the heavy paper facings and would not be suitable for this work.  Many in the hobby and craft scene also use the term, foam-core, and I will continue with that term.  Foam-core boards are available in thicknesses from 3/16" to 3/4" and sizes from 20" x 30" to 48" x 96", the larger sizes as special order.  For my project I used the 3/16" thick x 20" x 30" boards, readily available at most hobby and craft stores as well as many art and framing shops for about $2.50 - $3.00 per board.  I found a cheaper source at the dollar type stores for $1.00 per board.

Plaster Cloth:  This material was first used for many years in doctor's offices to wrap broken arms to produce a cast.  Someone in the hobby found the material useful as a strong and lightweight scenery material.  Now the material has moved from the doctor's office to the hobby stores.  Basically, plaster cloth is a loose weave cloth coated with dried plaster and sold in small rolls approximately 8" wide by 15 to 20 feet long.  To use this material you first cut it to small, suitable sizes, briefly dip them in a shallow pan of water and lay over a support structure to give an appropriate shape.  After overlapping several layers of plaster cloth and allowing it to dry you may remove the supporting material and have a scenery base that is rigid and light.  Rolls of plaster cloth cost about $8.00 to $10.00 and may also be found on the internet.


Light Weight Spackling:  This handy product is found in hardware and home improvement stores and we often use it to replace plaster of paris or drywall joint compound.  It is fast drying, flexible, easy to use and may be painted, stained and carved.  The brand I use is DAP Fast'N Final Lightweight Spackling.  It is available in plastic tubs of 16 and 32 fluid ounces.  It is applied with a small putty knife and can be smoothed with a wet finger or paintbrush to produce textures and shapes.  While more expensive than joint compound, the lack of cracking and flexibility justifies the price of $4.00 to $6.00 per small tub and $8.00 to $10.00 for the large.


Caution:  When using any new product be sure to read the instructions and use care until you become familiar with the product.  This project of Building a Diorama is intended for adults and supervised youth.