I have just added a new album called Skull Temple Details. With these photos I thought I could show everyone more detail of the construction and explain some of the processes/pains creating the final diorama.
Step One: I start with a foam core base. The company I work for usually has posters mounted on foam core in the front lobby. When they’re retired I asked for them. They have a plastic coating, but it’s not a gator board. Great for bases, no warping. This one is 24W x 36L”.
Step Two: Inspired by WWG images and add revised images, send to printer.
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Step Three: I build the major objects for the diorama and place them on my foam core board for positioning. (Skull Temple, Hellmound Entrance, Alter and Triangular Sculptures (2 sizes)
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Step Four: Repeat Step Two. Now having a better idea of the size and positioning I build the center mountain with grotto, the two large mountain steps, two smaller mountain corners and the mountain section under the Hellmound Entrance. I again check for positioning. There’s not as much room on the board as I had hoped. No idea how the large mountain holding the large sculpture will work out. Go for gluing section down.
Committed.
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Step Five: What was I thinking, I should have addresses the major mountain section before mounting everything down. I will pay dearly for that. Now I have a grotto, no two grottos. What to do with them. I do those before I can put the skull temple and alter on top. The grotto came out nicely, but I had to walk away from them until a vision came to me. Now I have my two layers of objects in place on the foam core.
http://wwgallery.pcinfoman.com/displayi ... &pos=-1590
Step Six: I build the walls and steps connecting main objects. Add lower level of mountain around mountain with Hellmound entrance. Another tough section, have quite a few gaps. This is when I decided to use edging to help cover any gaps and it doesn’t look bad. This became very useful throughout the project.
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Step Seven: What about the large mountain. Ignore, gives me a headache.
Step Eight: I have a gap between the section of Hellmound Entrance and the grotto section. I need a bridge. Three bridges, three inches long. My head is starting to throb. Then it hit me. This place is older than old, they wouldn’t have any fancy bridge. I came up with a slab concept. Moving on, head feeling better.
Step Nine: I step back to survey latest addition to diorama. Happy, except for the large gaping whole on one end. Not really seeing the light at the end of the tunnel to complete this diorama. Whatever I going to do I’m committed to placing the !!!! large sculpture on top.
Step Ten: Sleep on it.
Step Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen: Don’t take frustration out on wife. Kitchen table has been cover for three months with diorama. This diorama being the third one in a row. Sleep on it.
Step Fourteen. Take a picture of the section that’s done, add special effect to photo and put on WWG web site.
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Step Fifteen. I check web site. !!!! made the top list. I must finish diorama.
Step Sixteen. Grabbed some mountain print outs, started trimming and spraying. I built a lower mountain like the other side the diorama and place a larger mountain on top. I have two problems. My large sculpture barely just sits on top and I’m losing a lot space with the large mountain. I don’t want think about the mountain top problem. Sleep on it.
Step Seventeen: I’m so desperate to ignore the mountain top problem, decide to tackle creating a cave in the side of the mountain. I check my paper print outs of mountain sides and there it is, a cave entrance. Cut a hole into it, place it into position, Now my mountain’s four sided. I give it the hand test. Gamers should be able to use it without to much damage. !!!! gamers. I can live with it. Now I fill the cave. Repeating the flame of skull mouth but larger, framing it with building scraps, and added interior walls and cliffs. Happy
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Step Eighteen: Three sections left to complete. I promised my wife after this one, I’m taking a break. The kitchen table will be cleared. We’ve been eating in the dining room for the past three months. When she fixes a meal. I’m no cook. Popcorn’s my specialty. She doesn’t believe it will happen.
Step Nineteen: I tackle the gap between the Mountain stairs and the cave mountain. Messy but done.
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Step Twenty: Mountain top, sleep on it.
Step Twenty-0ne: I solved my problem. Extend build over the mountain by adding building supports and buttresses from the mountain. Happy days.
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Step Twenty-two: The stairs. I have the answerer. I take measurements and make a diagram. First one for this project. I take the information to work and create the exact piece I need to finish the diorama. That night I dig right in. I spray mount and trim the card board pieces. It doesn’t fit. I take a break. Later that night using the pieces modified it was done. Extremely happy.
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Step Twenty-three: Photos for gallery. The next night my wife screams. I thought I’m going to have to kill a bug. So I go into the kitchen to see whats going on. She’s a smart !!!. The table was clear. All kidding aside, my wife is very supportive of my hobbies and I hope I am of hers.

That’s what it took to create this monster.
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I also want to thank everyone at WWG and members for all their support.

Curt, if this doesn't make it into the Customer Build Spotlight (or whatever takes its place in the new website), I'll be extremely upset! I am most envious of your build skills.

Hi Curt. It's the URL police here...

Please don't use the "displayimage.php?album=xxx&pos=yy" URL's, because they will show different pictures depending on the user's previous viewing history.

For example, after some experimentation I figured out that the links in your long post on the previosu page only make sense if your user galleries are sorted using "FILE NAME +". If someone had previously viewed your user gallery in chronological order, the URL's you listed would point to entirely different pictures!

Instead, you can use the absolute URL for the pictures, which you can see by clicking on the blue icon upper left. Typically something like "displayimage.php?pos=-zzz".



Oh, and thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for those gorgeous pictures!! You've done a truly amazing job with this diorama!

Head up Curt! Well done with the build- this is possibly one of the most involved i've ever seen. Hope ya have fun playing on it!


Hanx
Elrond