UPDATED!! My Custom Ark Playset/Diorama Well, life has come full circle, LOL. A few months back, my son found my G1 Season one Transformers Cartoon DVD and Transformers The Movie DVD and has fallen in love with them. I am a huge fan and loved the toys, cartoons, movie and enjoy the new movies as well. I have been looking for an excuse to start buying some of the new Universe, Generations and Reveal the Shield toys coming out and my son just made it so much easier and enjoyable. So mom and I decided to start his(and my) collection off this Christmas. I went ahead and got the iGear Computer Control Center but after hearing the reviews I knew that it would not last long together and it was too cluttered to actually enjoy your Transformers on them. SOOO, I decided to build my own play set (for my son of course)!! So here is the idea for how I want the front of the play set to look like; The inside I am going to make it into two levels. A small second floor medical bay and a main floor where Teletraan 1 and the sky spy computer console will be. I am going to kit bash the iGear kit and use the panel, including the floor panel to cover all first and second floor walls with. Then I am going to paint match the color of the panels and paint the floor. Here is a few pics of the project so far. UPDATE: Did some carving this weekend! Got to admit, when I started carving I had my doubts, but as it went along I could really see how beautiful it was coming along!! Gonna put the base coat on tomorrow and give it a couple of days to dry before I apply the first wash on. For the next pic I got to send a HUGE thanks to G60FORCE for his project Teletraan 1. I was planning on adding LEDs to my igear Teletraan 1 but thanks to his idea, I purchased a small digital photo frame and incorporated it to the igear teletraan !.. THANKS again guys! UPDATE: 2/27/2011 Laid on the first base coat on the mountain and The Ark. The mountain still needs one to two washes of dark brown and the Ark still need another coat then some detailing and weathering. So far I am pleased with the first coat. ENJOY! UPDATE: 3/21/2011 Did a little more work over the weekend. Painted and detailed the inner floor and walls of the ark. First gave it three base coats of the orange color. Then drew the panel lines. Then gave it a weathered look as best I can with burnt sienna and a drybrush (first time ever doing something like that) On the outside part of the Ark, I pretty much did the same thing. Then I focused on Mt. St. Helens, I took it outside and got a spray bottle with 1 once of brown paint and 16 ounces of water and sprayed down the whole mountain. Once dry I went back to the beige base coat and drybrushed the whole thing. I went ahead and mocked up the side wall panels just so you guys can get a little idea of how its going to look. Still a lot of more little details need to be finished. Need to finish the wiring for all the LEDs. Need the side wood panels installed and painted. Need to permanently attach the two halves of the mountain together and secure the Ark. I also need to do the sand and gravel work on the outside of the Ark. Enjoy
Quite an ambitious first project, but already it shows much potential. Welcome to the 2k5 boards, and welcome to the Radicons! ~Z
I only have one question............When will mine be ready?!?! Awesome work so far and a great way for you and your son to bond!!!!!! Now if we could just get all the world leaders to sit down and watch G1 the world would be a better place. Welcome to the boards
Thanks for the support guys! Still a lot of carving and shaping needs to be done on the mountain side and the mountain that goes over and around to the other side. Once that has been carved, spackled. The a thin coat of joint compound coats the Ark then a few layers of paint and final details with a thin brush and the ship should be done. Mt. St. Helens will be painted with a few washes and fine details with a dry brush technique. Some gravel and modeling sand glued on to the floor and then painted over so it won't fall off will finish the front. The entry way into the Ark will be color matched to the iGear panels and the entry will be lit by Amber LEDs. Once inside all the walls will be covered by the iGear panels which I may give a little custom detail with a paint pen to highlight the lines. The floor will also be color matched to the walls but a shade darker with details drawn into it to look like the cartoon Ark. Teletraan 1, Sky Spy control center and medical control center plus the monitors will have LEDs installed in them in various red, blue, white and flashing red colors. There will also be Stalactites and Stalagmites in various locations in the Ark. More pics in the next few days and weeks. I will keep you guys posted. A quick thanks to all the Radicons on the board, after many time reading and watching you guys through the years, have given me the ideas and vision to take this on.
very cool. kinda reminds me of my old boulder hill M.A.S.K. playset. can't wait to see this finished.
This looks like it's gonna be brilliant... and monstrously huge! Looking forward to seeing this develop. Dude, there's no need to make excuses... you're among friends here.
welcome to the boards! you're a cool dad and kitbasher alike for undertaking such a project. i hope some wonderful memories are born from your project cheers, KO
This is such a cool Diorama Really like the way you built it way better than any third party products