Matt C.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 11:44:06 AM
I figured I would add a little more to this thread since it has been pretty quiet.. [:)]

- If you are into scratch building, the easiest way to scale your models is with a HO scale ruler. These can be found at most hobby stores or Walthers. This makes it easy and you do not need to do any calculations.

- Diamond plate- okay, I admit- not my idea! It was actually an idea a good friend of mine, Don Cummons, has been using for years. To make diamond plate, buy some bridal veil from a fabric store. Lay a thin layer of glue on your surface, and apply the bridal veil. Make sure there are no bubbles or rough areas. When the glue dries (tacky glue or white glue works best),trim the edges of your surface and you will now have a nice looking diamond plated surface.


Matt Cook
Matt's Carnival Warehouse / Matt's Web Design
http://www.carnivalwarehouse.com 
http://www.mwdwebdesign.com 
Ryan Russell
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 11:47:54 AM
I've purchased diamond plate sheets from Walthers as well. You get 3-4 sheets per package and works and looks really good.
Matt C.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 12:03:00 PM
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by Ryan Russell

I've purchased diamond plate sheets from Walthers as well. You get 3-4 sheets per package and works and looks really good.



That works well too. I believe evergreen makes it.
Matt Cook
Matt's Carnival Warehouse / Matt's Web Design
http://www.carnivalwarehouse.com 
http://www.mwdwebdesign.com 
CONKO316
Wednesday, January 25, 2006 5:03:57 AM
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by Matt C.

An addition to the topic, if you want some nice carnival fencing, Priser Barriers (590-25175) work real well. They are VERY brittle and sort of expensive, but look great on any HO scale midway. Price is around $13.00 for around 15-16 sections.

http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/590-25175 



These same barriers can also be found at eurorailhobbies. they are a little cheaper, and if youare canadian, like me, easier to get a hold of
http://www.eurorailhobbi...SC=HO&stock=PR-25175 
UserPostedImage

Justin
Skywheelrider
Friday, April 28, 2006 10:27:51 AM
Just perusing through MCW before we open today, I can add something to this forum.

If you want some great backwall scenery, side scenery, great scenery panels in general, signs, doghouse scenery, etc., check the many European websites for some great photos. Most of the scenery I used on the models I built or refurbished while I was off work came from these sites (not including the fun houses, those were from my own photos).

How I did it: I would find a photo I liked that had some nice scenery in it, and I would save it to My Pictures. Then I would open Adobe Photoshop and then the photo, crop out what I wanted, and save it to a special model scenery folder I created. Then I used Print Shop (from Broderubund), and I would upload the photos I had cropped, and size them to fit the HO-scale models. I used them for backwalls, side scenery, doghouse scenery, signs, whatever. You can do the same thing using your own photos as well (I used photos I had taken to make the "turbo light panels" on many models, cropped and sized as just mentioned.) For some of the backwall scenes, I just took three or four photos and put them together using Print Shop. And I always saved my work. You never know when you may need to go back to it because something didn't work out and you need to reprint the scenery.

Most of my scenery was printed on "soft gloss" photo paper, or cardstock. Then I used clear nail polish to seal in the ink. Sometimes a clear glaze spray paint will work, just spray the whole 8-1/2" x 11" sheet after you print it, then cut out the scenery as needed.

To glue the scenery I used either Aileen's Tacky Glue or a simple glue stick. The glue stick worked real well, I must say.

To make the flags, I used Print Shop as well, then used straight pins, styrene rods, even the posts from the IHC Swinger that work as the seat hangers. I found the quickest and easiest way to attach them was a drop of Tacky Glue, followed by a drop of Surehold Super Glue, then place the pin/rod in that and hold for a few seconds. Works like a charm on any surface. To attach the "flag" to the rod I would spread some Tacky Glue with a toothpick on one side of the flag, place the rod in the centre, then fold, making sure the edges were even. My flags are always printed on regular white paper.

Another great way to find scenery is Google Image Search, just type in what you are looking for (like my racing kid rides, I typed in "1950's racing" and "1960's racing" and all kinds of photos, paintings, fancy t-shirt logos, etc. came up).

Print Shop is also great for making your own custom signs as well, especially if under "Text" you use "Headline," you can make it wavy, bold face, italics, curved, at an angle, triangular, with or without depth, with or without shadows, solid colours or coulors fading into each other, different font styles, almost unlimited what you can do.

I use all kinds of paint as well--craft paint, Testors, Plasti-cote, spray paint (Krylon, Testors, Short Cuts, Pactra, etc.), in all kinds of colours. I always primer the model parts first, then paint. I have used auto touch up paint, and, believe it or not, metallic nail polish (there was some in the bathroom closet one time that had sat for awhile, I tried it for the heck of it, and wow, it worked--the tubs on my "Rock & Roll" bobs are red metallic nail polish).

For lights, besides the aforementioned turbo light panel photos, I have used Tulip and Colourpoint Fabric Paint, put on one drop at a time, for turbo or incandescent light bulbs (see my Giant Wheel or Frangipani Ring of Fire as examples); fluorescent coloured rods from Plastruct (see my Round Up, for example, and the Frangipani Sky Wheel, as another example); and Westrim beads (1/4", 1/2", and 1" lengths) in various colours. I have also used Plastruct rods painted in different colours for "fluorescent" lights as well (see the Wonderland Sky Wheel as an example).

Fun House fronts, for the most part, are actual photos that were scaled to size with Print Shop, printed on the soft gloss photo paper, then cut out and glued with a glue stick to a styrene sheet, then glued to a trailer (Wacky Shack, Surf Shack, Clown Town, King Circus), one is just graphics I found on line sized on Print Shop and then from there (Tomb Raider), one is an RAH (Alpine), and one is a paper decal sheet with different stickers (Hollywood).

Stairs and railings you can find just about anywhere, IHC kits always have extra parts, plus Grandt Line offers stairs, ladders, and railings in a package. Faller kits are usually good for extra parts like this as well.

Some of the decals like striping and such are stickers bought in small sheets at a scrapbook store, that's a great place for decals that look great on HO-scale models.

Bally cloths I used are from photos I have taken as well, cropped with Photoshop and sized with Print Shop. They really do dress up rides and trailers.

I have used the Plastruct Diamond Plate and it costs about $11 for two sheets, but is well worth the money, when painted silver it looks like metal. I also tried the bridal veil method that Matt mentioned and it works great as well. And I agree with him, the Preiser Barrier fence is great for ride fence, it looks fantastic and interlocks together nicely.

I could go on and on, there are so many things you can do to make a great scale model.

Here are the links to photos of my two model shows for examples of what I referred to above:

Frangipani Amusements:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.c...m/ph/cm_hurley/my_photos 

Wonderland Shows:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.c...m/ph/cm_hurley/my_photos 

And here are some great sites I have downloaded photos from for scenery:

http://www.3erloooping.de/kirmes.html 

http://www.kermisworld.b...eid%20DE/Ludenscheid.htm 

http://www.ridesdb.com/fr/db/ride_search.php  (My favourite!)

http://www.wrightair.co.uk/mainpages/miamimain.htm  (another great one)

http://www.fairgroundart.co.uk/ 

http://www.airbrushedart.co.uk/ 

http://www.airbrushartuk.com/ 

http://www.atelier-ek.de/ 

http://www.funfairzone.com/ 

http://www.atfotf.com/ 

http://www.fairground-rides.co.uk/ 

And if anyone looks at my photos and would like some of the scenery from photos I have taken (like the bally cloths, or turbo light panels) let me know and I will email you the photos. But only the photos I have taken, I will not send someone elses that all I did was download and crop. Just ask about certain ride models of mine and I can tell you which have scenery pics I have taken and which were borrowed. I would be happy to send photos I have taken and cropped of fun house fronts as well.

I also have some great photos of game trailer marquees that I have taken that I am going to use on Raymond Schrum's game trailer paper kits, same with food trailer detailed photos for use with his paper food trailer kits. I would be happy to email marquee and sign photos of these as well. In fact, Raymond has given me permission before to email to anyone who asks the scenery he has made for the Alpine Bobs, Musik Express, game trailers, food trailers, Gravitron, Starship 2000, if you cannot access them from the Ridemodelers Yahoo! Group site. I am only happy to share my own photos and Raymond's GREAT scenery, he does an awesome job making it.

Happy modeling!


"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." -- Mark Twain
natet_2003
Saturday, April 29, 2006 2:20:32 AM
Those sites are where I get most of my artwork for rides...


Look for airbrush artist websites....they have the best stuff:)
Skywheelrider
Saturday, April 29, 2006 9:54:18 PM
I agree they are good Nate, you'll notice a couple of airbrush site links in my list. One of the coolest ride artists I have seen work from is Paul Wright. The scenery he paints is phenomenal.
"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." -- Mark Twain
natet_2003
Sunday, April 30, 2006 1:34:16 AM
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by Skywheelrider

I agree they are good Nate, you'll notice a couple of airbrush site links in my list. One of the coolest ride artists I have seen work from is Paul Wright. The scenery he paints is phenomenal.




He is an awesome artist
StratesFan1
Saturday, August 4, 2007 6:39:20 AM
Hi Everyone,I am new member to this site.I'm from the Horseheads,NY area and do models of Strates Shows.I have a question for Topspinjay of AGI.I have a Faller Topspin and thinking about getting the RAH Starship 2000 and I noticed you have graffix packs available for both.I'm wondering how much they are and are they readily available or will I have to wait awhile for them??? Thanks....
ringmaster
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 12:42:54 PM
I cann't add mutch to what skywheeler said, but I did learn something last night I've already used. If you find a picture that has sinage or a showfrot or banner you want to use, but it was shot at a angle, you can often streighten it out with Photoshop Elements perspective crop.
http://www.wtj.com/games/battlefleet_1900/ 
If you don't have Photoshop becouse of the price, new copies of most versions go on E-bay for half price often mutch less, and you don't need the newest version.
There is a learning curve, butthere are tons of free tutorials o U-tube and instrution videos, dvds and books go very cheap on E-bay and Amazon.
Besides the Prisser fencing Faller has some thin fencing including some thats nerly perfict for a Chaos and several that would work well on a dark ride.
Tilt-A-Whirl27
Thursday, July 31, 2008 8:37:50 AM
Hey everyone,
I'm a new member and live in Ontario. I came across this conversion calculator online that I use often when it comes to scratchbuilding anything. From rides to buildings it's great for them all.

http://www.csgnetwork.com/modrrscalecalc.html 
FNO Sean
  •  FNO Sean
  • 57.68% (Neutral)
  • Maintenance Supervisor
Monday, February 23, 2009 12:29:15 PM
I just wanted to post a simple tip for those who maybe a little obsessed about quality. If you ever finish something and your unhappy with one aspect of your new finished piece, fix it! Leaving something alone despite how much work will be required to fix the problem will be well worth it. Little imperfections will haunt you and leave your mind feeling the model in incomplete. I been running into these problems modeling for years and grinding out the issue by restriping and painting always makes you love the finish product 10X more than before.
BSA Mike
Monday, February 23, 2009 1:21:14 PM
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by FNO Sean

I just wanted to post a simple tip for those who maybe a little obsessed about quality. If you ever finish something and your unhappy with one aspect of your new finished piece, fix it! Leaving something alone despite how much work will be required to fix the problem will be well worth it. Little imperfections will haunt you and leave your mind feeling the model in incomplete. I been running into these problems modeling for years and grinding out the issue by restriping and painting always makes you love the finish product 10X more than before.



lol not everyone has OCD bra [;)]
Matt C.
Monday, February 23, 2009 1:46:21 PM
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by FNO Sean

I just wanted to post a simple tip for those who maybe a little obsessed about quality. If you ever finish something and your unhappy with one aspect of your new finished piece, fix it! Leaving something alone despite how much work will be required to fix the problem will be well worth it. Little imperfections will haunt you and leave your mind feeling the model in incomplete. I been running into these problems modeling for years and grinding out the issue by restriping and painting always makes you love the finish product 10X more than before.



Sadly enough, I know exactly what you mean LOL. I am working on redoing my Zamperla Speedway- a old project that I was never 100% happy with.
Matt Cook
Matt's Carnival Warehouse / Matt's Web Design
http://www.carnivalwarehouse.com 
http://www.mwdwebdesign.com