Revisiting My Not Quite Right Diorama Model.
First Off, Let's See The Finished Finished Model...
Second Time The Charm?
Now, technically, I've already completed this diorama model once (before Christmas), so what was wrong with my first attempt that has me having another go at finishing this project?
Well, basically this model kit was perfectly adequate and lots of fun for young and first time modellers. It goes together without too many problems and any of the niggles I may have had were only because - as an 'experienced modeler' - I could see a few better ways of doing things. So, any modifications I have decided to make are because of personal preferences and NOT because this is a 'bad' kit (it isn't).
What I Would Do Differently & What I Did Differently...
This was the first time that I had made one of these mixed media prefabricated diorama kits, so there was bound to be a few things that were going to cause me some head scratching.
The main one was working with paper, of all things! I've never worked with paper sheets for model making or decoration all that much so it was amusing that something so simple caused me some frustration.
It all boiled down to my wrong assumptions and choice of glue for sticking down the paper components of this kit. I chose to use School PVA glue for all the paper parts, but this turned out to be a bit of a mistake as using a 'wet glue' tended to saturate the kit's paper parts which led to some stretching and tearing during assembly. 😟
I only realised that a 'dry glue' - like Pritt Stick - would have perhaps been a better and less messy choice. An even better choice - which I finally resorted to late in the construction - was the use of a spray aerosol glue (like Photo Mount).
This spray glue not only did not wet the paper parts but could be applied quite thinly and evenly so that there were no wrinkles or bumps.
And the other major take away from making this kit was to do with installing the LED lighting...
The kit instructions suggest that the LED wiring should be joined together using just tape. Now, I can see why this was done as the kit was intended to be suitable for younger modellers and connecting the wires in the more usual way - soldering - would have been a red flag for many parents.
Additionally, the kit was designed to be put together using any additional tools and materials that the average home might have to hand. A soldering kit isn't something everyone has access too - indeed, this was my very first experience of soldiering as it turned out!
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| Above: My first go at soldering. While the kit's recommended use of just tape to join the wires was 'OK' I did think that they might easily get pulled apart when taking the battery box in and out...Hence the soldering. |
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| Above: The wires in this kit were Very thin so I resorted to using my 'helping hand' grips. It took a couple of goes before all the LED lights were working correctly. I was pleased! LOL |
So, as you can see, my 'niggles' were technical preferences and not things that prevented the kit from being built as intended,
Conclusions - Things I Learned
When (not if) I make another of these 'dioramas in a box' kits there are a few things I'd probably do differently, even aside from the couple I mention above. But, again, this comes down to having a bit more model making experience than the average intended target for these kind of kits...
The main thing I would say is that you should not be frightened to improvise or modify your kit. I stuck pretty much (until the end) to the manufacturer's instructions... Even when I thought to myself that there was a 'better way' of doing certain things.
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| Above: 'Improving' the basic model by filling in some unwanted holes and preparing to make a better home for the batteries. |
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| Above: I designed and 3D printed a little battery draw to fit into the original open hole at the building's rear. |
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| Above: Not a seamless job but better than a gapping hole! |
There were a couple of times with this Takoyaki Shop - for example - that I thought I might 3D print a better 'this or that' part, but stopped myself from doing so (particularly as the model was a gift from my daughter and so I wanted to build it OTB (out the box).
Something I did do with this kit - though - was to print off a few additional posters for added decoration. Just some bits of extra Japanese fast food posters, but it has inspired me to be a bit more creative in future by designing my own 2D printed decorations for the dioramas that I make.
In fact, it has kind of sent me on a path of wanting to slowly replace kit parts with my own to the point where I might eventually make a complete diorama wholly of my own design with components that I have made myself.
(I have been watching a particular YouTube crafter who has very much gone down this path themselves. HMS2 has a wonderful channel and illustrates how starting with the prefabricated 'dolls house' style kits you can build up experience to the point where you feel confident enough to scratch build your own projects. If you browse his channel you can see how they have evolved their crafting all the way from where I am with my Takoyaki Shop kit to some really advanced and beautifully creative model making.)
Hopefully, I will be building another similar Japanese themed diorama, but I hope to put a lot more of my own ideas into that project!
For now though, a big thank you to my daughter - Kayleigh - who gave me the Takoyaki Shop kit as a present. I have thoroughly enjoyed making it.
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