Building a model like this was actually quite straight forward although when built in HO scale (1:87th) it's quite a large model and takes up a fair amount of space.
This is a sponsored video, Anycubic is a 3D printer company and they provided me with the printer I use in the video. The rock work has quite a lot of fine detail in it and the printer had no problems picking up the detail.

Feel free to ask any questions or leave a comment 😉

30 minutes of me swearing at a wall... a dam wall 😄 Even though it may not seem like it given the amount of times I say 'Dam wall', I actually really enjoyed building this diorama and I'd love to bring you along on the journey.

It's another lengthy build however I tried to avoid using any highly specialized tools, like a laser cutter for example, that way should you want to follow along and have a go at building something similar you'll be able to give it a shot.

I did use some 3D printed details however these are not essential to finishing the project. While they add a bit of interest you could just as easily build this model and have an equally interesting diorama without the addition of those details.

If you have any further questions about the diorama feel free to post a reply below and I'll do my best to get back to you.

I hope you enjoy watching and if you'd like to find the products and materials I used as the base for this diorama you'll find them at both Scene-A-Rama and Woodland Scenics, this link will take you to Scene-A-Rama:

Also, if you do want to attempt this project I have made the 3D printer files and the Dam Wall templates available here: Dam Project Files

Building a tiny RC truck that you can drive around is not as difficult as you might first think! And once you do finish building it you'll want somewhere to drive it...

This video will take you through absolutely everything you need to know in order to build the tiny HO scale truck as well as building the course for it to drive on!

It's much easier than you think and the IFA W50 from tiny4x4 is a great starter model to build if you've never built one of these tiny RC vehicles before.

There are a few extra 3D printed details I added to the model, I printed an air intake, exhaust and some tiny extremely fragile mirrors! 

If you want to try printing these details you'll be able to find them here:

I hope you enjoy watching and if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment 😉

Realistic Scenery Vol.25 is well underway! A lot has been happening and there are heaps of new tips and tricks that I'll be demonstrating in the latest scenery video!

As you can see it not quite finished but the end is in sight! The process is being filmed from start to end and it will soon become Realistic Scenery Vol.25.

The model is being specifically designed to fit on the shelving area behind the workbench and it will have the ability to connect to future modules that will be built later on down the track 🚂

There are quite a number of new tips and techniques that I'll be demonstrating in the video.

The rural bitumen road is one of those examples, it's made using a technique that was a bit of an experiment and to be honest I wasn't entirely sure it would work but thankfully in thje end the result turned out quite nice.

It resembles an old bitumen road with a loose rock surface, it was made using some Mig Tarmac Textured paint and then sanded back slightly. The sand texture imbedded in the paint was just a little coarse for HO scale but from the normal viewing distance it doesn't look too bad.

If I were to do this again I'd try mixing up my own textured paint with a finer grit sand to get a result better suited to HO scale.

The track I used is code 55 rail, I actually 3D printed all of the wooden ties so they would be a perfect match to the prototype and then thread the ties onto the rail.

Because the ties and tiny little spikes that hold the rail are 3D printed in resin they are super fragile, so you'll need to be very careful not to bust them when handling the track. 

You might also recognise this bridge. it's the same bridge from a previous realistic scenery video.
​The original diorama was slowly being dismantled for trees and this bridge was all that remained, this was the perfect opportunity to give it a second life, I did have to shorten the bridge a little but I think it fits the scene nicely. 

Now all that needs to be done to finish the video are trees, grass and all the tiny details like signs, fences, seat and people.

It's really turning out to be a fun little module!

Having never actually built anything like this before I was a little apprehensive at first simply due to the size of the components! These kits also come with absolutely no instructions which makes assembly all that much more difficult.

The good news is that there are build guides available on YouTube. 

In the end this project was so much fun to complete and being able to take a cruise through my tiny worlds brings them to life in a whole new way.

It the video above I'll basically take you on a journey through the process of building one of these amazing models. A set of written instructions would have been great which is partly why I decided to film this detailed tutorial.

One of the techniques used in the construction process that often draws attention is the process of annealing the brass.

Typically the annealing process will harden metal like steel however with brass it softens the metal.

To anneal the brass you simply use a torch and heat the part until it glows orange, next the brass is quenched in cool water however for such a small part most experienced builders find that quenching is not necessary, the part often cools to room temperature quite fast.
Now the part can be gently bent without risking the part cracking although you still need to be cautious of bending and working the brass multiple times because that will cause the part to become brittle and snap.

For parts that need to be bent multiple times you may need to anneal prior to each bend.

Additionally, you can hide the interior by adding tinted windows. I didn't do that process in the video however it isn't too difficult to do with some packaging plastic or even sticky tape. 

If you do decide to purchase one of these kits you will find it at https://www.tiny4x4.com/das87/ which is where I bought mine, I also purchased the electronics from them as well.