Post image for From our Readers – Doug Wilson’s 1:10 scale Radio Control outdoor diorama will blow your mind!

From our Readers – Doug Wilson’s 1:10 scale Radio Control outdoor diorama will blow your mind!

September 4, 2012

We love to stay in touch with our readers. Doug Wilson is one of our truest followers. He is not only a passionate scale model builder, but also a radio control fan. He combined all his passions in building his great -one of a kind- 1:10 scale outdoor diorama called: Wolf Creek Radio Control Scale Park

After exchanging several emails, I’ve found his project so exciting that I thought this is something I must share with you guys. This is what Doug has to say about his project:

 

Seb: You built an outdoor diorama in 1:10 scale on your backyard, is that right?

Doug: The “diorama” is large. 1:10 scale and diorama is a good description because we use it to photograph and video models in. We also drive our scale RC trucks in it. I “dust” it with an industrial leaf blower.

It’s about 4 years of off and on again work on it. There are several bridges, one being a 14’ span bamboo suspension bridge, my pride and joy. An Adirondack shelter, log cabin, out house, numerous small signs and last winter’s obsession, scale oil drums from tuna cans. The rock is where I found it for the most part. I have rearranged some and have brought in pea gravel and sand to create scale roads. Tire tread patterns have been spray painted on the rocks. The plants are all real. Some are bonsai, some are dwarf species of ornamentals that withstand heavy pruning and some are indoor tropical house plants that I move indoors in the winter. The main area has light strings hung from the trees & tiki torches for night driving but that’s mainly for the people, the trucks have led lights.

 

Seb: Are you doing this alone, or with friends?

Doug: We have a group of local guys, Jeff, Adam &
Barry and myself are the core group I would say. Jeff and I are more interested in scale than the others, by than I mean building detailed models as opposed to driving RC trucks. I met Richard on the Scale RC Truck forums and was fascinated by his scratch built Toyota FJ55 and I invited him to come down. We’ve bounced the idea around for a while & last weekend was the first time he’s come down.

Myself, I was a serious modeler in the 70’s and after having kids of my own, got back into the hobby about 4 years ago.

 

Seb: What kind of RC models do you use?

Doug: The truck models are what we call “Scalers” on the RC forums.They are sort of a sub-category of RC rock crawlers but have gotten so popular that many of us consider them to be in a class by themselves. Many of the RC rock crawler guys are into all sorts of different RC vehicles and the Scale truck guys are into detailed models so you find that many of them are into miniatures and modeling of all sorts. I also enjoy bonsai. Anything small.

 

 

 

 

Seb: Where do you get the bodies for your trucks from?

Doug: Although I’ve seen some scratch built wood and metal bodies, most are either polycarbonate, which usually lack detail but are inexpensive and durable, Traditional ABS injection molded bodies similar to the smaller scale static kits and scratch built styrene. We are somewhat limited in the number of large scale styrene bodies that are available so scratch building is popular.

It’s a bit ironic that we consider ourselves so serious about scale. The truth is we are serious about detailed looking models. There are some nice kits available but often we purchase a chassis and body separately. While the chassis wheelbase can typically be modified to a degree, most manufactured ABS bodies are scaled to fit an available chassis. So the actual scales of the models vary a good bit. A typical 1:10 scale kit could in fact be anywhere between 1:8 and 1:12.


There are many manufactures and small internet forumvendors supplying the market but the big player in the scale market is RC4WD.com. Tamiya also has some really detailed and accurate large scale RC truck bodies. They have kits that include the bodies but RC4WD is the king of scale RC Truck components. They make and sell some beautiful components and kits.

 

Seb: Do you consider your diorama finished? Or are you working on more cool stuff?

Doug: I have all sorts of ideas for the future but time and budget are my limiting factors. Another building is in the works. It will be tropical themed but that’s all I know right now. A scale campground modeled in the 50’s is in the works as well. This winter, I hope to clear trail for a scale camel trophy course. And of course, the modeljunkyard Texaco station is a must. That will be a big project. I plan to use the gas pump book for this build too. I’ve purchased most of the model junkyard books and as I tell others on the forums, some, I have no intention of building but they are excellent reference material for any scale diorama build. And the gas pump book, in my opinion, is the ideal way to get started in scratch building with styrene. I mean, lets face it. There is not much to working with styrene.

Score, snap, sand, weld, sand. It’s very little instruction and a ton of practice. The gas pump book walks you through all aspects in a manageable size project. It’s a small investment in materials so if you botch it or lose interest, your not out much.

Thank you Doug for sharing your work!

What do you guys think about this project?

Please, leave your comments below!

 

 

 

 

Mike Akai September 4, 2012 at 10:15 pm

Totally Awesome, Having Raced 1/10 Scale Monster Trucks For many many Years, this is something I always wanted to do, but now that older, the Prices of R/C TRUCKS IS WAY OUT OF CONTROL !!
I have to give a High Five for a Great Video.
Mike

nvxwax September 9, 2012 at 2:39 pm

Doug does some awesome work, I will be making a trip to see this creation in the future, The dedication involved in this type of project is astonishing. My hats off to you and thatnks for the inspiration the the scaler community.

William (NvXwAx)

Doug September 11, 2012 at 3:25 pm

Thanks Seb, It was really cool to see my project here on modeljunkyard.

I have an urge to build a castle. Making molds for cut stone blocks and then casting them in concrete…. time & money.

Seb September 17, 2012 at 6:35 am

Hi Doug, thank you for sharing your stuff with us. I love your ideas! Can’t wait to see that castle!

Richard September 13, 2012 at 11:07 am

Such an amazing place. Doug has put a lot of work into it. I can’t wait to visit there again.

Doug March 22, 2013 at 2:07 am

Thanks,

Richard is a friend of mine. The blue and white FJ55 is his creation. All scratch built styrene body, working lights including dash board, working seatbelts, full interior. Google pardonmyn00b to see more of his work.

Tony Turnbull September 15, 2012 at 3:13 am

Awesome diorama!! Love the big scale RC trucks, too! Nice job on all of it!! Looks like a blast and a great alternative to something like the garden railroads but for car/truck guys!! Beautiful job!

monster September 15, 2012 at 8:00 pm

Awesome!!!
Very very nice work!!!
The RC Trucks looks real!!!

Bill Middlekauff September 16, 2012 at 9:30 pm

WOW What a Great overall job for Doug Wilson and friends.
What fun, and Wow on the detail work.

Iggy & Seb Thanks for showing this diorama.
keep up the great job.

Bill

Sid November 6, 2012 at 10:56 am

Awesome, this is something I always wanted to do, the Prices of R/C trucks is way out of control now because of the different models and amazing features.

Regards
Sid
Nitrotek

Doug March 22, 2013 at 2:15 am

Thank you for all the kind words.

Quick update: I finished my “Jungle hut”, started work on my service station, not the modeljunkyard Texaco, as I mentioned, I have all Seb & Iggy’s books & will be using them to design my garage doors. Even though we attempt to replicate full size things, scale models require a different approach at times and even though I have detailed plans of many garages, detailed plans of a scratch built scale garage are the most useful for me.

Seb March 22, 2013 at 3:00 pm

Hi Doug, great news! I can’t wait to see your gas station in such a big scale! I’m sure it’s gonna be great! Keep us posted.

Tracy Bales January 29, 2014 at 9:45 pm

There’s just one word for your RC video. AWESOME! and that doesn’t do it the justice it deserves. I had one heck of a time convincing my wife that it was RC and not the real 1/1 scale. Very easy to see why and you definitely should be proud of that bridge. A true engineering and structural masterpiece!
Keep up the outstanding work.

Tracy Bales
Cincinnati, Ohio
kimtra78@fuse.net

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