Re: Build progress on my custom Avengers Diorama
For really small chunks of rubble, I've done the following in the past:
- get a decent sized, low profile box - the lid from a box of copier paper is ideal for this
- spread a thin layer of sand across the bottom of the box - just enough sand to cover the bottom of the box
- get a couple/few cans of cheap spray paint - gray/black/brown
- get to an area of good ventilation
- spray a heavy layer of one of the colors of paint over the sand
- let paint dry completely
- if you used enough paint, you should have a hard shell of paint over the sand
- break up the paint/sand shell into chunks
- a lot of the sand underneath the top layer will still be just individual grains of unpainted sand
- spread out the chunks and remaining sand into a thin layer again
- repeat the painting/drying/breaking-into-chunks/spreading-out cycle using a different paint color
- do this a number of times, alternating the two or three chosen paint colors you have
At the end of all of this you will have some small, multi-color, naturally looking, good-for-1/6-scale, chunks of rubble... along with some grains of painted sand, and quite a bit of paint dust. The size of the chunks is up to you - break them up as you see fit. Biggest thing to remember is to make sure you use a lot of paint each time so it binds the sand grains together.
To apply to the dio (assuming you will be permanently attaching all of the debris to the base), apply your big chunks of (pre-painted) foam to the dio & glue them down. Then sprinkle your sand-paint-debris-chunks/paint dust over the dio. Finally, mix up some white glue (Elmer's) with some water - 1/3 glue to 2/3 water - get that mixture into a spray bottle, and spray liberally over the entire dio. Let dry completely, repeat a time or two. Glue/water mixture will dry clear, and will bind the debris to the surface it is sitting on.
I have 2 projects going [learning a new sound board workings for my church] so this may back-burner for a few days.
