Vault Dweller #2 / The Base /

Fallout 1 game screenshot

My first dioramas - Harriet's Triumph and la'Resistance - were planned from very beginning, according to main idea being improved in progress. In case of this build, I started with the figure first, without any clue about the base. The figure represents the first Vault Dweller(ette), emerging to the world after nuclear devastation form Vault 13. Adventure starts with search of other nuclear shelter, Vault 15. It quickly turns out, the quest for replacement of failing water chip for Vault 13 will not be so easy. When Vault Dweller arrives, finds Vault 15 deserted and inhabited by huge mutated rodents. Massive, sprocket like door of the shelter was blown off it's 'hinges' being only large piece of scrap metal resting on the ground. That was the concept I finally picked, following references taken from the game. With my mind settled, I could start on the base...

Main piece of this diorama is thick, concrete wall holding entrance to the Vault, being a sprocket like door. Before deciding on final size of the base, I started with the door. Imagine it might have been easier and quicker to use some graphic program to create it, but decided to test my drawing skills and went manual. First I counted number of sprocket teeth on the door - 12 - round number felt good. Next the diameter was decided, comparing against figure, settling on 2,5 inches. Compass came in very handy, luckily did not forget much about geometry from math classes and was able to use it quite easily. To crate the sprocket I've drawn number of circles on 0,8 mm card, crossed it with horizontal and vertical lines. From then on only compass was in use. Creating regular dodecagon took me around 2 - 3 hours, first getting a hexagon, than splitting all edges in half. At some point my drawing looked like really nice flower...

 

Vault door and the entrance are to be main landmarks of this diorama, with small control panel fixed just behind the figure to the left. Work on the door started with copying main shape onto 0,8 mm thick card, cutting out 4 additional copies, thickening it with ring cut offs, to total width of 6 mm. It was then edged with strip of graph paper using contact glue, Timebond, which I also use for card models. The plate with vault number was prepared separately, number 15 copied by hand from computer screen using Impact font that was then copied onto card and both stencils cut out. Paper piece was jabbed in few places as it is to represent top and the most damaged layer of the door. Wall was assembled in similar way, layer upon layer to desired thickness (still little bit undersize comparing to game shcreenshot, but it's a model after all, I allow certain inaccuracy :) then edged. For base (of the base) I picked high density polystyrene, cut 110 x 110 mm square out of it and cut a diagonal slot for the wall.

With layout set up I started building remaining component of the base - floor grid, located at very back corner, behind the entrance. It was assembled out of many thin strips of card, width 8th of an inch, length 15 mm (mixing imperial & metric measurements is really great fun!), glued upright to triangular foundation, divided into 6 sections. It seems really daunting job, but in fact went quicker than cutting out few circles for the door. Planning and preparation were essential, to avoid any misplacement & irregularities all connection points were carefully measured & marked up. After super glue cured completely, varnish was used to secure the bond even further and to make next step easier, which was trimming excess with extremely sharp blade (only for this purpose brand new blade was used not to squash anything), leaving triangular panel fitting perfectly to the base. Main components of the base are ready, groundwork & detailing come next...