Wheelbarrow/old Jenny parts and pieces.
After some searching I finally found the pic.This is a great old wheelbarrow and would make a nice addition to the diorama ,especially if it was piled with old Jenny parts waiting to be thrown on the junk pile. It looks to be all wood so it should be easy to make.
I will have to take some measurements from my modern steel version to get an idea of dimensions.When scratchbuilding it is always a good idea to use whatever 1:1 scale examples that you have available for this purpose. The figures will also help a lot in this regard. I think that this will be a fun little project!

This is a great way to spend some time reading, and watching this diorama grow. It almost doesn't pay not to keep up with this thread. The detail is fantastic.

Someone asked me the other day what I thought made a good modeler.After thinking about it for awhile I came to the conclusion that probably it was something that I heard years ago from another modeler ,something that I try to do every day in my own work ,and that is to treat every little piece that you are working on with the same respect, no matter how big or small,important or unimportant you think it is..We all have our favorite things to do,in my case one of them is weathering ,which I find a lot of fun and instantly rewarding.But that is just about the final thing that I do on any piece that I am working on.
What is most important is to discipline yourself to spend the same time working on that undercarriage thingy ,that hardly anyone sees ,as you do on that wonderful instrument panel.In other words attention to detail on what you are working on at the time.


Diorama making ,of course ,is a whole different matter.It is the art of taking all these things and telling a story.But in the end you are only as good as what you have to work with.

Another view.

Wheelbarrow
I decided to paint it the company color as I do with all the ground equipment.I put acrylic color over the bare wood ,thinned down to a wash.I then toothbrush spray on some very thin raw umber.Then I come along with the pastels.

A friend was over and he told me that on the farm growing up he often saw wheelbarrows just like this .He also confirmed that it had a rusty steel wheel and no tire of any kind.Now I have to make up some junk and load it down.

Yeah I know the frame is crooked! I am not going to try to tell you guys that I planned it that way but I did have a chance to fix it but I decided not to.I figure that most of these were homemade and crudely built and subject to a lot of wear and tear,so an out of square frame actually looks more authentic.Anyway thats my story and I'm sticking with it!

Ken Hamilton's latest diorama has got me thinking.Cement and blacktop
would be way too expensive for a struggling aviation dealer in
the 20's.Much more likely would be well worn grass and hard packed
ground cover ,devoid of stones that would nick the prop.
This outdoors stuff is all new territory for me unlike the guys with
a RR background.
What I need is a little help with the most up to date methods of
how to do this.I would rather not bother doing the outside at all
rather than screw it up.
I know that it takes years to reach this level of expertise with
outdoor scenes but I don't give up easy.
I already have Ken and Shep's books but what I need is a more
step-by-step tutorial especially the subtle use of greenery.Any ideas?
Cheers! John.

Hard packed ground - My first thoughts would be to use a household spackle as the base.
Stir in some color to tint it before applying it to the ground.
Apply it to a patch of ground and let it sit for a while to stiffen up. Before it get 100% firm I would gently stipple it with a brush to give it a touch of texture. You can alway sand down any stipples the get to pointie.

Test a small patch on a piece of scrap wood first.

Hooter
Every old wood hangar needs its own Barn Owl.I picked up this one at the local dollar store along with Harley the dog and Chester the cat.
It is the right scale and made from pewter.
While I am experimenting with ground covers,waiting for them to dry etc...this will make a nice little side project.
The first thing to do will be to replace all the flora at its feet and fit it to a wooden hangar rafter.

Thanks Scott! I plan to do a little experimenting.

Paint preperation of a casting.
I removed the flora from Hooters feet using files and a rotary tool burr with a dental bit.He will be sitting on top of a hangar rafter with the claws hanging over the edge.I will separate the claws just before gluing and pinning it to the rafter.Now it is on to the painting with acrylics.First I will clean it with a alcohol bath followed by a soft toothbrush and detergent wash.I will seal the metal using a thin coat of spray laquer followed by an undercoat of white gesso.

Looking like a Snowy!