Mercedes engine stand.
Speaking about space in the engine shop,I guess that it is about time to build the Mercedes engine stand and then figure out where to put the workbench and shelves etc... If anyone has pics of an engine stand for an inline engine from this period ,please advise.It would have to be of a design that allows for easy access to the engine and would either be mobile or have some sort of block and tackle arrangement for lifting the engine. Any ideas?

Well I may have found something to fill the bill.Here is a very simple engine stand made of tubing and sitting on castors.(although they are hard to see partially buried in the crushed rock)It looks like it would be strong enough to support the engine while it is being worked on .It also could be put on blocks or jacks(like my Model A)to raise it higher off the floor if need be.It think that I will just use a block and tackle with chains,attached to a sliding over head rail of some sort in order to raise the whole thing off the ground.

Engine stand.
The way I see it the first thing to do is to bolt the upper horizontal tubing to the engine support flanges.For this I am using 1/8th aluminium tubing drilled at the flanges and held in place with small brass nuts and bolts.
Next I will build the rectangular floor assembly using the same 1/8th tubing and add the wheels.

See, now I'm just getting nightmares. :-) :-)
Amazing work John!

Another pic

Another pic

From my modeling friend Stephen Lawson:

Nice job Stephen! I really like the poses of the figures especially the guy reading from the box(so natural).
Yes I have seen these "in the field" type of stands but I wanted something a little more permanent although my first instinct was to go with wood because of all the weathering possibilities.Thanks for the pics!
Cheers! John.

The stand went together easier than I expected.I cut the posts to equal length and then drilled the tubes and pinned them together.I didn't even have to build a jig,the small pins within the tubes hollow structure allowed everything to move and line up very easily.I then glued exerything with super thin superglue and painted it with black gesso ,with an overcoat of french blue straight out of the tube.All the Reid & Sons ground equipment is painted the same color.
Now I will install the caster type wheels and weather it up a bit.The two major objects in the engine shop are now just about finished so now I can go about making the rest of the furniture ,tools and workbench etc....

Another view

The above view of the underside of the engine would not normally be able to be seen in the diorama.(The casters are yet to be installed.)
The straight on view I posted so that you could see how the less than vertical engine clylinders are not so noticable with all the other angles to distract the eye.When the engine is installed in the diorama it will be even less noticable.I point this out to emphasize how dioramas allow for a little more flexibility(freedom) in using less than perfect parts.A well placed rag or cloth can also help a lot . When taking close up pictures sometimes these imperfections will be picked up.The trick is to just change the cameras angle a little.It is this little bit of extra freedom that dioramas allows me that keeps me going.While I admire the work of the perfectionists ,that is not what I am about.

Well good morning to all the vets,thanks guys!

As you guys know,who have been following this thread,my latest diorama "Memories of Flight School" has a Rememberance Day theme.
The first two dioramas of the Albatros and the Nieuport show the aircraft undergoing a rebuild.For this reason I wanted to show the aircrafts' tail raised to flying position undergoing the rigging procedure.With the Jenny I have the option of showing the tail skid resting on the hangar floor in its normal appearance while on the ground or not.Where with the other two aircraft I also had issues with weak undercarriages ,with the Jenny this does not seem to be a problem.Also at each wingtip there are skids that could be modified to help support the wings.
I have since changed the storyline of the diorama from a chance happening ,as to why the WW1 pilots were there ,to a more formal planned ceremony.
Because it is somewhat unusual to see an aircraft in the fully rigged ,fabricless state,the best way to explain this would to be indicate that this was done puposely in honor of these veterans.However ,there is no doubt that the airplane looks better with the tail raised to flying position.Even during the war it seems that for a more formal picture the tail was often raised on a sawhorse of some kind.Decisions,decisions............

I have been fooling around a bit with photoshop and for some reason the last pic came out a little large(now you can see all the mistakes better)I added the casters and weathered the stand a little.I will finish it just before final installation.
The following pic is of the type of block and tackle assembly (Chain fall and Rope sling)that I want to hang from a rail on the engine shop roof joists.

I forgot to mention that if you look closely at the last pic of the engine stand , notice that the casters are weathered.If you want to weather with chaulk pastels over a bare metal shiney surface here is what I do.Take some 600 grit sandpaper and tone down the shine and create some tooth in the metal surface .Then take some acrylic matte medium and spray or brush on and let dry.The matte medium will create some tooth for the chaulk pastels to stick to.Apply the pastels to a newly dried surface as they seem to stick better if you don't wait too long.Don't be afraid to use lots of pastel color in your soft application brush.I scrape off some pastel from the stick using an Xacto blade and dunk my brush into the pile of powder.Try to imagine where crud and rust may gather on the piece you are weathering or where human activity would create wear and tear.Be creative.Have fun,you can't make a mistake,there are none!

More great work. As you mentioned about your friends figure poses. they are good positions.

Your engine is wonderfully done. From a repair standpoint, what is done with all the 'plumbing'?

You know it is a good thing that I deleted the idea of 2 engines in the engine shop.With one engine and the stove space is already a concern.The 2nd Ox5 will probably look better out on the floor of the main hangar anyway.There is so much interesting detail on that little engine that I want it to be readily seen by the viewer but not be too distracting from the main subject matter.Another option would be to show it on the truck loading dock being crated for shipment or uncrated for use.Any suggestions?
I will take some 35mm pics of this new addition when I am a little further on in the process and it is a little more interesting.

Scott,the plumbing hooks up to the aircraft usually at the firewall.

Well thank you guys for your birthday wishes.I guess that I am rapidly reaching old fart status now.I in turn would like to thank all you guys for making my later years so much fun.It is very rewarding for me to think that my modeling friends out there take the time to read my sometimes rambling monologues.I am still blessed with a steady hand and keen eye and for this I am very thankful.

Speaking of which,I am now in the middle of the somewhat boring but essential job of weathering the interior of the engine shop.Starting with the floor and simulating the nailing pattern.I know that I have mentioned this before but I will review my technique here again.
The popsicle stik floorboards have already been prepared with washes of nimbus grey with a touch of raw umber.They are then glued to the underlay, which in this case is plywood ,with carpenters glue in a random or a pattern that follows what in 1:1 scale would be the floor joists.After it is thoughly dry,I take a sharp pin and simulate a nail pattern of my liking by punching small holes in the wood.I then take a sharp grahite pencil and twist it into the pinholes leaving a mark simulating a nail head.I then take a very thin wash of raw umber and brush or spray over the whole thing which will swell the pinholes level again but leave behind a permanent nailhead mark.Your floor should now look greyish in color with the underlying wood pattern showing through.You can now continue weathering as need be with a toothbrush spray and pastels.