I was asked recently about the base I used in a photograph I posted to a forum. Display bases can be simple wooden plaques or complex dioramas to showcase the model in a realistic setting. Here’s how I made mine which are somewhere in between.

Starting with a large sheet of rather thick styrene sheet…in this case an old store display sign which was used as part of an in store lighting display which was discarded for a newer one from a local hardware store. (You can also use wood, just be sure to seal it well after the sanding process I am about to describe.)

I cut the styrene into a suitable size…in retrospect I wish now I had made it much larger. So give the size some serious consideration before you start cutting. Once I had the base piece cutout I gave it a sanding with 24 grit sandpaper. This is more like gouging the plastic as this grit is used to restore wood floors. In fact the sandpaper was a sheet of sandpaper for a floor sander. A few swipes one direction follow by several 90 degrees to the first. Don’t get too carried away and get too deep. Once you have some texture you can go over it again with some 80-100 grit to ease the surface ridges.

Once satisfied with the texture it was time to create the cut lines in the concrete. Using the back side of a utility knife blade I scribed in the lines with the aid of a steel ruler. With the pattern laid out I then added in some “cracks” by freehand scribing. Then I turned the knife 90 degrees and scribed the lines again letting the knife run its own course to create uneven width for a more realistic appearance.

Using a piece of lace I created a storm water drain cover. If I do another one it will be made of something heavier since these must bear the weight of an aircraft. I also used a small piece of diamond plate styrene to create a fuel pit cover. The grounding point was made from a piece of copper wire which was inserted into a countersunk hole and cemented in place using some CA.

You can paint the surface with what ever type of paints you prefer. I chose to use acrylics. I mixed up some grays until I had the right coloration, then gave it a good and thorough base coat. Several coats were applied until I had consistent coverage. Once dry I used a brush to apply the “tar” sealant along the cracks and seams. I essentially made up a sludge of blacks and dark gray then liberally applied it. Again random width for realism.

With the tar sealer applied it was time to lay out the markings…taxiway lines, parking spots and grounding points. Satisfied with those I used some diluted red to create hydraulic fluid stains. You can use what ever colors you need to create the fluid spills and drips, just remember to make them all different for a more realistic look.

To do something a bit old and abandoned, you can use a little white glue to apply to the seams and cracks, again random thickness. Follow that up with applying some modeling grass along the glue lines (press it in gently). Once dried you can remove the excess and you’ll have a ramp with grass growing up through the cracks.

During the process of building then using them for photographing models, I know now that I need to make them larger. I will also use black silicone sealer as the “tar” sealer next time as well. It will add a 3D effect for greater realism. Making these ramps and runway sections is a modeling project that is fun as well as functional.

Next I’ll share with you some of the nifty accessories I made to go along with these bases.