12th October 2025
As a little change of pace, I thought you would to see how I create a small display base for one of my aircraft models. Below, you will find a step-by step guide that will perhaps inspire you to build something similar for your models. I really hops you enjoy it!
1. A rectangle of 5mm Styrofoam was cut-out, sanded smooth and then the pattern of the concrete slabs scribed into place using the tip of a scalpel blade. Once done, the styrofoam was sprayed with flat black car paint, then oversprayed with lightened and darkened shades of Tamiya Medium Grey.
2. Here you can see a cloudy pattern of light Medium Grey being airbrushed in place.
3. A close-up of that Medium Grey. Note the random patterns I’m trying to create as well as the texture of the styrofoam, here a little too accentuated thanks to HD setting on my phone’s camera.
4. A wanted to add some coloured demarcation lines, so these were masked with Tamiya Masking tape…
5. …And then airbrushed in place with Flat Yellow and Flat White.
6. In order to create a little more interest, the edges of the slabs were broken up with pale Medium Grey highlights. Here is the masking in place…
7. …And here are the slabs now complete. Compare this image with the ones above and how that extra step has created a more pleasing finish. Note also how scuff marks from aircraft tyres and ground handling equipment has now been added with thinned Tamiya Flat Black, carefully airbrushed in place.
8. Oil stains were added using both oil paint washes flicked over the surface of the concrete, as well as thinned AK 3G Flat Black, painted on and then blended in with water. The sealant between the slabs has also been added at this point, this being replicated using more Flat Black, applied in a slightly ragged fashion with a No.1 paint brush.
9. And here is the completed display base, set into a raised plasticard plinth, sprayed with Flat Black Halfords car paint. A few hours of work and some cheap, easy to find ,materials, has created something I’m happy to place my latest model on!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little tutorial and I will see you tomorrow!
SPENCER POLLARD'S KIT BOX 
Looks great! Exactly what I need for my 1:144 Handley Page Victor model. Here’s my question: what’s the size of the concrete slabs in real life? Do you have any references for this? Thx in advance!
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Question: doesn’t the first coat of rattle-can primer eat into the foam? I’ve had that happen to me.
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This is great.
Can you expand on exactly what type of 5 mil Styrofoam I should use?
The only stuff I can find on Amazon USA is very rough surfaced stuff for packing things in boxes, or stuff so thin and flexible that you can roll it up, apparently mostly used for making props or cosplay helmets and weapons etc.
I assume you’re using something stiffer?
thanks for all the inspiration over many years!
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Definitely a big step up from the sheet of wet and dry we used in the 70s and 80s
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