Model dry stone walls

The inspiration for this dry stone wall diorama came from spending many hours walking on Dartmoor. I love the way the walls there were created by hand using traditional techniques.
Although there are many products on the market that can be bought to help modellers recreate this feature, I find that inevitably the final result is too uniform and can present limitations when working with undulating terrains. Therefore, I have reverted to using the traditional techniques ‘in miniature’. It requires a lot of patience but I think the end result is worth the effort.
This diorama gave me the opportunity to work with grey stones and a range of static grasses from WWS and Woodland scenics. I was also fortunate enough to win a static grass applicator in a WWS Facebook competition so I used this diorama to put it to the test! (It’s brilliant by the way!)
I hope my video is of interest to anyone who enjoys making dioramas, model railways or war gaming layouts.
I hope you agree that the final photographs demonstrate how easy it is to create something that looks realistic. Why not have a go yourself?
Dartside Scenics social media links:
/ dartsidescenics
/ dartsidescenics
/ dartsidescenics

[@stephenpark8133]

6 minutes in, I thought that was one hell of a Waterfall. Proper Stone Walling.

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks Stephen! 👍🏻

[@majorbloodnock4281]

Great work your patience is godlike my only gripe was the sound volume was very low for me and had a problem hearing what you were saying

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you 😁. This was one of my first videos so the sound balance wasn’t quite right. I changed it in subsequent videos.

[@alexmorgan2296]

Stunning! Scenery modelling at a whole new level. Great skill (and patience!). Thanks for sharing.

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks Alex! 😊

[@northernrails4462]

Excellent tutorial mate, your stone walls are exceptional! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@alexroswell4146]

looks so real

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks Alex

[@philipgriffiths3106]

Sam Jones said it perfectly. It certainly is paradise perfected. Some of the best modelling I have seen. I would love to achieve half the standard of your work & I'd feel proud. I look forward to more updates on future work

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks for your kind words Philip.

[@northernrails4462]

Excellent tutorial! Your stone walls are exceptional! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks Craig 😊

[@peaks4719]

Wow , just fabulous! One of the best out there by a long long way it’s faultless ,perfect a paradise 😍 I’m honoured you mentioned me And your walls 😱 the best Ive seen by miles

[@DartsideScenics]

Cheers Sam!! The gorse is just one of many ideas and techniques I’ve picked up from your channel - thank you 👍🏻👍🏻

[@peaks4719]

@@DartsideScenics well to see any ideas of mine perfected by you is an honour

[@russellfletcher114]

Absolutely stunning 😍 I'm really new to modelling. Just over a year and half ago, I started construction of my baseboards for a 00 gauge model railway. As time as gone by, I have discovered more 'KZbin Modelers ' and now I have found your channel.... Fantastic 😃 Your work/ techniques etc just blow me away in how realistic your dioramas look. So firstly thank you for sharing your talent and being a massive inspiration 🙏 Secondly, you asked in this video "if we had any suggestions for future builds".... I would like to build a small farmhouse/ farmyard scene on my model railway ( rural, working ( ie still in use ) and maybe a little run down. I can't find anything 'off the shelf' to fit my ideas/ brief...... so I'm going to have to scratch build. Don't have a clue as to how to get the scale correct. Let alone what materials to build it with. So if you fancy a farm scene as your next project..... I would be so grateful 🙏 If not then any comments/ guidance would be equally appreciated 😊 Please keep up your brilliant work and channel Kind regards Russ

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks very much Russell and welcome to the hobby. I did a stone barn video which might be useful and also a thatched cottage video - perhaps a mixture of the two would give you what you need?? I always find that when I scratch build something, I want to do it again to improve all the little issues. I think it’s a great way to learn-just go for it and don’t worry about getting it perfect first time. If I can help, please let me know 😁

[@russellfletcher114]

Dear "Mr Scenics " 😃 Thank you so much for your reply and very helpful advice. I have made a start on watching the thatched cottage video and will definitely check out the stone barn 👍 I think your absolutely right, I just need to get stuck in and have ago!! On a different passion of mine, I have noticed that there are often sheets of MCN underneath your fantastic dioramas as you make them..... Can I take this to mean that you are also a fellow biker 🤔 Thank you once again All the best Russ

[@DartsideScenics]

@@russellfletcher114 Hi Russ. Good luck with your diorama. I’m not a biker but my dad is so I get the old copies of MCN!! Best wishes. Andy

[@russellfletcher114]

Thanks Andy, I'll probably need all the luck going for my first scratch build 👍 So your Dad's the biker..... had a sneaky feeling there was a biker in the family 😉 Thank you once again for all your help and support Russ

[@shifty123]

Super helpful video. It looks amazing. Thank you.

[@DartsideScenics]

Cheers John

[@davestinyworkshopotherprojects]

very beautiful

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks David

[@dylansheppardmymodelrailway]

Some fantastic vids to get the inspiration going .......Great channel👍👍👍👍👍

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you Dylan.

[@peezebeuponyou3774]

Very nice work- stunning photos.

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you

[@CrankyPantss]

Beautifully done.

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you

[@moorlandmodelrailwayandy]

That was brilliant, nice to see it all come together. Very enjoyable and informative atb Andy

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks Andy

[@eBiCrafter]

Beautiful work buddy, love your work

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you! 😁

[@statelyelms]

Every time I see one of your videos being recommended I get confused, because the thumbnail looks real.. I keep thinking that you're giving a tutorial on how to actually build some walls or a castle.

[@DartsideScenics]

I’m very lucky to live close to some very beautiful scenery so it makes it easy to get some nice photos. It takes a while to get the right angle to blend it with the diorama though!!

[@timf2279]

Wow that turned out great!

[@DartsideScenics]

Cheers Tim

[@bansurishankar]

only 365 likes!! this is a masterpiece..learnt so much from this...please keep these videos coming 🙇

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you!

[@robertmitchell2181]

love your work, great ideas to try and try I will. Thanks

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks Robert

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

good vid keep up the good vids you do on you channel stay safe lee

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you Lee

[@michaelcullis5071]

A brilliant video fantastic finish. some of the techniques I will try myself. I would have preferred the music to be quieter than the speech, or just speech as I found it difficult to understand some of the speech as I have a hearing problem.

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks Michael😊. This was one of my first videos and I didn’t get the sound balance right. I adjusted this on subsequent videos 👍🏻

[@ringnc]

Masterful work here!!! Getting ready to watch it again 😁 Details please on how you made those purple/blue flowers - they give such a great effect.

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you! I have created another video on flowers which is on my channel. Let me know if you would like the link 😁

[@ringnc]

@@DartsideScenics Found it! Watching it now 😀

[@DartsideScenics]

@@ringnc 👍🏻👍🏻

[@geraldeade391]

Fantastic, ultra realistic. Which grade of stone did you use ( fine, medium etc )?

[@oceanfroggie]

Superb. One question please, curious when doing the static grass why did you hold the grounding wire rather than pin it to a wet part of the baseboard for grounding the negative ion generator within the applicator? Did the applicator still generate static electricity ungrounded or was your body the grounding?

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you. That's right, you don't need to use a pin but hover the clip just above the area you are applying. I believe this gives it enough charge and direction to stand upright.

[@MrRacerdon40]

Beautiful work! I just started using static grass - How come you don't touch the surface with the static electrode? You were holding it close to the dispenser.

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you! There are a few techniques but I usually follow this WWScenics method. You just hover the clip around the place you want the grass to go.

[@exehavenharbour]

Really nice work and the photo’s at the end on Dartmoor were brilliant. I look forward to more from you in the future, I have subscribed, now where can I find some N scale stones for the dry stone walls! Cheers for now, John

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks John. I definitely wouldn’t cope with those walls in N gauge!! I have subscribed - your layout is looking fantastic.

[@exehavenharbour]

Thank you

[@mrsg4518]

Wow just found your channel and it's so inspiring. What scale are you modeling in please.

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you. It's 1/76 scale (or OO gauge)

[@geraldeade391]

Fantastic, ultra realistic, which grade of stone did you use? ( fine, medium etc )

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks Gerald. They are medium grade WWS stones (amzn.to/3NUyalj)

[@geraldeade391]

@@DartsideScenics Thanks, most helpful

[@virginiecullet5345]

Nice . Tank you for yours vidéos. Wich color of Mapei color do you use ?

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you. It’s the standard brown grout

[@gailbarlow8958]

I've found a new favourite channel! I'm so new to all this so I was mesmerised watching the video and what a great idea to photograph in the landscape.

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks Gail. I do enjoy the trips out to take the final photos!

[@maryannross50]

I tried to watch this video but the sound was so low and the background music so loud that I gave up on it.

[@DartsideScenics]

Sorry Mary, this was one of my first videos and while I still think the narration is audible, I understand the balance isn’t as good as it could be. This was amended on subsequent videos.

[@billyharper4864]

The guitar is a distraction.

[@DartsideScenics]

This was one of my first videos so I struggled to balance the narration and backing music.

[@johnharrison2397]

Superb work - thanks for sharing.

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks very much John

[@geraldlaw279]

Very talented and inspiring.well done

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks Gerald 😊

[@ashpitcher3]

Outstanding work. Beautifully done! Been waiting for this one on Dry Some Walls. Well worth the effort to place all the stones individually, end result looks amazing.

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks Leon, that’s very kind.

[@danbrewer]

Watched this twice now it’s a masterpiece 👏

[@DartsideScenics]

Thanks Dan, that’s very kind of you 😊

[@Castlebridge-00]

My god, you are so patient and so good. The photographs at the end are proof of your superb talent. Barry.Devon

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you very much Barry 😊

[@wheezypalacemodels7726]

Another great tutorial….👏🏼👏🏼, regards, Chris

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you very much 👍🏻

[@philRminiatures]

Meticulous and inspired job, truly superb! 👍👍

[@DartsideScenics]

Cheers Phil!

[@graemeclifford6358]

Thank you for having the "backing" music so loud that i could barely hear your quiet voice. Have struggled about halfway and given up in frustration

[@DartsideScenics]

Sorry Graeme, this was one of my first videos and while I still think the narration is audible, I understand the balance isn’t as good as it could be. This was amended on subsequent videos.

[@sharonolsen6579]

Absolutely stunning ! If you didn't know it was a miniature you would think you were looking at a fully life sized scene ..

[@DartsideScenics]

Thank you Sharon 😊

[@TheFatpap]

Is it in oo gauge