Scratch built model tutorial: how to make electric appliances

Making your own props for dioramas is easy. In this tutorial I show you how I made various electric appliances like televisions, stereos, radios, CD players and boomboxes - all things that add a little extra realism to an urban scene or the inside of a house, garage or shop scene. All you need are some basic materials and some imagination. These would also work well for dollhouses, and can be built in any scale - mine are around 1:24 scale, but 1:35 would be just as easy.
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[@lucyl6425]

I really enjoy scratch building it is so satisfying. These are amazing.

[@janscimccaw9091]

Love scratch building. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@youknoweverything7643]

I made these for fun with scraps from model car building. I don't do houses or stuff like this but boom box in back seat of 1970 camaro looked good

[@silenttraveler2710]

Total Awesomeness

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Silent Traveler thank you!

[@lancecaldwell3874]

Lol...i am the Magpie!!!! Cigar tubes , foil, wire , labels. You name it, I got it. Even Tungsten and stainless. You are only limited by your imagination. Thanks for sharing Dave..

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Lance Caldwell oh mate, me too. The hoarding gene is strong in me... ;)

[@seahwkbrn3278]

Another awesome video!!!!

[@soupfork2105]

Hey Dave, a looong time ago when I was studying Art we worked with styrene a lot. On of the "hacks" we used was to sneak into the photography department and use their mounting board cutters to cut longer strips/sheets of styrene. They have the knife at a 45 degree angle. The benefits were that you could make long, straight cuts (cut, not score and snap) that would leave a 45 degree bevel on the styrene, giving you beautiful crisp 90 degree corners and a larger surafce area for the glue at the same time. We did this a lot for architectural models.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

SoupFork that would be so cool. I can totally see the benefit of a 45 degree surface to glue. I’m have to investigate mounting board cutters!

[@garyparker2969]

Please let Us Know The Results

[@soupfork2105]

@@DavesModelWorkshop Few tips I remember: Some mounting board cutters have proprietary knives and they cost a fortune, Stay clear. We used one that mounted x-acto blades. And never push, the blade will snag, go dull and the styrene might snap. Use multiple very light passes.

[@garyparker2969]

Absolutely Stunning Dave, You've Done It Again, Thank You for Sharing Your Fun With Us and God Bless All.

[@robbo1068]

Another informative and fun build, Dave. Your tips and techniques are so beaut and show how scratch building isn't so hard for any modeller (regardless of experience) to try. Great job and always a pleasure to watch what you do.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Robert Maccioni cheers mate. Yeah, scratch building isn’t hard, it just takes patience and imagination!

[@markedwards5106]

Funky boombox Davo!! Another beauty video of how you scratch build.It is a treat to watch you work.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Mark Edwards thanks mate. Cheers!

[@philRminiatures]

So little and so nicely done, great job, looks so real!👌

[@7spiritualcompass706]

Dang, Dave! That's cool! I'm going to attempt one of them. Thank you!

[@wookiejesusofnazarethkashy1940]

You've inspired me. I've never worked with styrene and don't have any. I'm going to use XPS foam and chip board or cereal box. I have plenty of those.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Excellent!

[@rcscrapgarage9149]

Fantastic work 😍 😍 😍. I love hand made stuff.

[@bugler75]

Class instructions! Thanks

[@voodoonights1671]

Lovely work. Very useful ideas even if i don't build exactly the same things.

[@technohaunt1949]

I learn so much from your videos, Dave. Thanks so much for taking the time to teach.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

TechnoHAUNT thank you for watching!

[@malcolmbolton1473]

Awesome,love the 80's & 90's nostalgia dave,great work,lol,cheers

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

malcolm bolton thank you!

[@kerryadams8922]

Great video update Dave I too had a Geto Blaster with the right scale would make a great add to a beach diarama with say a pickup truck. Thanks for getting my imagination working. KA

[@emsleywyatt3400]

Great stuff.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Emsley Wyatt thank you!

[@claytonmcclain182]

How does art get a dislike? You make me wanting to get an early kit and update it with scratch building the heck out of it. great job.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Clayton McClain heh heh, the camera focus was a bit dodgy at times, perhaps that was it? ;)

[@Spencer1984]

Very cool, thanks for sharing this! Now I'm going to have to make a little something for my current build.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Glad you liked it - get out there and make something amazing! :)

[@usssaratogacv3lefevre978]

Very creative Dave, came out great. If scratch build is what you enjoy then that what you should.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

USS SARATOGA CV3 LeFevre thanks as always mate. Cheers!

[@doozersmodels3193]

Very creative....well done thanks for sharing

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Doozers Models cheers! Dave

[@ArmourEmpire]

Really useful video mate. Thanks

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Armour Empire thanks for watching :)

[@modelcar1589]

Nice 👍🏿

[@jonflanagin6682]

I had a twin deck too.

[@triruns]

Masterpieces.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

triruns cheers :)

[@willocrowley6005]

The trick to showing or filming white on white objects is to have your light source come from the side. Let the detail shadows define the edges of your work. Straight on light will wash out all your detail on camera.

[@DanielS2001]

I know you did the 90s TV, but I'd probably make a wooden console TV, like the RCA my family had in the 1980s. Great tutorial. :D

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Daniel S oh, that would be so cool! I wish I’d thought of doing a wooden cased tv!

[@DanielS2001]

@Dave's Model Workshop There's nothing saying that you can't. I mean, there's a wide variety of sizes of popsicle sticks that you can buy packs up for the wood (or you could always use thin basswood if not wanting to buy a pack of popsicle sticks).

[@kingshukroy593]

Please make a video on how did you paint the items.

[@michaelc9310]

I recently found evergreen on line and man what possibilities.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Michael Carnago do you have an affordable source? I get through so much Evergreen, and it’s quite pricey here in Australia...

[@michaelc9310]

​@@DavesModelWorkshop my local model shop had a gigantic sales display. Evergreen also has their on on line sales at evergreenscalemodels.com; and they have a market place on Amazon where you can buy pretty much anything Evergreen sells from there.

[@soonersteve3733]

Another great video Dave! You always inspire others. My current scratch build is kinda kicking my ass. So what I’ve been thinking to do is buy a 3D printer. From what I have seen and studied about them a whole new world would open up for the scratch builder. I’m really close to making the leap and buying one. What are your thoughts on buying a 3D printer! They are getting to be reasonably priced for the DIYer.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Sooner Steve mate, I am in *exactly* the same place as you are. I totally see the value, I’m extremely tempted, but not quite sure which brand / model is the best for a beginner. I want one, but not sure which (and also what CAD program to use)...

[@scottmclean4237]

Quality little builds. What glue are you using? I’m look for a alternative to hot glue which is a nightmare for small bits.

[@valborchardt3596]

Fantastic Dave, much enjoyed watching. Yep, my hubby also loves scratch building as you know, so much fun. Btw he’s asking what is 1 20th scale in inches please? Take care

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Val Borchardt hi Val, thanks. It’s hard to say what 1:20 scale is in inches - I guess if something was 20” long in real life it would be 1” long in the scale I’m working in. Does that help?

[@youknoweverything7643]

Abd gonna add a video TV electronics repair store fir my giant 1/24 slot car road race circuit model I built based in mid 70s

[@debcalcutta]

Sir, Which kind of adhesive to use to fix styrene sheet?

[@dougsundseth6904]

I love your results. But it seems to me that rather than building a box from flat pieces, it might be easier to start with square or rectangular tube stock (styrene or brass). "Why is white so hard?" The camera is seeing the dark background and trying to expose that to a mid gray. This results in anything light-colored overexposing. A lighter color background would help (paradoxically).

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Doug Sundseth thanks Doug, I’m going to run with a light background next time, cheers. And yes, it would be easier if I had the right size rectangular tube stock, but I wanted to show how any size can be made, rather than having to work with a set size you may already have. Cheers mate, Dave

[@wallywalpamur4960]

Whats the antenna for?

[@veiledrecalcitrance4314]

I truly don’t understand why you added more styrene instead of just sanding the whole thing square?

[@leechan9664]

Im searching for 1/56 scale 1930's life boats for my 28mm figures. Can someone guide me to where i might find them for sale?

[@michaelc9310]

seriously film every kit you build. if you upload it we will come...

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Michael Carnago heh heh, I will try mate!

[@garyparker2969]

I'll 2nd That

[@lucyl6425]

I have never used styrene before but I’m curious as to where to purchase it and am assuming that you can only use it for boxy shapes? Is that correct?

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

I purchase mine from scale modelling hobby shops, or also online - just look up something like A4 plastic card sheet or similar. It can be curved, but it's a little tricky - it is better for rectangular shapes, curved I generally use carved foam.

[@lucyl6425]

@@DavesModelWorkshop ok thank you Dave.

[@driverlance]

Nice little builds Dave. You could’ve cheated and left the aerial off because they used to always get broken when folding the handle down without folding aerial down first ha ha.

[@tgfcujhb7583]

80 boom box, Sanyo is the one I had.

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Tgfc Ujhb that would have been quality in the 80s!

[@jlpytlewski]

@ Clayton.....Probably because Dave called it a " ghetto blaster"..lol

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Len Pytlewski is that a bad term now? Whoops 😬

[@kiwinesss]

Excellent thank you. You need good eyes for this kind of work. Do you need glasses?

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Bob Beamon thanks! No, I’m lucky, I’m a little short sighted so this kind of up close work suits me ;)

[@michaelc9310]

I am imagining you taking this in to your girlfriend and saying "look what I made" and then she pretends to be impressed. HAHA (maybe that is just my wife)

[@DavesModelWorkshop]

Michael Carnago I’m lucky, she actually seems to be impressed when I make stuff like this!

[@kjamison5951]

With preparation and trial runs, everything is straightforward but never ‘easy’. ‘Easy’ implies everything falls into place naturally and it rarely ever does. I know, I worked in education for over 20 years. Straightforward implies a series of steps that should reach a satisfactory conclusion. It’s important not to talk down to new audience members.