Diorama scratch built for PG RX-78 GP01/fb -02

So, the plan for the PG diorama base is to cram in three different sets of colourful 3mm LEDs—because why settle for just one colour when you can have a more right? The catch: they all need to sit perfectly flush with the floor. After drilling all the holes, I grabbed a leftover bit of 1/100 scale plate and put it on the base to check if the LEDs were level. If any would be sitting above the sheet, I just glued a bit of plastic sheet underneath to nudge them into place.

Next up, I cut the 1/100 scale floorplate from EMA Models to the right length to cover the whole base.

Once it was glued down, I placed a heavy weight on top because nothing says “stay put” like an old battery. I did each panel one at a time, so it took a few days (and a lot of patience) to cover the whole base. Then came the careful drilling for the LED’s. Instead of drilling straight out 3mm holes for every LED I only drilled out to 2.5mm. I will explain more when I come to glue the actual LED’s in. I gave the base three generous coats of Gunmetal paint from the Vallejo “Metal Color” range to represent the metal sheet.

Once I was happy with how all the wall squares lined up, I glued the edges together and added the tiny joining pieces to keep everything straight. After everything dried, the wall got a blast of Halfords grey primer and three coats of acrylic light grey.

I didn’t want it looking like a new building, so I grabbed some weathering washes to dirty up the recessed areas and random spots, giving it that “working” feel.

Here’s a close-up of the effect—proof that a little messiness can go a long way!