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- STEP 081 > Now place some gluestick on both sides of your strip
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- STEP 082 > To save some money - since there are A LOT of these ceiling decal skins, I decided to print them on plain paper instead of the full size label sheets that I use for the wall panels. So apply good even amount to the entire surface of your decal. REMEMBER NEVER EVER USE HOT GLUE !!!!
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STEP 083 > This is pretty simple and the same for all main body skins... Start by aligning the centre colour with the side edges as the box 1 red arrows show you. The dark blue colour represents the side thickness of the foamcore and should NOT be VISIBLE from the top. Once you have a nice straight alignment like in the middle box, go to the CENTRE of your decal, and GENTLY PRESS OUT in the directions of one of the red arrows. When you reach the end, RETURN TO THE CENTRE and find another arrow's path, extend gently until the end. RETURN TO THE CENTRE, pick another path. continue this until your decal is nice and flat and smooth.
FRANK TIP: By ALWAYS returning to the centre when pressing outwards, removes ALL AIR BUBBLES and folds that will break the illusion that your ceiling was perfectly painted by the imperial workforce painters union 🙂 This technique works well for ALL LARGE decal surfaces that often tend to collect air pockets if you swipe from one end to the other.
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- STEP 084 > Once the main surface is well attached with NO BUBBLES and FOLDS 🙂 Start bending over the edge of your strip, like if your finger was falling off a waterfall. ALWAYS START AT THE CENTRE and fold outwards towards the ends of your decals.
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- STEP 085 > If you fold too quickly or in one shot, you can obtain a crease just like you see here. NOT GOOD. Take your time, and fold, bend your skin from centre to the ends. Many little happy folds 🙂
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STEP 086 > Once you get your general fold you want to make it tighter and press completely against the strips sides. To do this, Start by pressing your index at the top of your skin and move it down while pressing right on the top edge. This will give you a clear distinct straight line.
Now take your index finger... IMPORTANT CUT YOUR NAILS AND FILE THEM BEFORE DOING THIS or you risk tearing your decal in half... Position your fingernail completely flat against the table and push into the side like you see in the centre box yellow arrow. Carefully follow the red arrow all the way down to the decals end.
Last step as seen in the right box is to PINCH the side and top - purple arrows - as you move your way down in the direction of the red arrow to the end of your skin. Your corner edge should now be a perfect 90 degrees memory.
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- STEP 087 > After you have spun your frame 180 degrees and sid the fold and pinch techniques on the other side, you can do ONE LAST HARD PRESS down the centre of your decal making sure it has full contact with the gluestick and completely free of any bumps or air pockets.
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STEP 088 > Time to secure the decal to the other side. You want to place some glue stick to each side of the exposed white decal undersides. If you want take more time you can glue only 1 side and concentrate on that fold over before glueing the other and finishing the wrap.
After you get the hang of it, you will be able to glue each side and the centre of the black foamcore surface at the same time.
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STEP 089 > As you would make a pastry, you want to grab one end and pull it tight towards you as you bend it over the back edge. You will be doing what you did on the front side with the exception of pulling to keep the sides crisp and clean. NO AIR POCKETS 🙂 So Pull and fold Pull and fold, work your way down to the bottom, or left if you are looking at it straight on.
FRANK TIP : After doing many of these I realized it is SO MUCH EASIER to BEND AND FOLD facing this direction, which is whey you will spin your frame 180 degrees to do the other side as seen in Step 091.
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STEP 090 > So again, the nail on the surface technique, press against the side and work your way down as in the left box. Then start folding more and more towards the back side of the strip as seen in the middle box and last, once the memory is to your satisfaction, fold all the way until you make contact with the back side foamcore as seen in the right box.
REMEMBER to ALWAYS START FOLD AND PRESS AT THE CENTRE and work your way to one side, RETURN TO THE CENTRE work your way down to the other side.
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- STEP 091 > When you have made full contact, then one LAST HARD PRESS along the decal as seen in the left box. NOW VERY IMPORTANT - CAREFULLY SPIN THE FRAME 180 DEGREES - GENTLE GENTLE IT IS SUPER FRAGILE. You are spinning it because it is easier to repeat the previous steps for the other side from this same angle. Easier on your wrists, eyes and proper tension on the decal.
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STEP 092 > Happy with the memory and the folds, then one LAST HARD PRESS all the way down.
IMPORTANT TIP : I forgot to take a photo of it, but right after this, apply glue stick all over the back of your strip along the overlap seam. Just enough to meld the 2 sides together preventing the decal to ever get loose.
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- STEP 093 > You don't need to do this, but I wanted to make sure this wasn't going anywhere while the glue dried, so I took out the scotch tape...
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- STEP 094 > And placed 3 pieces, on the ends and centre along the overlap to make me happy 🙂 This way I knew it will NEVER unfold.
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- STEP 095 > As you can see, the main body decal is nice and clean and attached in such a way it ain't going anywhere 🙂
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STEP 096 > More important you can see when you take the time and use all the techniques I showed you, the corners and sides and just spot on 90 degrees, beauty with no bubbles or creases. The Imperial Union will be proud 🙂
Now simple REPEAT on ALL the other "C3" Strips. Take your time, you want the ceiling to look at it's best, especially once the lights are turned on in your display.
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- STEP 097 > For the 2 ends you will notice that they are half the size of the regular "C3" strips, so your decals needs to be modified just a little first.
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- STEP 098 > You are going to want to cut and remove the excess which is the tops from the centre colour, or bottom of one of the dark folding lines if you prefer as indicated by the red arrows.
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- STEP 099 > Use your X-Acto knife - or scissors - to slice off those sides.
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- STEP 100 > Your 2 end pieces should look like this.
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Did you already build this Diorama ? At home or at our Star Wars Celebration Diorama Builders workshop ? Would you like to show it in the site’s GALLERY VISITORS DIORAMAS section, YES ? That is Awesome !!! You can find out all the details on how to email me your photos on the VISITORS SUBMISSIONS INFO page … When I get your photos, I will create your very own page just like this one. You may not realize it but work does inspire others to join in the fun of making Action Figure Dioramas.
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NOT FOR RESALE ALL Decals, tutorials and artwork are ©FrankDiorio (dioramaworkshop.com) and offered FOR FREE to the fans – that would be you 🙂 so you can build and display my diorama designs in your very own home. I realize I cannot control what one does with my graphics once I place them on the web, I can only ask you as one fan to another, please respect the artist and do not be that jerk who uses my designs and tutorials to build a copy of my work only to sell it on EBAY or trade/sale groups and forums. Thank You. Frank.
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