Airbrushing the Sidewalk

Well, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?

During my most recent visit, my brother-in-law very generously gave me some of his tools he didn’t need anymore, including one of his airbrushes, a Paasche VL (whose past life is on display). And for Fathers’ Day, my delightful wife gave me a compressor to drive it.

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Street Access to the Taxi Stand

The Streets of Akiba

I’ve very nearly completed modeling the streets surrounding the north-west corner of Akihabara Station. The photo may not look like much, but the street outline—meticulously cut from scaled satellite imagery—is fringed with scale curbs and pedestrian ramps. I have still a bit of cleanup to do, and I also have yet to [...]

AKIba station PLAza—Facade

AkiPla—now an Ishimaru

AkiPla circa 2006

Here’s my current target: A strip mall under Akihabara Station called Akiba Station Plaza, or AkiPla for short (note: Since my trip to Tokyo, it’s become an Ishimaru, a chain of electronics and home-appliance stores). You’ll need to click on the pathetically small thumbnail to see it clearly. It’s plastered in ads, and has merchandise practically spilling onto the street. Not only is the interior lit, but there are lots of little spotlights at the top illuminating…well, what they are meant to illuminate isn’t quite clear. They are directed at the corrugated metal. There’s lots of great modeling possibility in this little scene.

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Construction Techniques

Quinntopia recently asked about my construction techniques. I never really thought to say anything about that, but perhaps I should. So here are some thoughts, if not actual methods, on how I’m proceeding with the construction of Akihabara Station.

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Akiba Station Plaza

Akiba Station Plaza, aka AKIPLA, is a small electronics mall located under Akihabara Station. It’s nothing noteworthy in its own right (indeed, finding photos of it online is rather difficult!), but it does feature in my diorama. It sits right under the tracks, and presents a number of modeling challenges.

First, it has to fit neatly underneath [...]