Post Christmas update!

Hi Guys!

SO, I've been a little busy over Christmas. Long version at the bottom if you care but essentially I wall mounted a new, larger photography light and reinforced that 3x4ft plank of mdf I showed earlier with some timber to stop it from bending under the weight of the many combined tiles and minis!

This has enabled me to make MUCH larger builds rotate, and get my lighting much closer to where I want it (not to mention trip over it less 😂)

The fruits of that you can see here, with the large build I've used for most of the leftover shots. included in the images you can see examples of:

• The tight 6" corners working with the larger 12" corners in the same river to make a more varied, natural flow. (I'm semi-happy with how they turned out. I have some advice for you guys on how to make them more windy or gentle respectively)
• Multiple aspects of the system all working in harmony (hills, mountainblocks, rivers, grasslands, scaffolds, trees etc)
• Close-ups of the fish underwater. You CAN see them quite clearly in person, especially when moving and not under bright filming lights (images don't capture that well)
• Examples of using dirt tiles to extend the waterbank deeper into the landscape and add features therein
• Closeups of some details on the banks

You CAN see my island tiles not QUITE lining up in height with the other tiles. This is easily corrected if it happens to you (and I will explain how in the video), but I chosen to plough onwards as it was a minor difference and I didn't want to delay the video any longer :)

I mention this just so you know it's not been overlooked, it was my bad while making it and corrections to the method have been made :) I make these mistakes so you don't have to™


LONG version:

After my last update I took advantage of the gap between builds to clear the desk, climb on it and drill holes into a solid wall to mount the new light. This was....new for me. I'm one of those people that never really got taught 'handy' stuff, and my dad passed away a few years ago, so I pretty much figure it out myself where I can :) Curtain poles and shelves I can do, drilling concrete, not so much...until now!

I found I needed new kit at regular intervals (drill bit sizes, masonry bit, etc), made harder by roadworks on the main road between my and the hardware store, and came across problems I had to solve along the way. The wall mount was designed for a concrete or brick wall, not a stud plasterboard party wall...

Add to that I was terrified of drilling into my neighbour's house, and so took it far more gingerly than I probably could have 😄. The process was slowed as the breezeblock I was drilling into seemed a lot stronger and weaker depending on where I drilled, which made it even more nerve wracking!

A bit of googling revealed this (apparently) wasn't my incompetence, but the fact that breeze blocks in those days (in the UK) were made from any old material from sandstone to iron, and could be very weak or tough even at different points in the same block!

Also, initially I drilled too high up, hitting wood near the ceiling...). this did not help.

After marking new areas to drill as the first were....not so useful, I eventually got it up good and solid! But it took me half a day more than I was aiming for 😂

Christmas eve I kept working and spent the first half of the day designing and putting up the build I was gonna use for the bulk of the remaining clips...only to find it bent. badly.

Back to the hardware store I went for timber! I managed to get the basic framework edges done, but it was still bending and needed angled supports.

Then Christmas happened, and there was much rejoicing. And resting of musculature.

I came back, happy but socially wrecked (introvert+family gatherings=nice but exhausting), and got the rest of the board done over the day...while recovering from Christmas 😂

Finally I spent today rebuilding the layout and getting the clips and images in this post! took my two bank holidays but hey, I'll rest when photography is DONE 😅

The goal is to get the final builds done over the next few days and update as we go, they're all fairly intensive so we'll see how that goes.

Hope you guys enjoyed this little update and behind the scenes peek at my little DIY misadventures in the name of better videos, and I'l catch you when I have more previews to share!