I’m doing a dio with a ceraming building in it that I need to modify. How can I can I drill or cut an opening without breaking the building? Thanks.
tillman;
Mark off the opening you want to make with a permanent marker or a pencil. Next drill small holes around the inside perimeter of the opening. I usually drill by hand to avoid breaking. Once you have drilled the perimeter drill holes randomly in the center of the opening you are creating. Next you can either switch up to the next size drill and re-drill the series of inner holes or use a file to “cut” out the inner portion.
If you should break a corner or piece of your building don’t worry about it. I have done it and I even had one new from Verlinden that was broken. Take a piece (or a few depending on the size of the break) of thin gauge wire and drill a hole in the main piece of the building and a mating hole in the broken piece. Insert your pin of wire. Use a 5 minute epoxy to set your pins and to fill the break line. Smooth out the seam. If there is some missing material use premixed drywall joint filling compound to fill in the voids. You can use a sharp point needle to scribe lost detail or to put in new detail to suit your needs.
When your mounting the building to your diorama base I have found it is better to drill a few pin holes into the bottom and use brass rod or similar to pin the building to the base.
Hope this helps you with the build.
Cheers;
Gregory
also tape around the area both sides it helps relieve the stress around the the hole as you cut