The Sewer Tunnel

Creating The Sewer Tunnel

The only difference between this set and the rest from Chapter 4 is that although I say that these are all real world locations, I did not physically climb through a sewer tunnel to research this before making it. Instead I simply paged through a book named Underground New York that gave me all the ideas I needed and even though I can not be sure that a sewer tunnel of this size is actually under 48th street and Broadway, I can pretty much assume that its pretty close to what iss actually down there.

Supplies

1 large shipping tube (I know your wondering where to find one of these. You could buy one from a shipping supplies store or you can just do what I did and wait to see one in someone's garbage) I'm not above pulling excellent diorama material out of the garbage and neither should you.
1 Strand of Indoor white Christmas lights. (I know you have one of these)
1 small ladder (Any Joe scale ladder will do)
One or as many pieces of metal conduit as you like. (Any Hardware store)
1 Bag Black gravel (You can find this at any model train hobby store)
1 Can of Gun Metal colored spray paint.
1 Flashlight

Tools

A Drill
A Saw
Painters or electrical tape
A sturdy serrated blade (Bread Knife works) * TIP dont tell your Wife or your Mom that you are doing this with their bread knife.

Secure the shipping tube so that it cannot roll. With the drill and a bit large enough to equal the tip of one of your Christmas lights, drill one hole into the top of the container at least a few inches away from the opening of the tub. In as straight of a line as you can, continue to drill more holes about every 4 or 5 inches into the tube, you can go as far down the tube as you like.

Now take your Gun Metal colored spray paint and spray from one opened side into the shipping tube. Make sure to coat the walls all the way around. Dont use all of your paint because this will not coat the entire tube.

With the tube still secure, turn it about 45 degrees clockwise. With your saw, begin to saw in a straight line as far into the tube as you like, I went about 1/3 toward the middle. Do the same about 2 inches down and try to stay parallel with the first cut. (You are currently building the hole from which you will be able to view inside the tunnel.) Be careful to be precise, as you will want to be able to take this piece off and put it on again as ease. Once the two cuts are both completed, gently fold the cut area away from the shipping tube and once out at a 45 degree angle, use the serrated blade to cut it from the tube.

Now turn the tube back counter clockwise so that the holes you drilled are just slightly off center from the opposite direction of the cut you just made. You now want to make the access tunnel for the ladder. You should use the serrated blade to do this, I found it easier to use my drill and to drill four holes, one to mark exactly where the four points of this access tunnel should be. Now slide the serrated blade into one of those holes and cut out a square piece from the shipping tube.

Use the Spray paint to cover any areas inside the tube that were not covered the first time around, with the side piece you cut out off, you should be able to get to all the hard to reach areas as well and the areas that you cut out for the access tunnel..

Take your Christmas lights and poke one bulb through each hole you drilled, follow up with a piece of tape to hold the bulb in place. Use the gravel that you bought from the model train store to line the bottom of the tunnel. Slide the ladder into the access tunnel hole that you cut and secure that with some tape. Take the flashlight and place it light shining down into the access tunnel (more tape to secure).

Last but not least, take the metal conduit and with crazy glue or wood glue, glue it to the side of the side access panel that you cut out. Once dry you can place this panel on or off your sewer tunnel.

I can't explain just how much fun it was to do this project and shoot this part of Chapter 4. The lights made for some really great realistic effects. The cylindric shape of the tunnel itself made for some really great looking pictures as well. Try this out and you wont be displeased. The hardest part will just be finding the shipping container, worst case scenario, Buy one!

Click to view this Diorama in Chapter 4: Target Pitfall