1:35 Garbage bin

A trash can for a 1:35 urban diorama

An ordinary thing, but without it a street does not look like a street. Royal Model casts this trash can in high-grade polyurethane resin, so it has crisp edges, legible moldings on the body and rolling casters under the bottom. It arrives unpainted and intended for assembly.

Where to put it

Wheeled containers belong in scenes from the 1970s to the present day, so they suit modern hardware, police and rescue scenes and civilian corners without a single vehicle. They look best against a wall, beside a gate or in a passageway, where they explain why the rest of the sidewalk is empty. A pair or a trio set out irregularly looks more convincing than one lone piece in the middle of an open space.

Paint and dirt

The plastic of trash cans is usually matte and faded, so start with a more saturated shade and lighten it gently from above, as though the sun had got to it. Suggest the scratches with a thin line of a lighter color, not with silver. The bottom edge and the casters belong to the dirtiest thing you have in the diorama: dust, mud, running streaks. Leave the lid ajar if you want to hint at the contents.

Who the accessory is useful for

• Builders of modern urban scenes
• Followers of scenes from the conflicts of recent decades
• Those who are filling the empty spots of a diorama
• Modelers practicing weathered plastic and grime

Paint and adhesives are not sent with the accessory.