TexasBlues Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Title pretty much says it all... I am going to dip my toe into some armor modeling and would like to make a diorama of a SdKfz 222 in some African/middle eastern town... I have the verlinden bulding, some crew men and the hobby boss 1:35 kit, but want it to look well worn as it IS a recon car... what do you guys use for sheet metal damages... dents, dings, bent fenders, bullet holes etc... im also going to try to make a load-out kit with TP/elmers any suggestions are greatly appreciated! thanks in advance!!! TB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Rule one...plan! Look at pictures of the real vehicle to see where it was typically damaged. Rushing headlong into modeling damage can often lead to something not realistic. Dents/dings/deep scrapes can be made using a motor tool (Dremel) and steal wool. But discretion is key here as its easy to get carried away. Look at your references and mark where you want your dents/dings/scrapes and work slowly, a little at a time. Grind a bit, smooth it over with the fine steal wool to blend it and make it look less stark, and inspect it. Repeat if desired. You just need to be careful not to overdo it. Heated small chisels, dental tools, etc can also be used here. For bent fenders, I generally use brass, PE, or soda pop aluminum cans using the kit part as a pattern. Plastic can be bent...although it really doesn't want to...by thinning the fender from below and carefully bending/warping/crinkling it to shape with your thumb. Some folks use pliers but they can leave gouge marks if you are not careful (heck I have heard some say they just use their fingers to bend the fenders without thinning). Light heat can be used to bend plastic, but be very careful not to melt your part of worse...have it catch fire!!! A soldering iron held below the fender but not touching it works well (a work light will too...but watch that heat). Patience wins the day with the heat technique though. When you see the plastic soften then bend the fender with your thumb or something blunt and appropriate. Think "up" rather then "in" or "down" when you bend. Work slowly and repeat if necessary. Hope this was of some help. Good luck! Regards, Don Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TexasBlues Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 thanks Don... I was thinking of going the aluminum can route... of course, I would experiment before applying the technique, but that seems to make the most sense to me... and maybe some tin foil for shredded metal/rips I have lots of heavy foil from wine and butter tubs... finding pictures takes the most time... time I would rather be spending producing plastic porn... all worth it in the end though thanks, again! tb Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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