Wood color and PE question

[Yawar]

I have two questions,

1. I want to make a WW1 model, which Gunze color should i use to simulate dark natural wood? how do I create wood grains and dark streaks that appear in wood?

2. For F-14A I have a PE set that includes wind screen railing. Should i use CA glue for attaching this to the clear part wind screen? I use white glue to attach clear parts as normal plastic cement fogs clear parts. Would i have this problem if i use CA with clear plastic?

thanks in advance for answers

[Old Man]

In regard to your first question, Sir, I get good results from this technique in 1/72 scale.

First, I paint a background color, which can be anything from a slightly yellowed white through a pale buff to a full tan, depending on the darkness desired for the final result. At this stage, some occassional slight variation, such as small streaks or different tone for a portion of the panel, can be employed. Next, I take brown and yellow water-color markers (the washable sort sold for children's use), and streak these over the surface, using more yellow for a lighter result and more brown for a darker one. I then take a little clear acrylic gloss in a brush, and go over the surface. The gloss picks up the water-color marker, and converts it on the surface to a sort of clear paint, which the brush streaks nicely over the background color. If you move the brush in only one direction, or pattern, you get a reasonable suggestion of wood grain. You can also use the markers to put their color onto a piece of tin-foil, and mix there with gloss acrylic, and apply in that form directly to the surface. This latter tends to produce a more fine streaking with a more uniform tone, that is better for structural pieces like struts, or propellors. In these you should be sure to move the brush along the length of the item, as the direction of the grain was part of the structural integrity of such pieces, and was paid careful attention to in manufacturing them.

[Shawn C.]

Here's another tip for painting wood. After you have done the wood grain, cover the area with a light layer of Tamiya clear yellow. It makes the wood look varnished and gives the wood grain more depth.

[jrallman]

for the second question, there are two options. I personally prefer option 2.

1. use white glue or testors clear parts cement or some other equivalent product to attach the PE to clear parts.

2. dip your clear parts in future then use very small amounts of CA to attach the PE, having a fan blowing gently near the part as it dries helps even more, but generally the future will protect the clear part from hazing with the CA. Without future, CA will fog the piece badly.