I have to do a lot of raised weld beads on an M7 Priest and I don’t know how to!.
I am useless with stretched sprue but I do have Squadron putty and Milliput( which I have never used).
Sooo; any help would be very much appreciated…cheers…kenny
I use fine strip styrene and once in place soften it with liquid cement. When its gone soft use a no 10 blade and just push into it at an angle. You can keep going back when its gone hard, just reapply the liquid glue and working the strip and even add more if you want a higher bead.
Hope that helps
Actually, the stretched sprue method is exactly what you should try rather than putty… It’s MUCHO easy… Just stretch it out, then lay it in the joint with some CA to hold it in place (CA is better than cement because the liquid cement you be using next will keep disolving the previous bond)… Then use Testor’s Liquid cement (pink-labeled bottle) to soften it, then add the weld bead with the tip of your good ol’ # 11 X-Acto… There aren’t that many welds on a Priest though, atleast not any BIG ones consisting of a large number of multiple passes… Where are you putting them exactly?
However, if you’re dead-set against using sprue, just roll out the putty in waxed paper to the desired diameter and lay it into place, then make the weld marks before it hardens, the same way as for the sprue…
Hans von Hammer wrote; There aren’t that many welds on a Priest though, atleast not any BIG ones consisting of a large number of multiple passes… Where are you putting them exactly?
Thank you for your reply but it confuses me ; I’ve looked at several ‘walk around pictures’ and they all show quite a few welds, in fact nearly all of the upper hull and pulpit show welding.
These are what I’m trying to replicate…Kenny
An alternative is to take 2 strips of masking tape and stick them parallel with about a 1mm gap between. Slather your putty on (like grout into tile), remove the tape right away. Sand down the putty strip once dry. Here’s how I put up the triple weld bead on the front edge of a Sherman hull
Just sprue it.
As Hans said,
Go with the sprue…it’s the only way I ever do it; and yes, there are other ways - but this method simply adheres to the K.I.S.S. principle.
Word to the wise: if you’re serious and gonna stay in this hobby you might as well learn sprue stretching now rather than later.
Don’t cripple yourself by passing up this technique, you’ll only make an easy job more difficult. It’s one of the easier things you can learn and a simple skill that ensures a great payback in the future.
!http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d60/taurusangel/Animated%20Pics/chick.gif**B**OiN__K*…*__
☟ Check THIS out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw0fv6Ot7eQ
You can actually turn the sprue faster than the guy is showing. The object is to heat the sprue evenly all the way around so that it’ll stretch evenly on ALL sides.
Encouragement
I’ve seen your previous projects, so I know you are capable of this.
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There are LOTS of raised welds on the M7 Priest. I used mostly stretched sprue on my Priest build but I did resort to some photo etch welds for the interior welds of the pulpit and the rear plate over the fuel tanks. A friend showed me how to make a weld tool out of a hypodermic needle by grinding a flat half way through the needle longitudenally so that the bottom of the tool is semi circular. By pressing the tool at an eighty degree angle into soft sprue repeatedly a very good looking weld will result. By the way, save yourself a pile of money and by a pint of methyl ethyl ketone for four dollars or so at your local hardware store, it’s the basic ingredient of most liquid plastic cements and is the only thing our group uses for styrene. One pint will last you YEARS! Check out the build under PAT KLUNDER’S gun motor carriage for ideas. I have been lucky to have a patient teacher, but whatever you do , don"t get discouraged. Glad to have you aboard and happy modelling!
Pat
Like disastermaster suggests, have another crack at the sprue stretching. I had tired with it & failed miserably, but had another go when I needed to fill some really awkward wing roots. I had a scratch around Youtube & found a few demos on the subject, I gave it a try & was left thinking “Wow, how easy was that”.
Even better AND cheaper,
I use Walmart laquer thinner… either way, don’t go snortin’ on em.
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Thanks to every one for your input, I will try them all and find out which is best for me.
Distatermaster, thanks for the video; it was very helpfull. I have had a try with some success, in fact I have applied some stretched sprue and I think it looks OK.
Thanks again to every one, I know I can always get help here…cheers…Kenny
Here is an excellent tutorial. If the methods or materials don’t suit I suggest at least making the tool. i have then in several sizes and they are great.
I can;t rememberer where i heard this but it worls… if using sprue, use a ruler and scribe a line to glue the sprue in. Keeps it dead straight and it is already a half round shape instead of a rod glues to the surface.
http://armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=220
Guess it’s a matter of perspective on what constitutes a “LOT”, because I just don’t see 'em other than the obvious ones around the hull and pulpit… The weld beads that are in fillet joints are pratically invisible (especially the ones done in the “vertical-down” position) when scaled down and looked at from a normal a viewing distance, which is what I base my detail-levels on… If I can’t see it on the real thing from 16-20 feet away, I don’t bother with it, since that puts the model about 4 inches from my face, and that’s about as close as the naked eye can focus on anything… Normal viewing distance is about 12 inches, and that’s where I leave it…
Thanks for all of the input.
Hans Von Hammer, I understand exactly what you are saying but ’ you have to give it a go’.
Wingnut, thank you for that tutorial, it’s very good.
Cheers…kenny
i used putty on my LCM. taped both sides the weld with (like i would tape the two halfs of a cylinder to fill in the crease. puttied iit, pulled tape off and smoothed it with acetone based nail polish.
Actually I have… That’s when I found out I couldn’t see 'em when they sat on the dio-base on the shelf… All my stuff is bolted, screwed, or pinned down on the dios… Keeps nosey judges from noticing I didn’t fill in the slots on the hull-bottoms…
Were I to still do it, I’d still use sprue in all the tight places… It’s just m’ favorite way of making the things, and I lay down separate pieces when there’s a multi-pass weld… I like welds, don’t get me wrong… In fact, I went to welding school on the GI Bill during my break in service and got certified for SMAW, MIG, & TIG for Plate & Pipe, all materials, any thickness… Even played with plastic welding, using filler rod and hot air, to repair a couple of gas tanks for some mini-bikes…
As a last resort Evergeen styrene. They make rod as thin as .020, though I don’t know if that will be too wide for your needs or not.
Brian
spacepacker ~The Dremel tool bit that looks like a wide gear works for me. On softened plastic or normal, you just roll the end of it on the seam with pressure in different directions and angles. WWII welds are crude compaired to modern processes so looking at new construction equipment won’t help. Russian WWII welds look like first time welders compaired to German work from the period. Try on scrap first, the bit can be purchased seperatly for about 5$ US.
You know, I just remembered…isn’t there a blurb in the newest issue of FSM in the member tip section that tells of a guy making weld beads using a dremel on low speed chucked with a piece of styrene rod in it? I will have to check my copy…assuming I remembered to take itback from work with me…
Brian
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Yep… I was reading that too.
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Good point! One should build for the circumstances the model will be viewed in. Unfortunately I am building with a local contest in mind. The judges at this event have been known to put on the opti-vizors and stick their faces right up close, hence the added attention to detail. Otherwise I agree with your point whole heartedly.