how do you bang up styrene fenders?

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

I wanted my Jackson to have thaat banged up look, but I could only find PE fenders that come with a huge array of other PE that is too expensive, so how do you bang up styrene fenders? I heard hot nail works, but I’m not sure…
(wouldn’t it just melt the thing?)

2

You can carefully heat it up and beat it up with a Dremel.

3

You can thin them down on the underside with a Dremel tool, then nudge them around with whatever you have to beat them up! This will work for stowage bins as well. Thin them down on the inside and then work them over for that banged up look.

Glenn

4

I don’t know what techniques work these days. The last time I was building, to get small calibre shell or bullet holes you carefully thinned out the back of the fender with a dremel then punched the holes with pins or x-acto knives. To bend them you heat them carefully and twist them. The trick while heating is not to melt them. You could always get some lead foil, form it over the originals, then cut off the plastic fenders and put the lead ones on. If you can, practice your final techniques on some scrap sheet styrene before attempting the model. We all had to learn to do it, and I am sure there are a lot of different and probably better techniques that someone will share.

5

I have used a soldering iron with pretty good results. Place the soldering iron in back of where you want the dent place it on the plastic. You will see th plastic get soft. Do not leave it on for more than a couple of seconds as it will melt the styrene away. Take the soldering iron off the plastic and quickly press in the dents. I have found that it is easier to use something round to make the dent (I use the back a bobby pin).
Here’s a cruddy pic taken about 8 months ago of the dents I made. I’d show you a pic of them with paint on but I have yet to finish the dang thing.[:I]

6

OK, big secret time. Take aluminum foil , fold it several times to get the thickness you want. Be gentle and don’t put wrinckles on it while you work. Lay it over the fender and press it firmly down on top of the fender, molding it to the fenders shape. Now you have a metal fender that looks great when dented/crumpled. I do this for most parts I want to dent. Bent metal looks like bent metal. Cheap and quick are two of my favorite things. Greg

7

thanks everyone! gjek- if you accidently brush your sleeve against it, wouldn’t it crumble up?

8

a cut up beer can— o.k.-- soda if u want – can also be used — it is easily formed— raw material for this method is easy to come by[yeah][:P]-- oops sorry i got off topic— for styrene a hair dryer, or shrink wrap gun-- or even some of those very SMALL torches can be used— practice first[:D]-- treadwell