Question on sludge and weathering

I’ve got my 1/72 P-40N glued together, and I’m going to be painting it soon. I’m getting back into modeling after a loooooong hiatus, and I’ve never “sludged” a model before. (Is that the right word?) I’ve read several sources on how to sludge, and I think I understand it. At least enough to give it a try! :slight_smile:

One question I do have is the order of some things and some technique.

First- as I understand it, I need to apply a coat of Future (post-decal, as I understand). Can that be done with a brush?

Second- should effects such as paint chipping, etc, be done before or after the sludge?

The way I think I understand it is:

  1. Get decals in place
  2. Coat aircraft in Future, allow to dry
  3. Sludge 'er up real purty
  4. Clean up excess sludge
  5. Weather, chip, smoke, oil, etc.
  6. Place on any final parts
  7. Seal it up with a dull coat

Am I understanding this right, or am I on the verge of a really ugly aircraft? :wink:

It also helps to put a coat of Future down before you apply the decals. But you probably know that already.

That’s a loaded question! [:)] A number of people, myself included, tend to think that panel lines can be too dark or too prominent, and often are. So I’d add the step of checking your references. Does the plane you want to show usually have dark panel lines? Do photos of the real thing in action show it dirty, chipped, etc?

If it was in a sandy environment, maybe the sludge wash should be a lighter color. Maybe there was a lot of clay, and the sludge should be more reddish brown than dark grey.

Just some thoughts.

Actually, I didn’t. Glad I asked!

LOL- I meant it to be. Glad you saw the humor.

It’s a P-40N from the CBI Theater. The photos I’ve seen and the stories I’ve read seem like the conditions were pretty primitive. Haven’t found any color period pictures, but the few b&w I have found I can see indications of aircraft lines, etc.

I do agree that the panel lines can be overdone- I’ve never tried it myself but I’ve seen a few that seemed to be a bit much. Still, I think back to my Army days. My teams Hummer was pretty well worn- you could pick it out a mile away. It had a heck of a sludge job! I guess what I’m going for is a subtle but noticable look. Plus, it’s certainly an experiment- I figure it’s good to try stuff out on the $8 kit before the $50 kit!