I was reading in a Compendium Book from Spain (why do the Spaniards like to model tanks?) published a few years back that suggested that the new “welding cements” should be slopped on with authority to create “welds” for modeling effect. (Tamiya or, better yet, Weld-On will certainly do that.) I’m going on the assumption that one only wants to do this in the right places: but I’m not really sure where they are. I’ve also seen on threads here and on Armorama modelers putting stuff like Mr. Surfacer 500 on turret to create an irregular texture. Here again, I’d assume this is a technique best reserved for the right time and place. (I think some of this has to do with the fact that a lot of armor guys know something about armor. I know armor is hard and not at all like the plastic in my kits. But I’m not really sure what’s cast, what’s welded etc.) Any general tips here?
Very true. If a vehicle is older and bolted together, the welds obviously do not apply. Armor can be cast or rolled, with rolled being smooth and cast rough on the surface. Most modern AFVs have non slip surfacing applied on certain areas and many kits do not include it in the molding so it is up to the modeler to replicate this.
You’ll need to research the particular tank you’re wanting to texture, but generally speaking, tanks with compound curves on the hull and turret are cast steel… Early Shermans, Lees, Grants, with rounded sponson and hull edges, T-35, T-55/62 turrets, etc… But don’t use this as a list… Some parts are cast and then bolted onto rolled steel parts too… Generally, if it’s not a hard edge joint, it’s cast.
I coat the parts with Testor’s Liquid Cement and then stipple the plastic with a stiff brush, using short, stabbing motions… Also, I trim the bristles to about a fat 1/8th-inch in length too…
Let me get this straight. I’m doing a Zvezda ISU-152. (Apologize in advance if I get the name of the parts wrong. It would be very helpful if I really understood what I was modeling. Funny thing is that a few years back I could have talked penetration power at X velocity versus X angle of armor. But it was all for wargames: you didn’t need to know anything about tank construction.) The bulk of the upper hull is sharply angled, and has large pieces bolted on. Either Zvezda is very sloppy or they’ve tried to simulate weld lines in several places (where there are no bolts.) The gun mantlet is curved and has a very irregular surface. From what you say, I’d take this to mean it’s cast and that Zvezda is trying to simulate a rough surface. So, you’d take Testor’s liquid cement and poke little holes into it while wet with a stiff paint brush? I’ve seen pictures of people kinda slopping on Mr. Surfacer 500 on curved turrets trying to get a rough surface (or so I’d guess.) How about the weld lines? They are already there, but no doubt that a dose of Weld-On 3 or Tamiya Liquid Plastic would emphasize them. Would that work. And while we’re trying to melt plastic, how about using that stiple technique you describe for creating that German anti-magnetic mine surface?
Yes the mantlet looks like a piece of cast armor. So some of the various techniques used to replicate that surface type would work, glue/stippling, putty, or surfacer. The rest of the hull appears to be rolled armor, although the nose of the hull may be cast also. It was on the IS tanks that the ISU was based off of. Weld lines can be replicated with stretched sprue or thin rod styrene that is coated with a stong liquid cement and textured/shaped with a tool such as a hobby knife, jewelers screwdriver, or something similar.
Stippling does not work for zimmerit, but there are several other techniques that have been listed on here on this site to do that.