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Heavy, horrible weathering (say, for a ship on bottom...)


Guest PetrolGator

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Guest PetrolGator

So, moving sucks for models as we all know/will learn at some point. I have a Trumpeter Indianapolis which didn't survive in the best of shape. Most of her upperworks was damaged and/or utterly wrecked. Now, it IS repairable, but just not worth. It was a review build I rushed and I have an Academy kit (with Pontos PE) that is FAR superior....

 

....so wreck diorama.

 

Now, I'm fairly good with oils and wear, but we're talking sea floor impact damage and years of neglect. I want to show her suffering decades on the bottom. Keep in mind, Indy probably landed in one of the deepest parts of the ocean where similar wrecks have been found in remarkably good condition.

 

Does anyone have suggestions on effective ways to turn the model into a wreck, weathering wise?

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Chris,

Sad News!!!! SOMETHING caused it to sink. Even if she was sitting idle in the water, the moment she started to go under, gravity took over and she proceeded to pick up speed. Even a car travelling at 5 MPH and hitting an immovable object will sustain some form of damage. So sorry!

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The odds of it sitting perfectly upright on the bottom are slim...personally, I'd opt for an angle of 60-90degs of list and at least half buried in silt. This also cuts down on the amount of model you have to "work" on! Strip away almost all of the "tall" things that would have been torn away during the descent (think "Titanic stacks"), throw in some collision damage from hitting the bottom, and you're mostly there. The overall finish would also (IMO) be very bland and even colored due to silt coverage, with the exception of the rust referred to above. There'd be no colorful sea life attached at those depths.

 

GIL :smiley16:

Edited by ghodges
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Guest PetrolGator

The odds of it sitting perfectly upright on the bottom are slim...personally, I'd opt for an angle of 60-90degs of list and at least half buried in silt. This also cuts down on the amount of model you have to "work" on! Strip away almost all of the "tall" things that would have been torn away during the descent (think "Titanic stacks"), throw in some collision damage from hitting the bottom, and you're mostly there. The overall finish would also (IMO) be very bland and even colored due to silt coverage, with the exception of the rust referred to above. There'd be no colorful sea life attached at those depths.

 

GIL :smiley16:

 

 

Yes. Something like this. Still, I've seen images of three American CAs closely related to her on bottom, upright, and relatively intact. Surprisingly, these treaty boats seem to fare well once sunk.

 

Plan is to show a silted, rusted wreck with little to no life.

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I have seen shows that cut up old wrecks! Something about the iron being of far better quality than anything produced today (air quality). They supposedly take forever to rust out!

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Guest PetrolGator

Mark,

 

The reason why pre-1945 wrecks are cut up is due to fallout. Certain types of radiation sensitive testing apparati require steel that is extremely low in background radiation. The damn Indonesians have cut up several British and Dutch wrecks (illegally) to get this high dollar metal to the market.

 

Legally, the Jutland wrecks are the major source of low rad steel.

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What would be cool is a dio with some of the Calypso sharks swimming around!!!!

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Guest PetrolGator

I'm doing the USS Indianapolis. She's down somewhere in a trench. There will barely be any life around her, let alone a shark.

 

Now, the Calypso would be cool.....

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C'mon!!!!! Add some stringy antenna eyes and who's gonna say you are wrong??? I check the Calypso search every now and then and I could have gotten some nice deals. But it would never get rebuilt so eventually it would just get resold. There are so many memories of that kit as a kid!!!!

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Christopher- This might be a perfect time to try "The Hairspray Technique"! I have given it a try and it works fairly well, but- they are not kidding when they say to use cheapest Hairspray you can find. I tried some of my wife's and it turns out she buys the expensive type [ of coarse!]. I scrubbed and scrubbed on it and even submerged it and it would still not come off. I went and bought a can at our local $Dollar Store sprayed it on and put on the top coat then 1/2 hour later using a stiff bristle brush and lots of water started to scrub off certain sections. The cheap Hairspray caused it to come off in sheets! By experimenting with times, brushes and amount of water I found it worked fairly well. Also I have tried a number of different weathering methods and products and I think that a Rust-All kit from MicroMark is still the best starting point for heavy weathering that you can get. It's cheap, works very well and lasts a long time. Good luck on your project.

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Guest PetrolGator

Hairspray would be an OK base, but I need encrustation and severe paint loss. I'm trying to salvage her paint job as is, but unsure if I can.

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