Techniques for exhaust, fuel leaks, or bullet hole

For Fuel Leaks, just mix some paint (sepia) with some good amount of thinner to get a fairly thick wash and apply. Let gravity and capilary action do the rest.

for exhaust, powdered chalk pastels brushed on. a combination of black and brown works well.

bullet holes, depends on the material. In metal I drill a shallow hole then gouge the edges a little. Paint black then drybrush with a metal shade.

Here's a shot from the first 1/35 tank I ever did about eight years ago. Ignore the naive paint job . I always liked the holes in the skirt plates, even if it wasn't particularly realistic

The best way that I've found to make bullet holes in plastic is to heat a needle or push pin with a lighter, then twist into the plastic. The heat makes the material mushroom out a bit, simulating metal stress. For painting, just a small drybrush of silver should do.

For sheet metal (like the skin of an airplane or soft vehicle) the bullet makes an entry hole. Unless it is tumbling it will make a dimple in possible with some tattering. This is done easily enough with a hot pin or piece of wire. Since it will mushroom and you'll get a little ring of molten plastic raise up, since I don't think this looks natural I usually take an x-acto and ream the hole. Put some silver paint or metal colored paint around it and you have a pretty entry hole. Things like flak or shrapnel, because of their irregular shape, you can do things like dig and gouge around the area. Get medieval on that hole. For aircraft, wind shear will pull some metal up and peel it back to the outside of the whole. An x-acto blade can make a nice effect if heated and used to "dig" at the entry area of the fragment.

Exit holes are different. Metal tears away where it has been hit as the bullet passes through. It is ragged and in some areas torn at odd angles. Usualy for the exit or opposite side of the entry I slowly heat a larger diameter wire or nail to start the dimple then make the whole with a thinner pin or wire. Once through I can work at the protruding plastic to "tear" it. I have in the past used filler putty on the backside of an entry hole and let it set up. Once it starts to cure it will get doughy and become sculptable. I push a pin through and work it so that it widens the whole from the exit side. Then I can go in with finer tools and "sculpt" the exit damage.

You should thin out the plastic in the bullet hole area because it is thicker in scale than it should be.

Mike

U-96, naive paint job excused and that armour damage is really nice.

I have to add to renarts post. Not all bullet holes are round. If the bullet entered the aircraft at an angle, it will dig a trough in the skin. Where it enters the airframe it will leave an elongated hole. If the area is thin, like a control surface, the exit hole will be just the reverse of the entry hole. Any hard object to deflect the bullet's path would cause it to tumble and leave a bigger hole on exit. I have seen plenty of aircraft with battle damage.

HERE IS A REALLY GOOD 1 4 BULLET HOLES............



GET A GUN AND SHOOT THE BLOODY THING!!!!!!!!

I use a very low setting on a motor tool from the inside of say a fuselage half and weaken the area so like for a flak hit or cannon round going through, I have a big section. If you can find a copy, I can't remember the kit manufacturer (was it Revell?)-- but there is a 1:48 scale B-17G that comes with a Shep Paine guide on detailing it which has some great tips on this as well....

I can help you with the bullet holes only. If you want to make bullet holes take a 1/64 bit (or smaller) drill a hole and then take your hobby knife and stick it in a bout mid way and twist but becareful not to break it to much. (windsheilds only but you could try the body).