SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

The wacky world of glowing plastic

504 views
2 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2006
  • From: portland oregon area
Posted by starduster on Tuesday, September 9, 2008 7:29 AM

   Bob, if I remember correctly a legendary model railroader from the 1960's  John Allen used a method to light up his HO model buildings, street lamps and auto headlights for night time photos...he painted the windows with a phosperesence paint when lit with a black light would "light" up, was very effective, maybe a similar method could be used.   Karl

 

photograph what intrests you today.....because tomorrow it may not exist.
  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Tuesday, September 9, 2008 7:13 AM
I cant say that I have tried this before, but I have most certainly entertained the idea, but for a diffrent model style.  I have wanted to use glow in the dark paint to do lights and such on Scifi kits for ages (save the trouble of wiring a led (Im not good with wires and m not gona be responcible fr burnin the house down)

 

  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: Pennsylvania (big state)
The wacky world of glowing plastic
Posted by Big Ole Bob on Tuesday, September 9, 2008 12:07 AM

We have many skilled model makers here and this question doesnt need the most skilled. Just a planned paintjob.

As some of you know the 'la flore' aka 'jolly roger' was re-released in phosphorescent plastic as the 'flying dutchman' by lindberg.

Now The detail of the model begs a good paint job of the normal sort but it got me thinking...

Has anyone assembled the model TO glow in the dark but with accent paint. Accent painting such as black railing, or perhaps wipeing the paint into the detail groves to bring out the detail. That way the detail of the mold itself would stand out like an old fashion black & white line drawing.

I once did this with an old robot model using grey paint on a bone white model. But this ship has far more detail than that old robotech valkarie.

If anyone has done the dutchman up like this I'd be verry eager to see their results.

Sure the whole 'glowing' thing is tacky but to see a 3-d model with the detailed pulled out would be so vivid and high contrast. It would still work as a glow in the dark model as the same 'detail paint' would not glow.

So break from the pack, Be a pirate modeler and sail the phosphorescent sea. Show me whatcha GOT!

----added----

Forgive me for not being straight forward. I was not entertaining the idea of entirely keeping the phosporescent plastic exposed for its ability to glow. Nor was I intended to use the glowing plastic to its maxium for illumination such as windows or lamps. I was mainly suggesting that the base plastic to remain exposed as a light base color on which darker detailing pulls direct attention to the mold detail itself. Detail such as the planks and floorboards and other such features really pulled out in high contrast against a lighter base color. Since painting such small detail with a base coat would hide a lot of it; using a model with a near white, or verry light color plastic would mean that only contrasting detail accenting paint would be necessary. The overall effect is to pull attention to every little piece of detail in the mold as possible. Not to hide it under base coats or solid colors but to make the bueaty of the original mold maker's work of art to stand out and to show off it's true heart. A model of form and detail.

bob.

If you can think it. Then someone has else has also thought of it. Then someone else has tried it. Then someone else tried and completed it. Then someone else tried and proved it CANT BE DONE!
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.