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Waves - acrylic gel ???

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  • Member since
    November 2005
Waves - acrylic gel ???
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, September 26, 2005 6:39 PM
Just about to finish my first ship model! It's the USS Boyd (DD-544), made from Tamiya's 1/350 Fletcher, with Tom's square bridge mod kit ,GMM/Tom's etched ,L'Arsenal combat figures and some minor scratch-built details. It's finished in Measure 32 splinter, which it carried during the Operation Foreager as part of TF-58.1. I figured it would make a good compliment to the Trumpeter Yorktown (also TF-58.1), with Measure 33 (pre side 40mm sponsons). I'd like to model all of TF-58.1 (I like historical themes), hence my past pleas for crusiers (sorry Jeff).

Just one last piece to finish - a good base with waves - for that true "action" pose. I've read several great articles, and think that I'm going to try my hand at Acrylic Gel Medium. Question is where do you get it? Have searched the local "super" hardware stores, but I'm not sure I'm looking for the right thing! Is this silicon chaulk? Any info on name brands of gel, and store (preferably chains) that carry it would be helpful. Living outside a major city, I'm sure that sombody must carry the stuff.

I have to hand it to you ship modelers - These 1/350 ships are dammed small! Thought I was going to go blind! As the user name suggests, airplanes has been my gig! But these carriers got my attention - it's got airplanes after all! Think I'm hooked on the ships though-great change of pace! All depends on how the water turns out!
  • Member since
    June 2011
Posted by GRAUWOLF on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 3:39 AM
Acrylic gel medium can be found in arts and craft stores. Another source would
be your local hobby shop. Look in the modelrailroad section for products made
by Woodland Scenics, They product several products for creating water effects.
They are available in liquid form and are water soluble ; easy to work with. The
stuff goes on with a milky look to it and dries clear, it can be also be dyed.
I don't recommend any product that is silicone based.

Have a nice day and happy modelling,
  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: 37deg 40.13' N 95deg 29.10'W
Posted by scottrc on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 7:53 AM
I've gotten mine here....
http://www.misterart.com/store/view.cfm?store=001&group_id=1322

Scott

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: West Virginia, USA
Posted by mfsob on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 8:42 AM
1/350 ships are small????? *chuckles* You want small, try painting the crew figures for a 1/700 ship, which inevitably leads to this - Banged Head [banghead] - after, of course, you have bored out the gun barrels with your #80 drill and bored holes in your fingers in the process...
  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Chehalis, WA
Posted by Fish-Head Aric on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 11:42 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by scottrc

I've gotten mine here....
http://www.misterart.com/store/view.cfm?store=001&group_id=1322

Scott

Scott, do you have any pics of your water work? Am very anxious to find a good product for extremely rough seas (1/48 scale), as well as smoothe and calm waters.

Do you think that the following water scene is close to do-able with your referred goop? http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=50000
~Aric Fisher aric_001@hotmail.com
  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: 37deg 40.13' N 95deg 29.10'W
Posted by scottrc on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 2:23 PM
The one who got me into using gell was Jeff Hern. He has an article on using it kicking around here somewhere so ask him. So far, all I've done was a 1/700 destroyer and a 1/350 battleship. I'm a newb at this. But I have used epoxy and two part acrylic in the past and that was a messy, expensive way to make water.
Another one who also used acrylic gel to do a scene similar to what you want was Rusty White in article of his Bismark in a 1995 issue of FSM. It was really neat on how he made a wave go up over the bow. I'm at work so I don't have the issue in front of me, but I think it was February 1995. Again, Jeff is a moderator at this site and should be able to help you out.


Scott

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 27, 2005 7:44 PM
Haven't used it myself- but a recent somewhat recent article in FSM advocated using "Modge Podge" acrylic gel. It is found in art supply stores , even in the local Walmart arts and crafts department. The results in the article looked convincing.....
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 12:07 AM
Check out my article on the IPMS/USA web site called "Seas of Hard Knox" at http://ipmsusa.org/Reviews/How_To/How_to.htm Click on the Sea of Hard Knox icon. I explain the whole process of making realistic water there. If you want more inofrmation, I produce a "how to" CD that explains in great deatil the entire process beginning to end. You can see the CD at flagshipmodels.com.

Hope this helps.
  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Chehalis, WA
Posted by Fish-Head Aric on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 11:34 AM
"ship builder", thanks for showing your work. I like the form of the water very much, and the technique is what I am trying to emulate for my own project.

However, the scale of my work is much larger (1:48), thus I have a strong desire to work with some level of translucence in the waves.

Has anyone worked with dye-able worked with the clear/translucent gels that can be shaped to a form similar to that of "ship builder's" waves? I have below a copy of his waves because I think they are worth showing here as well as by hunting them on the web link:




Very nice action in the water, "ship builder." I really like the form you have created.

I hope you don't mind me showing your work directly here. If you do, I will gladly edit this message and remove the photo links.
~Aric Fisher aric_001@hotmail.com
  • Member since
    January 2003
Posted by Jeff Herne on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 11:37 AM
The stuff I use is Liquitex Acrylic Gel Medium, Polymer Emulsion formula, gloss, clear. You can also get it in flat and opaque. Typically, a tube will run you about $11-$15 depending on where you get it.

http://www.steelnavy.com/water.htm by me.
http://www.steelnavy.com/Whitewater.htm by Rusty White
http://www.steelnavy.com/WavePatterns.htm by Don Simon

Hope that helps. Email me directly if you have any questions. I'm typically not on the forums all the time.

Jeff
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 8:45 PM
Have you guys seen this new stuff from Vallejo Paints called "Water Effects"? We just this week got them into the games distributer wherehouse that I work at.It looks like Acrylic Gel that has already been tinted with a few diffirent shades of blue and one clear.There's also one called "Still Water" that is a thinner liquid that you can use to get into the nooks and crannys of maybe a Dio with a stream or puddles.There is also a "Foam/Snow" product that is an opaque white Gel that you can use for the foam from the wakes of a ship and such.It can also be used as snow.
I hav'nt tried them out yet since we just got them in but hope to try them out soon.
You'll probably find them in the gaming section of your local hobby store since it looks like they're meant for gaming minitures.Anyway it looks like cool stuff.
  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: NYC
Posted by kp80 on Tuesday, November 15, 2005 12:09 PM

 cfazekas wrote:
Haven't used it myself- but a recent somewhat recent article in FSM advocated using "Modge Podge" acrylic gel. It is found in art supply stores , even in the local Walmart arts and crafts department. The results in the article looked convincing.....

I tried this and it works REALLY well.  I did it in HO scale, a small harbor diorama, with somewhat calm water, but I'm quite certain you can actually "scale" your waves by making the crinkles in the aluminum foil smaller and tighter.  I was really dreading having to use resins and other compounds..the Modge Podge is so easy to use, and dries to a nice durable finish.  You have to be careful not to get any air bubbles in it, especially close to the surface, if you put it on thick.  Also be sure to cover the area so no dust collects on it while its drying.

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