Help on creating a scum line

Tamiya Clear Green and Clear Smoke (green for algae, smoke for oil scum).  Thin well so that they are very transparent.   Airbrush a thin line along the desired waterline.  Start light and add more.   It is more difficult to add less once applied.

EdGrune

Tamiya Clear Green and Clear Smoke (green for algae, smoke for oil scum).  Thin well so that they are very transparent.   Airbrush a thin line along the desired waterline.  Start light and add more.   It is more difficult to add less once applied.

 

hey Ed - tks much - thats exactly one of the things i was trying to figure out - colors.  i see clear green, but no clear smoke, just smoke....  The same????  this is what i found.  tks again

By the time you thin the Smoke appropriately it will be transparent/translucent

EdGrune

By the time you thin the Smoke appropriately it will be transparent/translucent

 

Yup. Tamiya Smoke is transparent but thinning it helps it more. Looking forward to seeing your results of scum on the hull lines.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

 

Yup. Tamiya Smoke is transparent but thinning it helps it more. Looking forward to seeing your results of scum on the hull lines.

 

Well, im not sure itll be worth seeing based on what ive done so far.  Messed the bottom color/hull color division the 1st go around - bleed through.  had a good recovery, repair job.  Then tried to start with a dark "scum line" not knowing what the heck i was doing - oh well....  So another mess up and repair to the bad blurrs.  Now am left with a crummy, dark line im gonna try to do the scum line over.  But i dont have a double action brush so im a little worried and ive never done this fine of work b4 with an airbrush so im worried in getting too thin - splatter - or messing up again.  Maybe ill just tape it again and brush it?  Thinks its better to brush or tape?  With tape im thinking the line will look too well defined and not pattern or a waterline?  Any thoughts will help.....  Tks.  This what it looks like now.

Jay Jay

Airbrush type not withstanding, I's best to practice your scum line, or any new technique for that matter, on something other than your finished model , even a piece of cardboard will do. You'll gain experience and hence become comfortable with the tec.

 

10-4 on that. I though of practicing on a piece of cardboard but then thought it would maybe absorb the paint and not look comparable to what it would be on plastic. Don’t have any scrap plastic. Also not sure about the thinning ratio - can’t see the exact wording above (on iPad now), but there was no ratio. I thinned some green, a lot, I thought, and it still looked green. Maybe too I think. Anyhow, I’ve tried the green and smoke, with a brush, on the existing black line and it looks yucky - that is, not good. Might try some more today, but it’s getting a little old now. Might just resand and re-do the red and gray and look for some plastic to practice on......  not sure. 

Lowe’s hardware sells plastic garage sale material.  20 thousands. Never mind that is shocking green or hot pink-you’re going to prime it anyway

Less than 5 bucks for a 12x16 inch piece.   It is my go to for scratch building interior structural stuff

EdGrune

Lowe’s hardware sells plastic garage sale material.  20 thousands. Never mind that is shocking green or hot pink-you’re going to prime it anyway

Less than 5 bucks for a 12x16 inch piece.   It is my go to for scratch building interior structural stuff

 

sorry, what is 20 thousands?  Also, plastic garage sale material??  Are you just referring to vinyl siding or what??  Tks - im going to look once o know what you mean.  Thank you for the tip Ed.

I think he meant "plastic garage sale signs". But also the plastic clam shells lettuce comes in, or plastic drink bottles.

Got it. Tks. Guess I can use almost anything as long as I prime it.  Just couldn’t figure out what he was talking about. I’ve redone the hull red. Gonna redo the gray next and then decide what to do. Tks again. 

I've never done a scum line, but could it be done with a brush and oil paints?  Tape off the line with masking tape and pull the brush across the edge of the tape to apply the paint?  Seems you would have more control of the paint application than using an airbrush.

kensar

I've never done a scum line, but could it be done with a brush and oil paints?  Tape off the line with masking tape and pull the brush across the edge of the tape to apply the paint?  Seems you would have more control of the paint application than using an airbrush.

 

hey - that’s kinda sorta what I tried the 1st time .  Never had done this before, and with little actual practice, my bad, I taped and brushed. But my paint was most likely not diluted enough and I didn’t have a clue on the ”right” colors and I needed up with pretty much a straight, dark line. At the rate I’m going, I might turn this one into a practice piece. I’ve re-re-taped and am in the process of fixing the red/gray line and will try later after a little practice on scrap or cardboard. 

When you retape, to avoid bleed through under the edge, after you burnish the tape edge down, spray a coat of clear over the tape edge to seal it.

I'd start at around 30% on the thinner with the green and smoke and work up from there on your practice piece.  If you use cardboard, give  it a couple of coats of clear or primer to seal it and avoid the soak it up issue.

Thanks all for the tips.  I practiced the green and smoke on cardboard and did get a good example there.  But, I did not think it would go well on the kit as i wasnt sure how much detailing i was going to do and had not done any pre-shading, etc..  In other words i think it would have looked like a dirty scum line on a clean boat.  And in fact when i tried the scum line on the boat, it stuck out pretty bad.  So I cleaned the line up a 3rd or 4th time and just decided to gloss the whole thing.  This is where I am now and may add some pinwashing to practice but probably not much - who knows....  Learned a little more!

Excuse the crummy pics.

Hmmm;

 The line huh ? Well try this .I have been doing this for years .Take talcum powder and chalk dust, mix well with the weathering chalks till you get the color you want . Fill Bathtub . Sprinkle the mixed powder over the water . Place boat in water gently !

 Now wait about an hour .Lift boat GENTLY out .You will have that Scum Line you want . Let it dry and if it is good, spray gently with Matte Craft clear from a distance .If you want a heavier line .Do it again ! .T.B.

I've only ever put one on a Sunderland flying boat, and I didn't much care for the result. I did it with a light green colored pencil. The technique was fine but the aircraft looked cruddy.

Hi:

    That's okay . Listen another thing you can do is trace the line on the hull with a pencil and very carefully put a line of Gesso in it's place .This stuff can be layered .Just don't get carried away . T.B.