Hawkeye’s Squawkbox

I dug through my spares stash for a couple of the old IMC combat damaged parts to show how a more realistic 3D battle damage can be created.

I’m going to use a wing section from a 1:48 P-51 as my demo example. This part of the series will address recessing a panel so it is flush with the surrounding surfaces. Later I will show you how to install a surface laminated method.

The first step is to select the panel area where you want to impose the battle damage to. Once you do mark it so you don’t mistake another one.

Now we need to make a master pattern. I like to use Tamiya tape since it is transparent and easily burnished to reveal the panel lines underneath. Lay a piece of tape over the area. You can also use tracing paper and a pencil to mark the panel lines.

Once you have the tape in place you can cut along the panel lines surrounding the panel you are going to

apply the inflict the damage to.

Then take either the center or the outside of the panel you cut and transfer

that onto the piece of aluminum you are going to use to make your replacement panel from.

I used the outside, but either will work. It acts as a pattern and guide for you to do your cutting. If you are really good, you’ll be able to get it exact with the first cut. I purposely made mine a bit rough so I can demo the trimming and fitting process.

Once you rough cut around the piece to be removed with a tin snips or scissors, you can go along and do the final cuts with a PE Shear in desired or needed.

After you get this panel section removed from the metal sheet, set it aside for now. Your gonna be occupied for a while as you remove the area where this panel is going to be inserted.

To make faster work of the removal of the panel I use my Dremel with various bits to grind away the plastic I need removed.

Once you have the center of the panel carved out you have two options, recess the remaining area by scrapping with a knife or remove it all the way to the edge of the panel line. I chose the latter for this demonstration.

I try to let the Dremel do most of the removal, then once close, I finish off the rest with a flat file so I have a straight uniform edge all the way around the opening.

At some point you should have a nice square opening the exact (well close anyway) size as the panel you’re going to be replacing.

You can then start to trim the metal replacement panel so it fits snuggly inside the opening with little to no gaps.

I need to work on both my opening and panel before I continue on with part three of this How-To. I’ll work on that. You start looking for reference photo or illustrations of what the insides of a Mustangs wing looks like.

In the next segment, I’ll install the panel and with luck (I haven’t done this for more than a decade or two) this panel should look like nothing was replaced.

Then we can prepaint both the outside and inside as well as add any decaling that might cover this area.

So until next time…Happy Modeling!

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Today I uploaded two more videos in the series of using SnJ Polishing Powders. Though they are not exactly they ones I wanted, they’ll work until I can re-shoot something better. Hey, it’s LIVE after all!

The second in the series deals with the tools I use to apply the SnJ Polishing Powders. In the third I actually show you how I apply and buff the powders.

SnJ Polishing Powders-Tools

SnJ Polishing Powders-Applying & Buffing

Hope you find these useful.

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Some years ago, I know I am dating myself, IMC released a series of 1:72 aircraft kits that included “Battle Damaged” parts. I remember an A-4 Skyhawk, F-100 Super Sabre and F-4 Phantom. You were given the choice of building a war ravaged veteran or a clean undamaged jet.

Over on the FineScale Modeler Forum a question was posed asking “How do I?” This got me to thinking about one of the ways I like to accomplish the task, which is one of many of the techniques out there. For me I like working with metal for skin panels, because of the realism you can achieve. Plastic for all of its merits, does have limitations when it comes to creating ripped and torn metal. Plastic can become brittle and break before it takes on the form you desire.

For simplicity I am going to break this technique down into several stages. First is the rudimentary part…the very basic concept. So, starting with a piece of thin aluminum, cut to the rough shape of a panel or surface that you are going to give battle damage to, anneal the metal over a flame to soften it. I use a candle, a hot sooty flame is best. Don’t worry about the black carbon build up, it wipes off.

Once you have the piece annealed you can select the weapon that imposed the destruction. A large caliber machine gun or large bore cannon can be replicated by selecting the appropriate sized straight or hat pin to poke a hole into and through the metal. For irregular shapes such as that from flak damage, I usually use a screw driver tip or other feasible tool that will punch through the metal without too much effort. Here I use a T-Pin to poke my holes.

Some modelers use a red hot pin to melt their way through the plastic, unfortunately that doesn’t work as realistically in larger scales. In larger scales there is a greater need for 3D realism. Rounds or flak not only poke a hole, but they dent and bent the metal skin they’ve pierced.

To get the jagged tearing associated with rounds and flak ripping through the metal, I use a sharp #11 blade to create a “star” around the hole. Symmetric cuts are not necessary, bullets aren’t fashion conscious. Once you have the star lines cut, you can bend the fingers/arms of the star out and twist them into nasty jagged edges. Flak holes are particularly jagged and nasty, often ripping far away from the impact point because of the violence of the impact and the effects of the slipstream. Remember that rounds or flak entering push the metal inward, whereas the metal is pushed outwards on exiting points. “Little hole in, big hole out,” is something to remember. As a bullet, cannon round or flak punctures the skin, it strikes items and structures under the skin, tearing them loose and forcing them or fragments there of, out through an exit point should sufficient force be exerted.

Remember this is the rudimentary basics of the technique. One can add in more detail to the panel such as rivets, latches, internal structures and other details. A diorama can be created showing an aircraft for example being repaired. Various damaged components could be laying on the ground around the aircraft, with new ones already been replaced or repaired. The new panels could be in various stages of repainting, which allows one to create the perception of the work having been completed, yet you never have to “damage” a model in the process. Just create an illusion with some spare parts and surfaces from the spares box.

So, are you ready to give this a try? You can use sheet aluminum, soda cans, heavy kitchen foil or even foil tape.

I’ve got some other projects on the burner, but I will be continuing this article shortly. This is so much fun!

Hint: When you poke your initial holes, do it on a soft surface…I used a foam pad, it allows the hole to mushroom as the pin/tool pokes through the softened aluminum. When you do your star cuts, do that on a cutting mat, keeping the mushroom point up towards you to keep it intact.

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