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[Guest]

Howdy Guys,

Here is something I do to add abit more realism to model planes. After completing the model, you are left with a box full of plastic sprues to be discarded.

I save the "clear" sprues that the canopy or window parts were molded on and cut off the "rounded" pieces into small cylinder shaped "lights".

Use an exacto knife to cut off a small ¼" long cylinder. Paint one end only, Red, yellow, green or whatever color you need for a light. By painting only one end, this allows the clear plastic to "carry" the color thru to the other end, giving the appearance of a colored light.

If you can "round off" the end of the "cylinder" prior to cutting it from the sprue, then after you paint it, the color will carry thru the clear plastic even better.

Prior to adhering the "light" to the model, I use clear fingernail polish to "seal" the color to the "light". This also prevents the paint from spreading to the model when the glue is applied.



hope this helps someone, if there are any questions feel free to ask.

Have a good day,

Greg

[Guest]

any chance of making a little picture tutorial??

great tip!

[Guest]

Howdy RJ,

well I tried with my camera but apparently this is just too small to shoot properly so, I went to the old "reliable" paint program and "sketched" it out somewhat. Take a look again at the original posting.

Let me know if that is any clearer.

Have a good day,

Greg

[Guest]

Hiya Greg That is really good i will do that from now on i think.

[Guest]

Thanks Aerynpk,

I have been doing it like that since I was much younger, the clear plastic almost acts like fiber optic cable, bringing the red from the painted end through the clear end.

Speaking of fiber optics, I have about 5 ft of the stuff in 2 different diameters I have been debating over attempting to place in a model for nav. and landing lights.

Have a good day,

Greg

[wonwinglo]

Greg,on a similar note,for red navigation wingtip lights on aircraft,these can be cut and polished from the red rear vehicle lights,plenty of scrap ones lying around in the road after bumps and shunts !

If anyone knows a good source for green starboard material in plastic then please let us know here,it must be around because one year at the IPMS nationals one chap had a load on his table,it said help yourself.

[Guest]

Howdy Barry,

Thats a cool tip in itself. i never thought of the tail light lens laying all over the street lol, I have some out in front of my house (I live at a busy intersection).

But, using the clear plastic sprue bits, you achieve a sort of "clear lens" over the color painted on the "bottom" of the light (bottom being the end of the light glued to the model).

Anyway, I like your idea alot.

Below is a pic of "installed lights". The colors are somewhat hard to see, I used a flash on my camera at the time...oops lol



Anyway, Dont ever let anyone say that modeller arent a resourceful bunch, I mean taking scrap plastic for lights, using the tie twist off bread wrappers for antenna, or panty hose for camo netting in diaromas.......oops, there went another secret lol. Well, I have two tanks I will be building soon, so we will get to that tip when I finish them.

anyway, have a good day,

Greg

[Guest]

HIya greg its ok you can call me Charlotte like everyone does one here. AerynPK Is only a user name that i use on all forums i am currently registered on.

[Guest]

"panty hose" as you call them or "tights" as we call them have a popular use on this forum...filtering paint through to remove and left over residue to allow perfect spraying!

....ask nigel and terry (tigertc)

[Guest]

Howdy RJ,

Well, I have never used them for filters, but I have cut out a Square of the material, airbrushed it a camo pattern and poked small camo colored bits of cloth thru the weave to create camo netting for use in a diaroma.

This works well for sand colored camo also.

I have also used the material to cover the back of the large military truck models that have a canvas over "hoops" like you would see in trucks used to transport troops. Again, cut out enough material to cover the truck bed and airbrush it olive drab or whatever color the truck is painted. Then you can stretch it across and over the "hoops' and attach the material to the sides of the truck. (see photo)



Anyway, this probably should have been in another thread unto itself, but I will make a new thread when I do the camo netting.

I hope this helps or inspires someone, I just hope it doesnt cause any of you guys to get beat up by your wife for ruining her hose or cause you to get arrested for buying hose lol.

Have a good day,

Greg

[wonwinglo]

A very neat tip Greg,that 'netting' they bag oranges etc with also has its uses for dioramas.

[Guest]

I used to make camoflage nets from my Granma's hair nets. You can still get them nowadays and they look superb in 1/35th settings.

[wonwinglo]

Whilst speaking of lighting for models try this one for effect sometime,go to your local £1 shop ( is it dime shop across the big pond ?) and buy one of those cheap fibre optic table top displays,take the thing apart and thread the optics down each wingtip of any airplane kit model,then one to the tail,and one to the identification beacon,join them together and hide a tiny battery either in the model or into the stand or a battery box,tint the port side nave light red,the starboard one green and the strobe blue with well thinned enamel paint.

Once lit up the model becomes an instant talking point,would work on models of all types,cars,boats etc,a bit of a novelty and a challenge to see what can be done.

[wonwinglo]

***Grannys bits come in handy,for example remember those round hair curler thingies ? a sort of plastic moulded tube except that they have numerous holes in them,fit a muzzle at the front,a piece of balsa block for the mounting,wire for the handle and fittings and you have one instant early machine gun,very light as well for flying models of WW1 aeroplanes.

Years ago the old 'Aeromodeller' magazine ran a 'Gadget Review' feature,as a hard up school boy the column was a source of income for me,having had several gadgets mentioned from washing up bottles made into fuel bottles,to Army surplus shop salt water activated batteries put to good use.

I used to make camoflage nets from my Granma's hair nets. You can still get them nowadays and they look superb in 1/35th settings.

[Guest]

The fibre optic strands mentioned by Barry can be used for lights as small as car tail lights on HO/OO train layouts, feed them through the base board and light from underneath. You can even go as small as cycle head lights, hiding the strand as part of the frame.