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Battle of the Bulge
Duplicating Bulging and Rippled Sheet Metal
BY CHRIS PALOMAREZ
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Recently I've been working on two separate tasks. One being creating new ways to use existing Microscale products and the Second, more for my own modeling satisfaction, duplicating the appearance of bulged and rippled steal siding. What I have discovered here can be used for much more then model trains. It can be applied to any sort of model where the bulged steal siding is desired. My particular expertise and interest is in model trains. This is where I honed and tested the following steps to duplicate the effect.
You will need two brushes, one fine and one medium tip, a coffee stirrer-any kind wil do, a sanding stick, Gunze Sangyo Mr. Surfacer 1000, and Microscale's Micro Kristal Klear. I also found having a toothpick to be useful at times to help adjust the shape of the bulge. Before anything try this on a scrap model. There is certainly a learning curve! The good news is if you don't like the results, use a toothpick and start working an edge up until the Kristal Klear starts to lift. Peal the application off and start again.
Be sure to start with a primer painted model and a matte/flat coated surface. The matte surface will give Kristal Klear some tooth to stick to. Now look at the model and find all the seams, weld lines, rivet lines, and edges. Usually the spaces between these features will tend to bulge out. It really helps to have photos available to reference the real thing. First step is to take the fine brush and brush Kristal Klear along the edges and "frame" the surface you want to have the larger bulges appear. Work quickly as you want the frame to still be wet in time for the larger application. Next, take the coffee stirrer and apply a generous amount of Kristal Klear. You want to be able to smoothly connect the edges of the frame you painted with the second Kristal Klear application. A few things to keep in mind: The thicker the application the more dry time you will have to work with. Thinner coats will dry faster. Kristal Klear will shrink a bit so even if it looks like you put on too much, it'll probably dry about half as bulged as you might think. Work one panel at a time. Don't worry if you didn't perfectly paint an edge and you have a slight "puddle edge" effect. While Kristal Klear is still we you can use the medium size brush or even the fine type brush to remove lines of Kristal Klear. The objective is a smooth undulating surface. Whenever you remove a strip of Kristal Klear, tease the edges to slightly fill it in. Holding the model up to the light and tilting it will create a reflection showing you generally how the surface is looking and give you an idea of what the bulges look like. My thoughts are less is more. 2-3 bulges is all you need to replicate to give you the "look". If you are using a photograph and want to replicate the look of that, you will be amazed about how much control you have working with this method.
Kristal Klear applies as a white goo but dries perfectly clear giving you a visual cue of how much working time you got. As Kristal Klear dries, it develops a "skin" over the wet parts. When the surface is more transparent then opaque white, you can use this to your advantage and carve in scratches and other types of metal surface effects.
Once completely dry, The surface will be very shiny and you will be able to see through it to the surface bellow. At this point look for edges that don't blend smoothly into the surface of the model. Target anything that looks like an edge of a puddle. With Mr. Surfacer 1000, apply to any edge between the actual surface of the side and the edge of the Kristal Klear. I recommend at this point to let the entire model cure over night before proceeding to the next step.
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Mr. Surfacer 1000 is used to clean up the edges of the Kristal Klear application.
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Here's a sample of my first attempt. It turned out well enough for me to explore it more.
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With a sanding stick, sand the awkward edges that you treated with Mr. Surfacer a few quick strokes will help blend the two surfaces together. Follow this step until you have treated any oddities and weird surface effects. The objective is a smooth rolling/bulging surface.
Apply primer to the entire model. Paint and decal as you normally would.
Anyone trying to duplicate a new/freshly painted freightcar will find this method key to authentically replicating this texture. Sometime two separate projects end up meeting in the middle and offering one great solution. We at Microscale would love to see what you have done using this method. Feel free to email us photos of your work!
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This NS boxcar demonstrates the smooth undulating surface between the ribs.
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