Modifying plastic models?

I guess I'm going to have to experiment a bit then and hope for the best.

I know from experience that broken plastic don't always look like broken plastic though, it depends largely on how you paint it afterwards. Weathering of the surface can do miracles in making the unbelievable look believable

However, I haven't had any experience in actually crumpling plastic like this, I've only bent, broken, cut and so forth before. Experimenting here I come

QUOTE (MrPumpernickel @ 1 Jul 2008, 22:18) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I guess I'm going to have to experiment a bit then and hope for the best.

I know from experience that broken plastic don't always look like broken plastic though, it depends largely on how you paint it afterwards. Weathering of the surface can do miracles in making the unbelievable look believable

However, I haven't had any experience in actually crumpling plastic like this, I've only bent, broken, cut and so forth before. Experimenting here I come

***Experiment with heat, but I'd think a soldering iron tip and body will give a better result than a heat gun.... you could aslo gingerly heat various metal things to use to distort the shape on a stove element or gas flame to make the damage.... while still soft, use a scalpel blade etc to further distort things after the initial shaping, then thin the visible edges as much as you can before painting... Try to find photo's to work to if U can - it helps to have a target to aim at!

Richard
DCCconcepts

Way ahead of you on that one, though I'm not doing the aluminium foil route but I'm going to paint the dents and cracks with metallic paint and a whole lot of careful drybrushing instead. Gives me better control of the end result I think.

Well well, I'll try it as soon as I get the tree I ordered home so I know the correct diameter. I'll be sure to keep you guys updated on everything

Oh, I thought more that the aluminium itself would leave marks on the plastic, sort of rub off. If I got it wrong then it's actually a pretty great idea as you explain it

I might actually go both routes, first soften up the plastic a bit with a hot air gun and then use the hot metal rod with aluminium foil over it. That way I should get not only what looks like impact damage but actually a fair amount of warping of the whole front of the car, which is what would happen in a real car crash (at least one with considerable speed which is what I'm going after).

Some model-maker should really specialize in things like this, crashed cars, injured people, criminals, accident sites and so forth. I bet there's a niche for it.

QUOTE (MrPumpernickel @ 2 Jul 2008, 19:06) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I might actually go both routes, first soften up the plastic a bit with a hot air gun and then use the hot metal rod with aluminium foil over it. That way I should get not only what looks like impact damage but actually a fair amount of warping of the whole front of the car, which is what would happen in a real car crash (at least one with considerable speed which is what I'm going after).

***When a car hits an immovable object like a large tree it wraps soft parts aroung things BUT mainly it (the car) folds at sharpish angles along structural lines... I really think that an overall softened plastic car folding like a wet noodle will look like.... well.... a plastic car folded like a wet noodle!

I'd think a couple of judicious cuts helped with a hot knife and a hot shaping bar will get you much closer to reality - with the texture added by thinning it by sanding, filing and later by finally using the scrunched up ali foil to add final detail to the shapes....or replacing things like the bonnet with heavy ali foil entirely.

Good luck with the project - its an interesting one and I hope it goes well.

regards

Richard

I Ran Over an old ladies car with my truck once (she was not hurt)

She decided to pull out from a side street across my path
would have been a fatal error if I hadn't manage to swerve a bit.

She had a near new Toyota lots of plastic components

I ran over the whole front of the car with my passenger side front wheel ,everything plastic shattered into small pieces
Both front wheels (front wheel drive) were lying horizontally on the road The motor and other bit were squashed together on the road
Front windscreen was intact and her drivers door could open and close as before
My point of impact was her front wheel

Hardly any damage to the truck (5 tonne) had to replace the bumper which had folded back

That car looked like a heat gun had got to the front of it! aprt from all the broken glass and plastic everywhere!

Regards Zmil