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Hello, I'm new here. *waves*
Got a few questions about a product used for model railroad scenery if anyone can help. I'm not a model railroader myself. Instead, I build model kits (aircraft, ships, etc.) in my spare time. Right now, I just finished building a USS Montana battleship for a friend and would like to put that on a water base/scene. I noticed this product called "Realistic Water".....
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/woo/wooc1211.htm
........in my local hobby store and after reading the directions and asking a few questions to the store owner about it, it seems like the simplest and easiest to use for creating a water base/diorama scene. Other than what I read on the bottle, Is there any other hints, tips, and suggestions that model railroaders can give me for using this product? Is there anyone here that also builds models that has maybe used this product that can give more advice?
Well, if you are not a model railroader then we aren't allowed to answer your questions.
Just kidding.
I've never used the stuff, but I've see what people have done with it and it looks good.
Welcome too the Forums.I heard that Epoxy is another good source of product for water too.That is what I will be using when I do my Lake & Rivers.
Sorry, I can't talk to you either unless you have a train.
A model of the Montana, huh? Who makes that one? I know that class was never built and didn't think any company ever made a model of it. It should be a pretty cool model.
For your water question, is this a waterline model or full hull? Do you want to show the ship in port or on the high seas? There are some real tricks to making water that's actually shallow look deep and they vary depending on the type of water and the environment (flat, waves, etc.). The Realistic Water will work but it will also imprison the model forever in your diorama since it will make it impossible to remove the model from the water surface. Is this OK with the guy you're building this for? I'm really wondering if a sheet material like the one at
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/189-7426 or
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/189-7426 might not be better for your purposes since you can show the ship on a water surface (again, assuming a waterline hull) without doing any damage to the model.
Even though it's not a train, I'll bet a lot of us would like to see a picture of the model when you're done.
I'd suggest using sheet material with the WS realistic water poured in very thin over it.
years ago when I did a river, there was a product called Enviro-tec. Has anyone seen that around?? It was a 2 part resin that made a nice water surface and could be tinted.
years ago when I did a river, there was a product called Enviro-tec. Has anyone seen that around?? It was a 2 part resin that made a nice water surface and could be tinted.
I've heard of it, not seen it though.
I don't want to get too far off topic in a model railroad forum and discuss my ship, but since some people asked for a few particulars about what I was building so that they could better give me advice on using the water product I mentioned, then I'll answer as best I can and also show pics of the ship. The Montana battleship I built for a friend was never actually built in World War II. Plans were drawn up, but no construction done. Very little info. exists on the Net or anywhere else. Everything about the ship I built is speculation only.
Pics:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/bb67montana/DSC00753.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/bb67montana/DSC00752.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/bb67montana/DSC00751.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/bb67montana/DSC00750.jpg
To answer UP2CSX's questions:
1. The only company that makes a 1/350 scale kit is Yankee Modelworks. Their kit costs $400-500. What I built was started long before their kit ever came out.
2. The ship will be a waterline model.
3. It will either be displayed "at anchor", or maybe showing like it's moving at a leisurely 10-15 knots with some small waves. I'm not sure which one I'll do.
4. I understand about the model being imprisoned on the base/diorama and this is ok with my friend.
5. One other question I had: Can the Realistic Water product be tinted/mixed with blue food coloring at all to create water?
Registered Member
Staff member
I don't want to get too far off topic in a model railroad forum and discuss my ship,
No problem, it's in the general discussion area which is, well sort of off topic anyway
There's a possibility we all may learn something about a ship and water scene.
Cheers Willis
I checked the local wally world for that Enviro-tec I was talking about. No luck. The man at the paint area said they hadn't carried it for years now. I did a search on-line, but no luck there either.
It was great for making water because you could tint it and make waves with a blow dryer as it dried.
Anyone have a line on this product, give me a shout.
The product you are looking for is Envirotex. I have used on my layout with excellent results. It can be found at most any Good Paint Store or Hardware Store. (I can get it in several sizes at the True Value hardware downtown and also at the Value Center. I have also seen it in several other stores as well. Look around, I bet someplace in your area has it in stock, sitting on the shelf just waitiung for you to come in and buy it. (Think other than big box here......)
I do believe that it can be tinted, but I would do a test pour and see if it comes out the way you want before doing the final project.
Good luck!
Ray,
Thanks for the tips. I know it can be tinted. I used floquil brown paint the last time I used it in the mid 80's. Came out a nice dirty river like I wanted.
That's a fantastic model if you scratch built it. I was (and am) a ship modeler as well as a model railroader and that's some of the finest work I've seen. The only quibble I'd have is that I think the Navy would have switched to 3" AA guns by the time it was built but, since it was never built, 40 mm guns are just as likely a choice since it's kind of modeler's choice.
Since it's a waterline model, that makes things easier. I use Envirotex for water and it's inexpensive, doesn't have any fumes, and cleans up with water. It makes a perfectly clear surface. While you can tint it, I don't recommend it. It's much better to paint the underlying surface the colors you want and let the Envirotex do it's job as the shiny water surface. This is an example of how the bottom of a pond was painted to simulate the deep and shallow parts and the Envirotex was poured completely clear:
This would be the way to do it if you want the ship at anchor in port. If you want to show it underway, I still think one of the water paper links I gave in my first post would work better because the water color isn't going to have any depth and the waves, bow and stern wakes, and general reflectivity will be the most important things for realism.
Great work on that vessel. Are sure you don't want to try your hand with trains?
It might seem off topic, but who knows, there might be someone who's making a layout in the vicinity of a harbour, and wants something like this ship in his layout
U might also make it part of a Diorama, but building a piece of the land / pier and make some details as trucks, people, boxes and crates and some other things (if you ca find any in that scale
) .
As for the water you just have to paint the base ( wood or carton ) in a greyish blue, depending on the place you modeling, and then cover with resin, don't forget that you are always in deep water and the bottom will never show, so ne need for bottom details, go more for the surface details.
Great looking model.It would look great in dry dock too, seeing that it never seen service. If you want to make it in water there is a good tutorial on modeling moving water at
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/ That tutorial shows a small creek but the principals would be the same. I am wondering what happens if the water doesn't turn out like expected. There won't be any turning back once the ship is encased in the water. I'd be a little nervous and would definately try it with a mockup first to make sure it turned out the way I intended it too. That way you lose nothing if the idea is a flop. Ron
if he wanted to make it possible to remove it from the water, he could do it this way:
Make a mold of the underside of the model, and use plaster of some sort to 'represent' the model as you make the water. Coat the plaster in petroleum jelly in order to prevent the water from sticking to it, and then as it dries, you could remove the plaster mold, and you should have the same imprint as the model would be, so you can slide it right in!
Pardon me for bringing my thread back to the top, but there's another question I've got about using the Realistic Water product I mentioned in my very first post.
I just bought a bottle of the stuff earlier this morning. I'm planning on testing a little bit of it later to see how well the stuff works. What I'm wondering is, How long can this stuff be saved/stored once the bottle has been opened? Any tips for storage of this stuff?
As long as it's tightly capped, it will last for a long time. You might want to put a little vaseline on the threads to both help it seal and make it easier to get off next time.
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