Hi friends,
I'm considering my first winterized tank. I don't think it will look right without lumps and bits of snow in the running gear, tracks, and selected places on the chassis.
I grew up in northern Michigan, so I spent 30-some odd years shoveling the stuff. Despite a snow free life for the past 15-years, I feel I have intimate knowledge of the stuff.

I'm not a fan of buying every bottled effect out there. I'd rather raid the kitchen if I can get away with it. I reckon stale, lumpy baking soda will make decent lumps, and flour is powdery enough to fill crevices. Judiciuos use of the airbrush could help to blend the colors.

Fixing the flour should be no problem. But baking soda reacts to water, and lord knows what else. Has anybody tried using baking soda for snow lumps?

Anybody got any other home-made suggestions?

Best wishes,

Gaz

A mixture of talcum powder and Future works. Try it, you'll like the results.

If you use flour, eventually you'll have little invaders burrowing out of the "snow". Really nasty critters!

Gaz, I second Joseph's suggestion. Brush on a coat of Future. Whilst still wet, randomly sprinkle talcum powder.

My shameless plug:



Cheers,

Tat

i dont know in which part of the state you live Gary but here in far-north QLD flour and the hot steamy summer soud's like a recipe for a mouldy-sugarant farm and others creapy crawlings....

Probably the Soda sound better...

Future 'n' talc looks good for wet snow.

For powdery snow try white glue 'n' soda:

Friends,
Thank you for your replies and great looking examples! The flour is definitely out! I only want styrene critters around.

Best wishes,

Gaz

I heard many times that the mix of white glue and soda became yellowed over time.
Here we have many discussions about that.

Anyone who used this technic long time ago can say something?

I never tryed yet.

I've used baking soda, white glue, and water, a few times. Makes nice fluffy deep snow, or clumps. After maybe 7 or 8 years it's still white. You can add some cheapo craft acrylic paint to the mix.

The problem with baking soda is that it absorbs moisture.

and something like this is not more stable?...is still pretty cheap...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/231104511123?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The period and place I'm portraying is Kharkov, January-February 1943. It is the coldest part of winter.

Packed snow is broken into lumps with sharp, but not jagged edges. I almost want something I can form into a solid mass and then break up. That something...whatever it ends up being... Will have to resist the humidity of the Queensland summer.

Some experimentation will be required, I fear. It's the tail-end of winter here now. By Christmas, the temps should be high with humidity in the 70-80 percent range. With that in mind, the mineral talc might be the best place to start.

Thanks for all of your replies. It's helped me eliminate some materials and given me some direction for experimentation.

Best Wishes,

Gaz

i always wanted to try but i never buy it,at Bunnings you can find Jo'Sonja Texture Paste,have a look maybe it works...and today you can have some sousage Sizzle!...

Too darn dry here in California to be a problem I guess, but good to note. Anyone know what the DioDump (what a name!) is made of?