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Texturing AFV Surfaces

Weld Seams

Weld seams are an often neglected feature on AFV-models, especially on older injection moulded ones. If you check a real AFV you will be amazed to discover all those more or less crude and MANY weld seams. I want to describe some methods I am using to represent weld seams on AFV models. I started with a "normal" soldering piston but had some troubles as even after sharpening the tip it was too thick and I could not regulate the temperature – but it was good enough to do a KV I at least.

I then invested about $90 for a soldering station, designed for soldering computer parts. The station provides a regulation for the heat and 2 different sizes of soldering pistons and different soldering tips. I still had to sharpen the tips by fixing each into a motor drill and wrap sandpaper around it. But I got a point, sharp as a tip of a fresh sharpened pencil, soon.

After having this prerequisite you can start working. I use a temperature between 220 and 240°C, depending on the plastic, and start "welding" the relevant area by holding the soldering piston in an about 30-45 degrees angle and dotting the soldering point very gently to the plastic. No matter if there is already a weld seam on the kit or not, the plastic is formed from the heat, representing something very close to a weld seam.

If thicker weld seams are needed I first glue a piece of stretched sprue onto the desired area and after 24 hours I start "welding" it. My best experiences with sprues are Tamiya old yellow or new drab ones. I did not try the orange ones. The old dark green ones are not melting smoothly and when touched with a soldering iron they transform into small plastic balls.

While welding, small plastic particles may stick on the pointer creating "plastic hair" on the kit. Do not panic, a tip of liquid glue will let it shrink and disappear.

But there are even weld seams which are so tiny, that the soldering tool is too clumsy. I then glue a very thin piece (not thicker than a hair) of stretched sprue to the relevant area and gently stroke liquid glue over it for 2-3 times. After 10-20 minutes I start sticking a dental tool (a rounded needle or sharpened toothpick will serve also) into the sprue and create the seam.

Copyright ©2002 - Text by Werner Kampfhofer (tankbuster). Photos by Hannelore Zajic, Wolfram Bradac, Robert J. Sladek, and Tankbuster. All Rights Reserved.