Hi all!
As most of you must know, I´m involved in building a Panzer IV ausf G in an white winter camo, so que question is:
I decided to represent it in the final days of the winter, with the camo very faded and wiped off, and also a lot of mud along the entire wheels and tracks and all over the lower portions of the tank, so what is the best method to represent, fresh, tacky mud?
I was thinkinga about using the real thing (soil) + water + white glue...what do you think of it?
Any suggestions?
Thanks on advance

Paolo

I`ve had always succes using wallspackle that I almost use for everything in modeling (just versatile stuff). It comes in a tube and it costs very less ask for it in the DIY shop I`m sure they will have it. You can apply it witha piece of wood (that`s how I always do it) let it dry for a couple of hours and then it`s ready to paint. I believe you can also pre mix it with paint but I have never done that.

Hope it is of some help

Paulo,

here is a methode I like to use

Tech Tips: Hit the Dirt, Modellers!

I use real dirt mixed with celluclay water and white glue....for fresher mud use more water and glue.....for dryer mud use more dirt.

I use hobby hardwall...... the quick drying stuff, mixed with white glue and some acrylic colour. Also throw in a little static grass and some fine sand or dust. makes lovely dirt, sticks well and is already coloured so problems when you shape it a bit afterwards either. Give it a little wash and some dry brushing of different tones for effect. Lighter at the top to simulate dryer mud and darker at the bottom for newer dirt. You could even add some gloss varnish at the very bottom to simulaute still wet mud!

I use spackle as my primary medium. I will vary it depending on the application. Sometimes stright up, sometimes mixed with some dirt, sand, static grass. One thing I am going to do is use coffee grounds in some spackle. It will give it texture and color. I'll use it post consumption - gotta get two uses out of it!

One other note: FSM has a cool article about mud. The article has flying mud!! Really cool. The basis is to shape a thin wire in a splash pattern and then cover the wire with your mud. Then stick the wire in the bas of the diorama. If you want I can post more detail - just ask.

Slodder

I really am interested in that splashed mud thingy.

are there pics with it??? if not explain or draw the how to`s this sounds really interesting

TIA

This is what I tried on my last model. I mixed white glue, foot powder and diluted it with water. I applied it with an old round brush. The consistency of the mix is up to you, depending on how dirty you want the tank to look. At first it looks bad, but once its dry it looks like fine traces of mud. I guess you could add something more thick to the mix to make a different consistency of mud, I'd say maybe instant coffee.

Cheers,

CDT Reimund Manneck
U.S. Army ROTC

You got it - I'll post informatino this evening approx 7pm EST. It's got pictures and everything!

Thanks Scott

I`m looking forward to it

Hi Scott
I´d like more details too!
Guys!
Thanks for all informations...

I will go ahead and post images on Armorama@MSN and information in a post here with a link to MSN.

Thanks Scott, I´m waiting for the news! :-)

I use brown tempra poster paint mixed with fine silt found at the end of your driveway after rain storms. great texture.

Here you go ---
FSM May 03 pages 70 - 73 "Mudying an armored vehicle" by Ron Poniatowski

Ron has collected actual dirt samples from various location across the US. This helps him mix acrylic paint in the desired shades. He mixes it a bit lighter than the actual dirt to keep size/scale/color ratio correct.

Making mud the Ron way - find a base dirt color, mix paint to match (mixing dark into light in small amounts), make the mixture - white glue + baking flour + enough paint to give desired color (glue is the binder, flour gives thickness), apply to AFV with toothpick (watch for a bit of shrinkage), use a toothbrush to spatter the hull. If its really thick mud use some actual dirt.

Making mud fly ---
1. Armatures - thin wire shapped as desired for the mud sling. Apply the mud mix right to it and let it dry.
2. Clear styrene sheets - cut a sheet as desired and apply the mud to the trailing edge as desired. You can layer these to add depth.
3. Waxed paper - sculpt mud on top of a sheet of wax paper (bend the paper as you desire first). Let it dry then peel the paper off the bottom. I bet this would work with aluminum foil too.

Once your method is dry then apply it by 1. drilling ahole in the dio base and inserting the wire. 2. etching a groove for the styrene or 3. gluing the mod where you want.

Remember to make the mud part of the base not just attached to the base. Work the mud mix at the base of the attachment point.

Check out the pictures they are the meat and potatoes of this article.
Check the last three images, mud, mud 2, and mud 3. Mud is the first one Mud 2 is applying styrene and three is the actual deal in action.
http://groups.msn.com/armorama/sloddersstuff.msnw?Page=Last

Dear Scott,
Great article, I´m pissed, cause I just canceled my FSM subscription on the end of the 2002.
Miss the best article...
Thanks for the help
Cheers

Scott

Thanks for posting this article. It is just as spectacular as I expected when you told the story
great job and the pictures are good too

Thanks dude a heineken for you

I've used real dirt, celluclay, putty, and just paint. Depends on just how thick you want it. I think with eastern front at thaw time the mud would be thick and dark. I'ld go with the spackle or celluclay

Well guys,
I guess I´m ready to start my own oinky muddy place...and get some on my model, oink freaking oink!
Cheers and thanks for all replying!

My method, and forgive me for never varying from it (but hey, it's always worked for me) is the old fashioned celluclay method. I mix it up on the thick side and "punch" it on with a thick round bush. Once it is dry, it it porus enough thyat you can mix up thinned enamels and "stain" the mixture. While I'm putting it on, I add "grass" to the mix. What I use for the grass is paint brushes that have come to their useful end. Once the brush is to beat up to be useful for painting, they get thrown in a box. When I need static grass to stick in the mud, I clip off the bristles and stick them in the wet cell-u-clay. This way, I get the absolute last use from those brushes, and it looks quite fine. (The I keep the handles in a bag for paint stirrers!) Try it, you'll like it!

God bless our troops, and pray for their quick and safe return.

I have a recipe of mud that I saved in my computer. I got this from a fellow member of armorama, Paul Owen.
The recipe is as goes:
1) Earth colored acrylic paint
2) tube water color(probably earth toned also)
3) Dry bulking agent, sifted earth, or coffee grinds
4) Static grass
5) White glue
6) water
* the consistency should be that of toothpaste
Apply with brush..........

u could all ways use pollyfilla the out door one and apply it with an old tooth brush it works for me.