I have a set of Verlinden's US Small Arms Ammo Boxes and I'm not sure what color to paint a few. Those are the Cal. 30 Box, Cal. 50 boxes, and the Cal. 45 Pistol box. Would these boxes be made of wood or metal or metal and wood?

AFAIK, all the pictured boxes are made of wood...

H.P.

I can confirm that they are all unpainted wooden boxes.

Here are some 1:1 replicas (and a few real ones to boot..) :

http://www.wwiiboxes.co.uk/Weapon%20Related.htm

H.P.

If you are looking for a good "Wood" paint set, there are two different sets from AK Interactive, one for regular wood and one set for weathered wood. They also make a wood weathering enamel set with filters and washes for wood. They have a new formula too which is a vast improvement over their earlier paint formula. I have all three sets and I love them. They also have a book about wood weathering which is a good book with good techniques except that the English isn't very good and will at times make you scratch your head.

Thanks guys. Got just what I needed.

What paints did you end up using? Photos? Trying to get some ideas for ammo boxes I made a while back but never painted.

I decided to use Tamiya Red brown dry brushed with PollyScale Earth 410081 with a homemade Acrylic black wash, not necessarily in that order on most boxes.





With a box I got out of a Tamiya Modern equipment set, I painted on ModelMaster Wood. But I've had the paint for so long it won't mix properly anymore and comes out very thin. I'm also putting on some C-ration I printed and cut out and a tarp or roll. That'll be the end of the stowage for me as I'm driving myself crazy trying to figure out what I should put on, what I shouldn't put on and how much. By the way, how does it look so far? Boxes correct or set up well?

Yep, looks good so far, just make sure you glue rope or straps over everything to hold it all on. Nobody likes velcro stowage.

Would thin sewing string work? I haven't any 1/35 ropes or straps to be found.

Hey Mikey!

I recently used sewing thread but since it was still too thick, I pulled-out one strand. Then, it curled, so I soaked it in very water diluted white glue. I squeezed and straitened it out with my fingers until dry — a hairdryer is helpful. Since I was using white thread, I added a brown color pigment (diluted paint will work too). It's okay for a what I had available at the time.

And now for tying the knots ... develop your fishing fly-tying skills or as I do whenever possible — hide and glue the ends!

HTH

—mike

I actually just did that, but with a full strand of thread (it's already very thin... I don't think I can separate it further). I had made some C-ration that I printed out and put three together. I then put some thread around it and tied it on top. I had to use tweezers to make the knot. I glued the bottom part of the knot and the knot itself.

Hey Michael. The best way I found to make thin rope or cable is to find some electronics copper wire. Find the very thin stuff. I take 4 strands of them, 2 wires looped around a nail in my desk, and twist them together by hand or a dremel with variable speeds. It remains very flexable and painted up as rope or cable looks the part. With sewing thread you have to wax it ( like ship builders do to keep it from fraying). The only problem you will have is that you have to be very gentile when looping it through tie downs or lifting brackets as too much pressure with break them off. Go slowly and see where the bend will be and pre-bend it and you'll be o. k.

Correction: I painted with Vallejo European Dust Wash (76.523), not pigment.

—mike