Hi All,

I'm at the point in one of my builds where I am working on the stowage. To match the specific vehicle I'm modeling, I need to make a duffle bag, which is attached to the exterior of a Bradley, but got too close to the engine exhaust. Thus, the top part of the duffle got pretty well burned. I plan on making the duffel from scratch, using Kneadatite, which I will mold around a 'core' of aluminum foil (the foil will be wadded up to make a solid cylindrical shape). I can sort of leave the 'top' of the duffel 'open', where the burned part will be, but I'm at a loss as to how to make any 'burned parts' for the top end of the bag, and then what do I do to paint it, besides just black paint and possible black or dark brown pigments to simulate soot. Any ideas? I'm not that creative, but I can probably follow someone's directions or if anyone has a picture of how you may have done something similar... Help, please!!!

One thing you need to know is what the duffel bag is made of. Many synthetic materials, i.e. rayon or nylon melt more than they burn as opposed to natural fiber like cotton which will of course burn. Sorry I can't help with more but I'm interested to see how you manage to achieve the effect your after.

Speaking from experience a canvas duffle bag can have lighter green and white threads revealed but in 1/35 the soot and singe would hide that. Nylon stays the same color green as it melts with maybe a few flecks of black. But again that would not be visible in 1/35 just the ash and soot from burning.

I saw a few guys use their duffle bags as ash trays so I saw a lot of burns.

I'm guessing that the duffel I'm trying to duplicate was canvas, as the top part that was exposed to the heat looked charred rather than melted in the photo. It might be easier to do what I'm trying to accomplish if the photo was detailed, but unfortunately, the picture is from fairly far away and the resolution is poor on top of that So, other than seeing the burned and charred blackness, not much other detail is visible.

Hi Curt
Once you’ve made the bag you could try covering it with a single or double-layer of tissue using a dilute pva/elmers glue to provide a textured surface. When completely dry, rather than use paint crush up some charcoal (or use kids’ black powder paint) and using a dry brush tease it/rub it on in tiny increments where you want it burnt. If it were me I’d just make a blob shape and experiment on that first.

The duffel bag you want to model would most likely be synthetic. When I was issued mine, brand new, back in 84 it was synthetic and so were the ones we got at CIF. The old timers did have the canvas ones but they were all pretty well faded. My dads was vietnam era and was canvas and it showed a lot of wear. The synthetic ones didn't fade, they just got dirty and were pretty tough. Mine still looks nearly brand new with just a few scuffs after lots of field time.

I was VN too they were canvas then .

Well, all, here is how my 'burned' duffle bag turned out... Not the greatest, and probably way over the top, but I think it works....sort of. I think if I were to do this again, I'd be more subtle with it, but at least the concept works, I think. I made the age out of Kneadatite, molded the open, burned part of the bag, painted it in the green, then used flat black and 'track' pigments.

Looks pretty good but seems to be missing something. Perhaps a bit more variation in the shade/tone. Could also just be the light and/or angle of the photo.

that's what I was thinking ! great first attempt

You should take a look at some real duffel bags. You have the general shape right, but there are more to them than you have here. Also, By the time the Bradley came around, most of them were made from nylon, which melts more than burns as others have mentioned. And most crews are pretty savvy when it comes to stowing their gear next to an exhaust system--even so, you might get a burn through, but the top of the bag isn't likely to burn like that unless a catastrophic fire has occurred on or in the vehicle. And don't forget about the contents of the stuffed bag-- extra boots, socks, uniform clothing, canteens, Kevlar helmets, entrenching tools etc- some of that stuff wont readily burn. Here's a link to what the real thing looks like:

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=G7mIKx4I&id=F92FC6D2B1556A06490FDDF9DEBF4EA0F5281F8C&thid=OIP.G7mIKx4IFXV2h08D1TTK5wHaHa&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.mokkimies.com%2fimages%2fproducts%2fmm-us-army-vauhtisakki_orig.jpg&exph=750&expw=750&q=U.S.+Army+Duffel+Bag&simid=608044411062322936&selectedIndex=10


I was issued a canvas one in 1972, which I've still got, but by 1980, most of the new ones were Nylon based (I know, because I was a Cav Squadron S-4 in 1980). The Army would have exhausted supplies of the older bags by 1985 for the most part. They might have lasted a little longer for the Marines, USAF and Navy. But you didn't see many of the canvas bags by the time the Bradley came around, unless it was owned by an "old timer" and those guys would have been smart enough not to store their bags near an exhaust system for the most part. As an aside, if a bag had burned up like you depicted, it and the contents would have been saved for the "Report of Survey" that would have invariably followed, as most of the contents were probably CIF (Central Issue Facility) property--not many folks actually owned the equipment.
VR, Russ