I'm finishing up another sherman kit and I thought I'd add some sandbags to the front of the tank. I remember reading a post -not sure if it was here- on using Chicklets gum. I don't remember the steps to making them though. I only thought that I should soak them in water for some reason, does that remove the outer shell?
Anyone remember this technique?

If I remember correctly, yes you soak them to remove the hard shell. This would also give them some texture. I myself was going to the this but ended up using putty instead. I have seen some fantastic work where people used the chicklets though.

The easiest way is to put then in a strainer or colander and run the water over them. Seams etc can be put on with a blade, and they will eventually harden, but can be painted when still soft. I suggest cool water as warm water will make them too gooey. Also a few at a time is better than a load of them, unless you enjoy an over powering smell of peppermint.

I'd be leery of this since there are sugars and other organics that could spoil and draw various critters.

Id agree with Al. Go with the putty and save a possible dissapointment in the future.
Check ou this link

Making Sandbags from Milliput. by: Ronny Noben


I used this method several times, and it works a treat.

If you do use chiclets make sure you seal them well - otherwise you could get an invasion of non scale ants!

Sealing it won't keep larger critters from eating them. I had a cobblestone road made out of split peas fall victim to a hungry mouse in the basement work area.

Shaun

Organics like this will also continue to lose water vapour over time and will shrink and crack. Epoxy putty, my boy, is the way to go.

Paul

Gday Mike
I have made mine from milliput in the past, and feel this is the best method IMHO...
Roadkills' method is a good one, and once you have a rough placement idea, do a 'dry' run with the un-detailed lumps, then once satisfied with the layout start detailing them...

Be careful with scale, and the smaller they look the more accurate in general.
What tank are you modelling, and with what markings? This can affect the layout on the tank...
Have some reference pics if you need...
cheers
Brad

:-) Just picturing that one in my mind had me rolling.

spray it with windex

You been watching "My big Fat Greek wedding" Luke??
:-) :-) :-)

Hmm I wonder if Raid could be used as a flat coat?

no

I think if the gum is thoroughly sealed with future coat, it may not be a problem

ROTFLMFAO I guess next time you'll be making your cobble stone street out of D-Con Rat poison! :-)

Better yet, switch to 1/72 scale, and coax the mouse into wearing a lizard costume. Then you can film it and have your own Godzilla movies LOL

Personally, I've learned to avoid any modeling medium that could decay, attract varmints or be chemically unstable. For instance, I never use baking soda or kitchen cleanser as a snow or texture material on a model or diorama--they react to moisture in the air. I once tried Play Dough as a sculpting medium, but even covered with tissue, it developed mold.
For sandbags, epoxy putty is the best bet. It's available from hobby stores or hardware stores (it's used in plumbing). Different brands have different consistencies, and you may end up with several types for specialized uses after a few experiments. Milliputt is almost like a dough, and is very sticky, but can be textured with a wet finger or tool. The White Superfine Milliputt is best for my modeling purposes. If you want to sculpt it in place but want to be able to remove it again for painting, a layer of kitchen film between it and the model's surface can help. Knead-a-Tite is almost like chewing gum, and less sticky. Tamiya has it's own house brand, but I haven't tried it. And one brand I found in Home Depot was useless for sculpting, but looks exactly like fresh asphalt.

If you could find a way to preserve the ants without them curling up y0u culd have a cool Sci-fi diorama :-) :-)

I remember seeing a post a couple years back about using gum with the outer shell removed,so I gave it a whirl.To my mind the 'sandbags' ended up too long+ they were hard to give some texture to.I'd stick to milliput.
Liked the smell tho'