OK now I am starting to do the ol' scratch building thing and would like to know what the best clay to make duffles, kit bags and other things are?
Also what is the best kind of resin for water is to use. I have not messed with it much but I have been looking around and have seen some stuff in the bottle and it says that all you have to do is just pour it out? or should i go the ol' cooking resin and just practice?
Just asking not many places I can go to ask and I think this is the best site I have seen and lots of info here , mainly because of all of the great thinkers in here.
thanks, the GRUNT , so don't run me over no crunchies here!!

I use two part epoxy putty. When I have some left over for ssomething else I make sandbags. I shape a bit to size then take a piece of cloth and impress the fabric texture into the putty. Next i take a knife and cut a seam down the side. Then let dry and you have a sand bag. You'll want to form them to a vehicle before they dry if you want to place them on something.

Anyone up for the question of water?

To the ground pounder I give this advice.....hehheh As far as the clay/putty goes I use Aves Apoxy. There are a few different brands out there, but I have found this one to be about the best for the purposes you mentioned. It is soft, some would say too soft, but it makes kneeding it that much easier, and as such allows you to get on with making bags and stuff much faster. What I will reccomend is that you invest in a glass cutting board, a mini rolling pin, and some baby powder or talcum powder. After mixing equal parts of A and B lay down a little of the talc on the glass cutting board. Using the rolling pin with some talc on it as well, begin rolling it out. The talc prevents the putty from sticking to your pin and also to your fingers. Once you have it rolled out nice and uniform, you can let it set up for a few minutes to get a little body to it, or you can jump right in. Just roll it up to the approximate size you want and trim off any excess. Any seams can be smoothed over with a wet finger, Q-tip, or paint brush. I've used this method for awhile now and sure beats using the ol' tissue and glue method by a long shot. Tarps, bedrolls, clothing, duffle bags, and even rucks can be made this way.
As to the water issue, if you can find "Pour ON" it is really good for still water effects. 1 coat of this stuff equals 50 of conventionally applied coats of clear!! For moving water, I'd go with Sculp-t-mold (Sp?) A friend uses this and his results are awesome. HTH "Q"
19D4B4R8D3P "Scouts Out"

Great suggestion RED4. Just to add, Milliput is also a good brand to use for sculpting too.
As for the water, Woodland Scenics came out with 2 new items. I havnt used them yet, but will here soon. One item is for water and the other is for water effects. The bottles say it is used right out of the bottle, no mixing or heating or anythig like that.

Would make a great article. How to sculp custom duffles and stowage!

:)

Just a thought.

Jim

I would also love to see an article on the this. I have become very intrested in adding stowage to vehicles and it seems making your own is the best way to go, I just have no idea how.

If you need a lot of stowage, use an open roll of tarps made from tissue and white glue to hide whats underneath. You can make shapes of whatever you want and have a few of the real ones at the front . Check this link to see what I mean. /Frank

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/frank_glackin/vwp?.dir=/Bridge+Defense&.src=ph&.dnm=truckload.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/frank_glackin/lst%3f%26.dir=/Bridge%2bDefense%26.src=ph%26.view=t

I'd just like to second Jim's comment that this topic would make a great article. I've read a number of posts which indicate that many modelers fashion their own tarps, bedrolls, etc. While I get the gist of what you're saying, from my perspecitive, an article would really be instructive. I know I'd like to learn this skill.

Mike

I've just tried self curing modeling clay to make my first sandbags. It worked well,
and it's so much less expensice than two part epoxy putty! I paid approx 4€
for 1kg. So I'm going to sculpt plenty of sandbags. :-)

The clay I use is from Germany, it comes in a little 2"x2"x.5" block. It comes is a wide array of colors. It's easy to mold and sculpt. Once you're pleased you bake it for 20 minutes. It is then very easy to paint. I get it at a Michaels craft store (in the US).

I use Milliput Epoxy Putty. When I make Tarps and Bedrolls, I use Tissue soaked in thinned down white Elmer's Glue. As for Resin, I use Micro Marks casting resin and catalyst. :-)