Making Cheap water

nick · Post by **nick** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:33 am

Hi everyone

I would like to show you my method of making cheap water bases.

While browsing this forum, I observed the walls. They somehow looked like water so I asked my dad. he said that there is a powder used to fill cracks and has the consistency of very thick paint. The braned is named "Calciumine" (?). I decided to give this material a try.

I first made the base with the help of an adult (since I'm still 12) using plywood and 1/2x1/2 wood frame. Then I prepared the "Calciumine" by mixing it with enamel paint. The powder doesn't work with water. The "Calciumine" dries in 10 mins. when using enamels and will stick to the base while it dries in 2 or more hrs. when using latex but it will not stick to the base. I don't know if it works using acrylics. The mixture was then mixed thouroughly and was spreaded all over the base and scraped. The scraping will cause the "calciumine" to form a "wave like" texture.

When it was dry I painted the base with Phthalo Blue in 2 coats. When it was still wet I painted different shades to give the effect of bubbles caused by the movement of ships. I did not paint the white because I am still going to make the waves

When the paint was dry, I then added the waves using modeling clay for about 50 cents or less. The clay should be colored white because they are waves. I added the bow wave, the wake and more waves. The clay give me lots of time to detail the waves.

Then it was time to shine the water because it can't be water if it's not shiny and what i used is my trusted, non-toxic and cheap white glue. it was mixed with a little bit of water and spreaded all over including the ships waves to make the clay a little hard, wait for it to dry and you have a nice water effect

All the materials (except the wood) I used were cheap. I bought them for about $4 or so.

Hope this works!

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 8:10 am

Sounds interesting. Any photo?

Cheers,

Rob

nick · Post by **nick** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 8:16 am

I think I would send some pictures by next week or sooner

Stay tuned!

DeadByCheese · Post by **DeadByCheese** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:19 pm

I can't believe your 12 after reading that post.

nick · Post by **nick** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 8:39 pm

I was inspired by thousands of modelers around the world (espcially the realistic water effects used by expert modelers) that I decided to make my own style. I'm just not suited for those expensive Acrylic Gels so I just have to be creative and the technique I said earlier is what came out of my mind.

And I'm still 12

Jason M. · Post by **Jason M.** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 12:55 am

I am so happy that there are still young one's interested in modeling. Keep it up kiddo!! Reading your well written post, I would NEVER have guessed you were 12. Your dad must be very proud of you...

Karsten · Post by **Karsten** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 1:04 am

Nick,

Outstanding that you are even interested in modeling let alone Water at your age.

Way back when I was young the kits were all AMT, Monogram and Revell was teh best you could buy for detail.

Kudo's to you for trying Water with something within your limits. I understand you cant afford the acrylic gels and what not some (including myself) use.

Check to see it you can get Mod Podge Matte-Mat made by Plaid. A 16 ounce bottle I think cost about $7.00 and they make one smaller.....The stuff goes a long ways.

It could be used as a top coat to smooth out what I would call Dry Wall Mud here.

If you can get a small jar of Liquitex Gel and you keep it sealed and in a cool place it will last you a life time.

Karsten

nick · Post by **nick** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 1:48 am

Thanks for your answers you guys.

The early years of modeling really were hard and there was also no photo-etching.

And indeed, my dad is proud!

I'd like to show you two pics of the water I made, I really hope you like it. I did say sooner

http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/nick/DSCN0004.JPG

The ships are the USS Belknap, Wichita and Oklahoma City. both are scratchbuilt from styrofoam and paper!

and a little bit of plastic rod for the Oklahoma City CLG-5 (I mentioned this in the Scratchbuilding Questions and Answers).

You can clearly see that I even added 4 little whales also made out of modeling clay to add life to the water

http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/nick/DSCN0002.JPG

I'll send more photos of the ships soon.

I really like your answers
Thanks,

Francisco P. de Nanclares · Sat Jun 02, 2007 3:55 am

I do like the effect!. Well done, Nick!

Cheers.
Pachi.

DeadByCheese · Post by **DeadByCheese** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:19 am

nick wrote: I was inspired by thousands of modelers around the world (espcially the realistic water effects used by expert modelers) that I decided to make my own style. I'm just not suited for those expensive Acrylic Gels so I just have to be creative and the technique I said earlier is what came out of my mind.

And I'm still 12

I started when I was 13 and I always had trouble trying to afford even basic items.

nick · Post by **nick** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:58 am

I built my first model, a Titanic, when I was 9. It wasn't painted and it had lots of cement dripping around the parts which is now wrecked and was given to a friend.

Dustermaker · Post by **Dustermaker** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 4:47 pm

the whales look pretty cool in the water with the ships, great job.

PetrOs · Post by **PetrOs** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:21 am

Cool, a nice idea.

I built my first ship model when I was something like 4 or 5, with the assist of my dad and granddad. It was a soviet model of an Arctica Icebreaker. Non painted but assembled

Recently this kit was reissued by Alanger, so probably going for it soon as a deja vue

My first painted model was a 1/400 Potemkin, also recent reissue. I was around 10-11 years old then. Since then - permanently building

nick · Post by **nick** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 7:10 am

Thanks Petr0s and Dustermaker regarding your reply about the whales

And Petr0s, thats a great start for the hobby

(At your age 4/5)

Thanks Again,
Nick

PetrOs · Post by **PetrOs** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 7:32 am

thanks, my granddad was a merchant seaman (radio officer) so 3 months away, 3 months at home, so I got my hobby from him

nick · Post by **nick** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 7:57 am

Hi Petr0s,

Your really lucky to have a granddad who introduced you this hobby. My sister was the one who introduced me the hobby (even though she doesn't like modeling, well, for a girl

) when she pinpoited a model of the Academy Titanic.

Though I am curious if there are some girls interested in this hobby

PetrOs · Post by **PetrOs** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:01 am

Well, I know a lady who is a freak of a model railroading, but their entire family is! A family owning a two-storey building (in the garden of the "grandparents") with each floor being 10x10 meters in average, fully buildup with H0 track landscape in the top floor (my buddy and his dad), and 0 scale in the bottom (his granddad and grandmom). And an N-scale landscape with a real river in a basement

nick · Post by **nick** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:00 pm

Wow!

How exclusively wierd!

Jadefalcon0 · Post by **Jadefalcon0** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 12:49 pm

WOW, very very impressive. Like some other posts, I would never have guessed you were 12 years old (Im 18 myself). Keep up the excellent work, at this rate if you take the time and patience, I don't see why there isn't potential for a world class modeler here.