Has Any One Ever... (Light and Damage)

**dtomasch** · #1 03-19-2015, 09:49 AM

Hey Everyone,

Wondering if anyone has an experience in the following:

1. Adding lights to your paper models
2. Adding "battle damage" to your paper models

One 1 above, I'm building uhu02's JJVERSE Enterprise and I was thinking "hey, this could be sweet with lights" and I bought a nice little fiber optic kit off ebay.

Has anyone had experience lighting their models? Any tips?

And 2 above, I thought it might be fun at some point to build some models and then add "damage." I'm not talking about damage printed on the models, I mean like actually physically remove parts of the kit (say part of the saucer section on the Enterprise) and somewhat realistically "battle damage" it, etc.

Would love to hear anyone's tips!

**Texman** · #2 03-19-2015, 10:26 AM

While I haven't battle damaged a kit, I have done a full cutaway scratchbuild, so it can be done. Just takes a little patience, planning and ingenuity.

**SCEtoAUX** · #3 03-19-2015, 10:28 AM

I have not added lights to a kit but have read that it helps if you surround the light inside the model with some dark material so you won't get any light bleeding to areas that you don't want to be illuminated from the inside. An example would be if you want light to shine through a window and not through the wall or hull around the window.

Someone on here just the other day showed some damage applied to a building.

**Vermin_King** · #4 03-19-2015, 11:26 AM

following this with keen interest

I have collected a number of advertising flashlights with LED 'bulbs' and was wondering if wire could be soldered in to essentially have a light that can be placed in a model.

**Revell-Fan** · #5 03-19-2015, 12:10 PM

Recently I have designed a battle damaged model, the name plate of the destroyed Battlestar Atlantia. It was based on a physical plastic scratch build by Klaus Schaeftner. I took a picture of the plate and modeled the parts according to that picture. So the battle damage was part of the original design and not added later. I used water colours to paint the edges and to make the damage seamlessly blend from the texture and the (untextured) edges.

I worked with different layers which have been laminated to corrugated cardboard. These layers were stacked on top of each other to create a 3D effect. The top layers cast a real shadow onto the bottom layers which increases the illusion of a shattered hull.

**dtomasch** · #6 03-19-2015, 12:49 PM

Re: lights
Yeah, I can't wait to try this when my model is a little further along. I think I'm going to build all the sections of the model and then figure out how to engineer the lights into the frame before I glue everything together.

I, too, was worried about light leakage but the fiber optic kits I bought on eBay really don't seem to have any light leakage -- just light at one end and the other. So I think this will work great for lighting "room lights" and such on the Enterprise model.

I found some Fiber Optic cable online which has a neon glow on the edges, and I think I may try some of that for the nacelles.

Re: Battle Damage

That's a really awesome model. I haven't quite figured out what, how or if I'm going to put battle damage into one of my builds yet, but I really like the idea and I'm sure I can figure something out!

RunwayOneSixRight · #7 03-19-2015, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revell-Fan

Recently I have designed a battle damaged model, the name plate of the destroyed Battlestar Atlantia. It was based on a physical plastic scratch build by Klaus Schaeftner. I took a picture of the plate and modeled the parts according to that picture. So the battle damage was part of the original design and not added later. I used water colours to paint the edges and to make the damage seamlessly blend from the texture and the (untextured) edges.

I worked with different layers which have been laminated to corrugated cardboard. These layers were stacked on top of each other to create a 3D effect. The top layers cast a real shadow onto the bottom layers which increases the illusion of a shattered hull.

That is a beautiful section.
I am thinking about commissioning Nobi to design me a 1:800 UNSC In Amber Clad.
The ship is from the Halo series.

Here is a picture.

-RunwayOneSixRight (Matthew)

**kcorbin** · #8 03-19-2015, 07:25 PM

This source is a great supplier for very small sizes of LEDs for small scale models.
Excellent customer service!
Small Bright LEDs, SMD or Chip, Tab LEDs - Hobby LEDs

**ringmaster** · #9 03-19-2015, 07:40 PM

You can weather paper models by dry brushing pastels (not oil pastels) and weathering powders, better know as eye shadow. I've had good luck with a silver Sharpie pin,sometimes blended with rust (redish brown pastel ).
The Tesetors matalics in the little square bottles ar good for drybrushing too. The trick is to store the upside down and use the pigment in the cap. Copper and bronze a couple of silver shades and rust are a lifetime supply. Use a small flat brush and wipe everything of on a paper towel. Less is more.

**jkason** · #10 03-19-2015, 11:05 PM

LEDs are really too bright for models.

I have an old Ravell Star Destroyer (big one) that gives instructions if you want to add lights for cabins and engine glow.

Paint (spray works best) the back side of the model with black paint to prevent light seepage.

Use the fiber optics for cabin and headlights. LEDs are good for searchlight effects, while diffused LEDs are good for engine effects (spaceships, jets, etc.)