Every picture of a gondola I see, the sides are all bulged out and badly dented. Is the a process for recreating the look?
Glenn
i’ve seen articles where a soldering iron was held near a plastic gondola to soften the sides so they could be dented . careful not to actually melt the plastic though , this might be one of those techniques you want to practice on a car you don’t care too much about
I’ve got a friend that nukes plastic cars in a microwave for a minute or so, that softens them up so he can abuse them properly. I personally haven’t tried it, but it sounds like it might work?
Nukes, I never thought of that. I thought plastic was immune to the effects of magic beams in a box.
Glenn
In the good ol’ days, a decent wattage incadescent light bulb would suffice to soften the plastic and bent out the sides a bit (as mentioned, soldering irons were also used, but they had more of a point effect, and could indeed burn through the side if you slipped up).
Abuse? Aren’t you afraid of sinking?
What? Oh, never mind…LOL
Way to go, Bill!! [:D] Besides the others, perhaps a hair dryer would work as well? Some that I’ve used get hot real quick and may do the job…
Unfortunately, semi-melting plastic gondola sides usually looks really cheesy. Real gon sides are MUCH more banged up than the effect that you can get out of a lightbulb and/or soldering iron.
The best and most realistic technique I’ve seen is to replace the plastic sides with wrinkled heavy-duty aluminum foil. The effect is stunning, but it does require a lot of work!
I’ve found that excessively bulging sides of real world gondolas end their lives rather quickly. (adjacent track and structure clearance issues)
Dents are easily mimicked. Dip a toothpick in white glue, randomly draw it over your heavily weathered surfaces. Paint glue with rusty shades when dry. Voila!
Notice the overall lines of the car are correct. It’s the paint, or absence thereof which gives the decrepit appearance. If you must, a dent or two on the top rail can work, but don’t overdo it.
Thanks for the tips. Aggro, that is nice. Are you just teasing me, or are ya gonna share the technique? I hope you share (please, please, puhlease…)
Glenn
I wrap my index and middle finger with masking tape to protect me from the heat. Then I light two matches with their heads together (to generate sufficient heat) and move them back and forth within a given 4" inch area of the inside of the gond. The gond is turned side ways so the heat rises up towards the side of the car. After about 5 seconds, I drop the matches and begin warping the gond body with my taped up fingers. But not too much, it still must look capable of being used in rail service. A little bend here, a little bulge there. Not the same thing done to every part of the car. It cools and rehardens fast though. Then the car gets weathered from there.
Thats the only picture I still have of that car, the other shots will give you a better impression of what the car really looks like.
Thank you! I may just give it a shot.
Glenn