I have a question for scratching a tarp mantlet cover.

HOW????

I was thinking of using aluminium foil, or moulding out of miliput, then covering with tissue paper?

Never done it before and have possibly 2 to do (certainly one), both at 1/15 and 1/16 scale, can anyone advise please or have any good tips?

I've tried tissue, but it didn't work for me. Then I tried using a piece of a plastic grocery bag and that worked better. That's how I did this M4(105):



Finally, I tried using Milliputt and found that to work best. As long as you have good reference pics for the folds and keep your surface wet with water, it is pretty easy to sculpt. If you are aprehensive about sculpting the folds, try it first on a scrap. Sorry, I don't have any pics of my T26E3 right now to share -- the model is in my office.

Thats a good idea about using a plastic bag, I would never have thought of that!....I may just give it a try.
Thank you

I have seen milliput used also. Once it dries you're stuck with the gun position though.

I have always used tissue paper. You can keep messing with it until you like how the folds look as long as you keep it damp. If you screw up you can just take it off before it dries and start over. For 1/16th scale, silk or some other fabric with a very fine weave might be more to scale, although I have never done it.

Shaun

I always use a piece of an old discarded shirt wet wit a mix at 50% of water and glue...





Ciao

I use what fit's the best.
farbic for bigger "flatter" area's
Tissue if there are a lot of roundings
putty for if there is a need for more complicated structures.

but try out tissue with metalwire/coperwire under it to form it up. works quite nice.

Thanks guys,
some great suggestions and pictures!

The 2 mantlet covers I need to make are one for an M18 Hellcat, this needs to be moveable as it is a scratchbuilt fully R/C build.
The other is for a Glencoe M41 Walker Bulldog (DREADFULL KIT!) .....quite an intricate shape for the mantlet, but the gun is not movable, therefor I was thinking the Milliput would be best for this one?

I've always use tissue from shirts, but got a few new ideas to try out next time. Thanks for the tips.