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Help/advice needed.


Fatman24834154

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I am working on a dio based on a photo of two Tommies escorting 4 German POW's, two of high are carrying a wounded comrade, from the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. I have made a base from some Wickes's outdoor filler and am wondering if a wash of diluted PVA is needed before adding ground cover or if I can just crack on (I will be using ordinary PVA glue to fix the different bits of ground cover).

Any advice or info from the more experienced amongst the brethren/sisteren gratefully recieved.

Many thanks in advance,

Dave

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Hi, Dave.

Do the filler's instructions say that it is "paintable"? If so, I would say crack right on, my friend. You could always test your paint on an inconspicuous spot... or does this not really answer your question?

Hope this helps.

Chris.

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Hiya Dave, hope this will help.............I used Wickes outdoor filler over ceiling tile for my Sherman GB base and just painted straight over the top, it does soak in a bit but that can be a plus.................

011_800x600-2.jpg

001_1067x800.jpg

I used Humbrol enamel for all the groundwork and it goes on nicely, I used Elmers (PVA) for the foliage etc....................Smudge

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Hi Dang,

It's entirely up to you whether you seal the filler first.

Untreated, the filler will naturally soak up water-based paints like poster paints, water colours, diluted Humbrol Weathering Powders AND it will also soak up thinned enamels. This is NOT a disadvantage.

Personally, I like to colour to the ground before sealing it, and even then I may not seal it until after much of the ground cover has been added. And by that I mean grass/ground level vegetation and details like tracks, stones, fallen logs etc.

It sounds obvious, but I will colour the filler green in areas where there will be grass, and brown where there will be bare earth/mud.

At this point I may seal the ground with dilute PVA, or an acrylic varnish.

Where I am going to add grass, (using a static grass applicator) I will obviously seal the ground with dilute PVA and while still wet apply the grass. After the PVA has set and the grass is fixed I will always spray the area with matt acrylic varnish and then apply washes. The reason I use a matt varnish is because I prefer to use enamels for washing groundcover and a matt varnish soaks up washes and absorbs them with a wick effect . A gloss varnish would encourage the washes to run and they would end up in the depressions/nooks and crannies.

And on that note, if I am going to model mud/earth/vehicle tracks etc, then I will seal the area with gloss acrylic varnish, and apply washes of thinned enamels for the reasons stated above.

Returning to the grass and ground level vegetation, I will add more 'vegetable details' using CA glue. Blobs of CA dabbed around, between and even OVER the grass and then sprinkling the likes of crushed dried Chervil over it (which gives an effect of clover/moss etc or turns the grass into 'leafy weeds')

I will usually then spray the grass area with acrylic matt varnish and wash again and again until I am happy.

In short then, the secret is to build up many layers, gradually, and use whatever sealers/paints are appropriate at each stage.

I hope this helps,

Regards,

Badder.

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Hi, Dave.

Do the filler's instructions say that it is "paintable"? If so, I would say crack right on, my friend. You could always test your paint on an inconspicuous spot... or does this not really answer your question?

Hope this helps.

Chris.

Hi Chris,

It does say that when dry it can be painted if required, but I wasn't sure if it would be better to seal it with a coat of dilute PVA so that it didn't soak up too much of the paint/glue when fixing ground cover. As you suggest, I'll try a small area and see how it goes and if it goes breasts up it won't be too hard to cover it over..

Cheers,

Dave

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I wouldn't recommend sealing it before adding the base colour.

Trick from model railway scenics is to colour the filler (water based paint or dye) prior to applying it to the base. that way if the surface gets damaged the white of the filler does not show through.

As you've applied the filler then allowing the paint to soak into the surface will help minimise the problem should it arise.

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I wouldn't recommend sealing it before adding the base colour.

Trick from model railway scenics is to colour the filler (water based paint or dye) prior to applying it to the base. that way if the surface gets damaged the white of the filler does not show through.

As you've applied the filler then allowing the paint to soak into the surface will help minimise the problem should it arise.

This is very true, but not the main reason for colouring the filler first. After all, who would be so clumsy/careless as to damage their hard work?

Not me. :fuyou_2:

Ever. :mental:

Nooooooo..... :yikes:

Badder

Edited by Badder
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I wouldn't recommend sealing it before adding the base colour.

Trick from model railway scenics is to colour the filler (water based paint or dye) prior to applying it to the base. that way if the surface gets damaged the white of the filler does not show through.

As you've applied the filler then allowing the paint to soak into the surface will help minimise the problem should it arise.

That's an excellent idea. Never thought of that. 👍 Edited by Fatman24834154
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Have just put the first coat of base colour onto it direct; so far so good with no real soaking in. I'll put another coat on later and see what happens.

Cheers for the advice chaps.

Dave

Dang,

As we've stated, the colour will soak in a bit, (especially with water-based paints, thinned enamels, thinned acrylics etc to a lesser or greater degree) but that's not a bad thing. Neat enamels and acrylics will obviously soak in less. Once your first coat is on then subsequent coats will or will not soak in depending on the medium and the completeness of the original coverage.

You should be fine.

With your second coat I would introduce other shades/colours i.e. green for where you are going to add grass and brown for where you are going to have bare earth, grey for rock/concrete etc.

After all, why use the same colour for the second coat as you did for the base coat?

Once those colours are added, THEN I'd consider using varnishes/dilute PVA to seal and protect areas, and to aid the application of washes etc. But again, your original base coat (with the addition of secondary coat) will have sealed the filler completely. The varnishes and dilute PVA are now for aiding painting and for fixing and sealing additional details.

Looking forward to seeing what you do,

Regards,

Badder

Edited by Badder
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