Headlight lens manufacturing. Modification of headlights and side lights of prefabricated models How to make headlights for a model with your own hands

An easy way to get the metal effect around the edges of the tank is with a lead pencil. You just need to run the pencil around the edges a few times until you achieve a realistic effect. In order to create a metal effect in hard-to-reach areas and cracks in some hatches, you can sharpen a pencil. It is not recommended to create this effect on all parts of the tank, use it only where there is a high probability of erosion or wear due to operation. Can be used different types graphite pencils to achieve different shades of shiny metal surfaces, (photos: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5))

(All pictures are clickable)

Metal using dyes

Dyes are still a great way to achieve a metal effect on large surfaces, such as tracks, along the edges of tank armor, and on some weapons. Remember that not all types of colorants are created equal. Try to find the one that works best. The ones I did before were too coarse and the effect they produced was not realistic enough. The new metallic pigment from AK Interactive is very good and has more realistic colors (photos: (1), (2))

You can apply metallic pigment directly with your finger to the parts you want to give a steel sheen. You can also use a cotton swab for more precision, (photo: (3), (4))

Metal by other means

We can also create a metallic effect with many other media such as enamel paints and acrylics in metallic colors such as steel, aluminum, etc., which are ideal for painting small parts and accessories with a brush. On the other hand, the Czech brand AGAMA has a special product for creating metal effects using friction. Using a piece of cloth or a cotton swab, we apply a small amount of the product to the surface, and then rub until we achieve the desired shine and until the product dries, (photo: (1), (2), (3), (4), ( 5), (6))

Fallen leaves

One of the last details that can make our model more realistic is adding some natural elements that have fallen on the model, such as small tree branches, leaves, vegetation and soil. These elements fall on the tank as a result of nearby explosions or even when the tank passes through forest thickets. These elements, although almost invisible in black and white photographs, are very common and easy to see in modern models about which there is more information and documentation, (photos: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10) , (11), (12))

The FIBA and PLUS MODEL brands offer a wide variety of leaves, in all scales and different colors... Although these products are very expensive, they are worth buying given the level of realism they give to the model. They can be applied sheet by sheet by gluing to the model surface with a small amount of matt acrylic varnish. Place the leaf with tweezers and leave to dry. To glue on a bunch of small branches, apply a coat of matte varnish, slightly diluted with water, and stack vegetation, soil, or a bunch of leaves, whatever, on top. After drying, remove excess material that was not glued correctly with a soft, thick brush. If there are any traces of the varnish after drying, you can soften them with the help of small strokes with dyes of the color of earth and dust, (photo: (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18 ))

How to apply dry decals

The rules for using dry decals are explained in detail in many publications and even in the instructions for the product itself. This is no longer a mystery, as it was 10 years ago. Nowadays, almost the whole world knows how to do this. Despite all this, I will explain the procedure again in case some modeler is still new and does not know how to use them. Of course, I always recommend using dry decals over regular wet decals. Wet decals are difficult to apply and you will need to work hard to make them look perfect. On the other hand, dry decals almost always look great and are very easy to apply (photos: (1), (2))

If you want to add camouflage later, you can protect the dry transfer with a little Blue tac, a special clay similar to plasticine that you can stick on and remove. Paint camouflage on top of it and then remove the Blue tac you used as a mask (photos: (10), (11), (12))

Headlights

The simplest and most realistic way to make car headlights is with lenses specifically designed for modeling. AK Interactive offers a large catalog of lenses different colors and diameters for all types of vehicles. You just need to take the lens with tweezers and fix it with a little PVA glue or Tamiya varnish, stick in the desired place. Once it's dry, be sure to apply a light coat of dust to the lenses to blend in with the model.

If you are using lenses made of clear plastic, which can be found in many commercial kits, after gluing them, use a brush to coat them with Tamiya varnish to give them a glassy look. If your model's headlights are made of opaque plastic or resin, paint them with silver paint first. Then, using Tamiya's clear paints, give them the color you want, like red, orange, etc ... (photos: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5))

Number plates

Czech brand EDUARD produces highly realistic, pre-painted metal license plates that are ready to use. You just need to cut out the desired plate and glue it to your model with super glue. It is necessary to age and dirty license plates so that they are in harmony with the rest of the parts vehicle, (photo: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5))

Quick Wheel masks

One of the most recent and most interesting inventions I have seen in the modeling world is the Quick Wheel Wheel Painting Patterns / Masks, designed by Greg Ross. This simple tool allows you to paint tires on multiple wheels at once, without special efforts and with high precision. It consists of masks of two different thicknesses, into which the wheels can be placed for their further painting, (photo: (1))

First, we paint the wheels with dark gray or black paint, this will be the color of the tire. We paint the wheels completely. Then place the Quick Wheel mask on all wheels. Now paint in the same color as the car and then remove the mask. That's all! Quick and easy. Sometimes painting the wheels of a tank can take an entire day and the end result may be unsatisfactory. But in this way, we can paint all the wheels in a couple of minutes. It's worth it (photo: (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12) )

The second stage is the power supply of the brake lights

We gut the second servo, take out the circuit from there and unsolder the motor. We connect the servo in parallel with the receiver's 2nd channel. After connecting, it is necessary to turn the servo wheel to catch the moment when power is not supplied to the wires from the motor. I just soldered the trimmers and tuned with it. I cannot illustrate this process, because everything is already wired and packaged in place.

The initial connection diagram was as follows:

()

Those. power to the head light is supplied from the battery from the iPhone (stage 1) while the taillight is lit at full heat. When the brake is pressed, 4V is applied to the taillight and lights up brighter.

By the way, the lantern is made of my first wheel and eight parallel-connected LEDs.

The very first night ride revealed a very serious drawback of such a connection scheme. In the dark, a fadedly burning taillight is not given to feel the dimensions of the buggy, which means that it is very difficult to catch a model trying to slip into a skid or being in a skid.

I decided to install real side lights on the spoiler. Thus, the dimensions of the model are now felt from either side, and circuit diagram connectivity has been simplified. The need to use diodes has disappeared, because the lamp now serves only as a brake light.

The headlight LEDs have been embedded in the front bumper. To get the reflectors, the remains of this were sawn. Pieces of Lexan are used as glasses.

In the photo there are already enough wartime headlights, as you can see, they are still in place.

Cooling is required with this LED. I found a heatsink for the memory of a video card in the bins, which came with some kind of cooler in the kit and poked them.

This design is very successful in dissipating heat from high-power LEDs.

It is all arranged in a waterproof box - the only thing that I bought in an offline construction store.

+8 Add to favourites I liked the review +29 +49

Many models are usually old, and what can I say, and new ones are equipped with plastic headlight lenses, which, of course, spoil appearance models.
Of course, the problem can be solved if you purchase ready-made headlights from third-party manufacturers, but what to do if this is not possible.
While surfing the Internet, I found several ways to solve this problem. We will now consider one of the ways.
We need: a frame from a transparent sprue, a candle and a little patience. For the test subject, I took a model from Trumpeter. This is a model of the Japanese reconnaissance vehicle Type 87?, Where the manufacturer gives transparent parts only triplex glass, and even then only in the form of a film
To begin with, we heat the sprue stick so that it does not melt, but sags, as it were. Next, we stretch the sprue to required diameter the lens we need. We wait a little until it cools down, and cut it in half. Next, we bring the tip of one workpiece to the candle, make sure that the workpiece does not catch fire, slightly twist the tube with our fingers. Under the temperature, the tip melts and takes on the shape of a lens.
Next, let the slices cool off the extra leg from the workpiece. If desired, on the reverse side, you can simulate a light bulb by drilling a recess with a small diameter drill. You can also paint over the inner side with silver paint.
We drill a plastic imitation of the headlight into the model and mount our homemade product.
Such headlights significantly improve the appearance of the model.

I guess I'm not exaggerating if I say that every BTT modeler was unhappy with the plastic imitation headlights offered by the kit makers.

What to do with such headlights? Glue as it is on the model? But such optics looks, to put it mildly, implausible. Trying to paint somehow is useless. Anyway, upon closer examination, such a headlamp will look like something similar to a headlamp, painted with silver. Replacing such a headlight with an aftermarket product is a good way out. But there are several significant points: such headlights are not always available in real stores; not every person, for various reasons, can afford to buy headlights in online stores or at numerous flea markets of model forums; not every modeler wants and can spend money on purchasing additional sets.
When I was working on, I ran into similar problems nose to nose. I found a way out pretty quickly. At the same time, in the finalization of the headlights, I used materials within walking distance.

To begin with, I picked up a drill that matched the diameter of the headlight diffusers. I resharpened the drill shank into a sphere:

I took food-grade transparent plastic, warmed it over a candle and pulled it onto the prepared spherical shank of the same drill:

From a drawn transparent sprue I made an imitation of a light bulb:

From the hood I cut out the glass of the headlights, cut off the imitation of light bulbs from the stretched sprue: