How to go about adding extra greebles/chips to your models?

[muir318]

Hello again all,

I saw a post on here where a builder was adding extra greebles/Chips?(this is what they called them on the forum post anyway) to his star destroyer!Basically adding small parts and detail to the kit before painting etc!
I thought it look fantastic and it would be something i would like to have a go at doing with mine!
As i am completely new at modeling what tools and supplies etc would i need for the greebles to do this and what is the basic principle of actually adding them to the model?

Thanks in advance for all answers!

[Tankmodeler]

Well, the adding them part is easy, just glue them on with a glue that is compatible with both parts. If everything is styrene plastic (like most model kits) then regular liquid cement does the job. Otherwise there are a range of glues for different materials.

The tougher thing is where to get the greeblies in the first place. For those of us who have been building since Jesus was a small boy, then we all have deep parts boxes full of everything that we ever bought and never threw out plus a lot of stuff collected along the way specifically to be extra details. I have a wall full of the stuff plus several modest boxes of old built kits and salvaged parts form all kinds of things, from coputers to toasters to kids electronics. A lot of the vehciles you see in the movies were built using parts taken from plastic tank and warship kits. Many of us can look at the actual movie props of many pre-CGI ships and tell exactly which parts of which kits we're seeing in the small details.

So, for the newbie, I'd suggest holding off on the greeblies until you get better at your basic skills. This includes butchering a few models that can then go into the parts box for later generations of models. I'd also suggest going to any electronics surplus stores in your neighbourhood to look for interesting shapes. You'd be surprised how cheap the really junky stuff is. Lastly, if you have a specific project in mind, look at the movie stills and see if you can identify what's been used and then go get similar items as source material. Be aware, though, that movie companies, even when on a "shoestring budget" still had lots of money to buy dozens of kits to use for greeblies.

A relatively new source of detail bits & bobs are the vast host of photoetched brass detail kits for every style of model imaginable, but these tend to be really expensive, so beware.

Lastly, I'd recommend to go easy on the greeblies until you get a real feel for it. Covering a model with a cruist of crap generally doesn't improve the look. Small amounts strategically located works much better.

HTH

Paul

[en'til Zog]

Another source of detail bits (or "model mulch") is chopped up Evergreen styrene shapes. Simply take some styrene strip and carefully chop it into small uniform segments and then use them to indicate hatches, vents, or "stuff". Who knows what those bits and bobs on real vehiicles actually are?

You can also use sections of Evergreen scribed sheet that simulate ribbed roofing, or HO scale wall material, or scribed scale sidewalk.

Try chopping up strips of U channel or H or I beams.

Look in the SSM store for WAVE or KUTOBUKIA (sp?) detail bits - everything from thruster nozzles to hatches to drill bits to gattling gun muzzles to... stuff.

Wellcome back to the hobby!

[Joseph C. Brown]

And there was a helpful (semi-buried) thread on this topic that is down in the Scratchbuilding section:

http://www.starshipmodeler.net/talk/vie ... hp?t=81478

[MillenniumFalsehood]

Another thing: depending on the hobby shop owner, if he knows you like greebles you could get some really great deals on stuff just to use for parts. I routinely get whole frets of perfectly good photoetch for stupid-low prices. The last was an upgrade to a Panzer kit that was originally priced at $30. I got it for five. The owner could have a selection of damaged or mis-packaged stock in the back that he'd let you dig through to find cheap kits to salvage for parts.

[Kolschey]

Agreed with MF there. My LHS scored a bunch of partially built and opened kits that were part of an estate that was being liquidated. As a result, I was able to purchase a variety of armor kits at a true fraction of the normal price.

[riplikash]

I know I'm coming in a bit late, but I didn't see anyone mention Plasticard. Plasticard is fantastic stuff for adding all kinds of details. It comes in tons of shapes and sizes, and you can custom make some incredible things with it.

The most important shapes are the sheets and the tubes. Sheets are obvious, and they come in numerous thicknesses. Tubes are fun because the different sizes can be nested within each other to create various pipe, tube, and gun barrel configurations. This guy does an amazing job creating weapons from scratch using just plasticard: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/po ... 27960.page

It also comes in numerous other useful shapes and prints: I-Beams, sheet metal textures, wood texture, etc.

[en'til Zog]

Plasticard = Evergreen sheet

At least for us in the Colonies.

[muir318]

Thanks for all the replies guys! Very helpful..
Another question i have is which is the best or preferred glue when working with styrene sheets etc?

[Tankmodeler]

Thanks for all the replies guys! Very helpful..
Another question i have is which is the best or preferred glue when working with styrene sheets etc?

Ooo, that's like asking "what is the best tasting chocolate?".

No best answer. And, like many things in modelling, most of us use at least a couple different products depending upon the job at hand. Most of us would probably agree that aliquid cement is best, but which exact one? Nope, no one answer there, for sure. The best advise I can give is try several over the course of several models. You'll find out shich matches your particular style of model building.

Personally, I like Testor's liquid. I've used Tenax & Proweld & Humbrol & Tamiya liquids, but personally prefer Testors. I _know_ others have other preferences.

Paul