Re: [Ft] Objects was fwd: [Full Thrust] Earn Good Karma, Help a Newbie (fwd)

At 08:00 AM 2001/06/15 +0100, you wrote:
>The guy asks about asteroids and planet modelling... that could be a
thread...
>
>My asteroids are bits of sponge that I dyed black, cut into chunky bits
>(plucking with fingers made good 'pits') then drybrushed grey.  They
look
>really good - although a good sneeze will clear an asteroid field from
the
>table! :)
>
>How do you the rest of you folks do them?
>
>--
>Colin P

Pumice works well. It's very light, but still
heavy enough to stay put when you sneeze.

For small asteroids, go to your local garden store
and pick up a small bag of decorative pumice stones.
Drybrush them (or not) as you like. Glue them on
flat bases, or use flight bases. (I like to use
steel bases and straightened paperclips.) Paint
the bases black. Spray on a good polyurethane
gloss coat, then a dull coat.

FWIW, placing small (up to 1/2 inch) ones on 10mm
or so steel bases (or washers) makes it easy to
create an asteroid field. Or just set out the
bits of stone.

For large asteroids , you can use larger pieces
of pumice. Or you can use styrofoam; try this
(but do it *outside*):

Take some styrofoam balls of the appropriate size.
Alternately, tear off irregular chunks of scrap
styrofoam.

Spray the pieces with black primer; make sure it's
*not* evenly applied. It will randomly melt and pit
the pieces. For more pitting, apply the primer more
heavily. (Don't use Krylon Living Colors primer;
it won't melt them!) Turn the pieces and spray to
get all sides. (Putting them on skewers or sticks
will make this easier.)

Mount the pieces on wire posts on metal bases for
stability, and blu-tack the bases down on a piece
of cardboard.

Make up a 1:1 mix of white glue and black paint
(or, better yet, Payne's Gray, an almost-black
blue-gray), and thoroughly coat the balls.
After that dries (give it 24 hours), drybrush
with other grays. Spray on a good polyurethane
gloss coat, then a dull coat.