RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

I've tried using bits of clear perspex in the past, with a backing colour- but does anyone have a tried and tested means of making Tank and AFV periscopes look convincingly glass-like?
This would also apply to vision blocks for the Driver and Commander's cupola.


These (taken from Rock Steady Militaria) are said to be real Tiger tank vision blocks:



This Tamiya Abrams has the sort of look I'd like for some jagdpanther periscope lenses/blocks. How can they be simulated?

Schumo make periscope kits, for example, for the Tamiya Panther Ausf G:

They look okay, except that they should reflect light at certain angles. These just look like-well, grey bits of plastic. They need to have lustre. But how?

I used old film negatives cut to size.

I have no idea whether this is relevant, but it's worth a look. https://deluxematerials.co.uk/products/ ... lass-100ml
This works on top of plastic, I think.

There is also Mikro Krystal Klear, which can be used to create clear glass.

Hi.
Fox's Glassier mints, suck em to right size...

Or what my go to glue for such things is

Devcon 5 min clear epoxy, i use this to simulate anything that needs a deep glass effect, it sets crystal clear, just make up a mold, mix it up and pour it in, it self levels and has surface tension so if careful you can even get a convexed curvature on the outside.
It is not cheap but it is excellent stuff

Regards
Sub.

Jimster wrote:I used old film negatives cut to size.

Sounds like a good tip, Jim. However, I only have a few (pre-digital age) packs of negatives remaining, and they're irreplaceable.

Sub wrote:Hi.
Fox's Glassier mints, suck em to right size...

Or what my go to glue for such things is

Devcon 5 min clear epoxy, i use this to simulate anything that needs a deep glass effect, it sets crystal clear, just make up a mold, mix it up and pour it in, it self levels and has surface tension so if careful you can even get a convexed curvature on the outside.
It is not cheap but it is excellent stuff

Regards
Sub.

Thanks, Sub. You know, I don't think I've tasted a Glacier Mint since the 1950's. Those were the days when teeth could be drilled without local anaesthetic, by something resembling a conveyor belt-powered Dremel. Yep, all those sweets had payback! Fox's Glacier Mints were very popular then, along with Murray mints. , and equally adept (but not as much as toffees) at pulling fillings out.
A glacier mint, once sucked, also became pretty sticky- thus glue would be unnecessary.
However, the Devcon 5 sounds promising. Even though it sounds a bit like a countdown state to Mutually Assured Destruction.
I suppose pigments, or dyes could be added to it, to add the tints found in some vision blocks and periscopes.

silversurfer1947 wrote:I have no idea whether this is relevant, but it's worth a look. https://deluxematerials.co.uk/products/ ... lass-100ml
This works on top of plastic, I think.

There is also Mikro Krystal Klear, which can be used to create clear glass.

Thanks, Richard!.. 'Looks like Glass' could be added to the surface of a Schumo periscope, I expect, with a good effect. However, the 'Mikro Krystal Klear' has greater potential, I think

The suggestion is that it's good for windows up to 1/4" square. For periscopes, it would have to do a wee bit more than that, but I'll certainly check it out.

43rdRecceReg wrote:

silversurfer1947 wrote:I have no idea whether this is relevant, but it's worth a look. https://deluxematerials.co.uk/products/ ... lass-100ml
This works on top of plastic, I think.

There is also Mikro Krystal Klear, which can be used to create clear glass.

Thanks, Richard!.. 'Looks like Glass' could be added to the surface of a Schumo periscope, I expect, with a good effect. However, the 'Mikro Krystal Klear' has greater potential, I think

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The suggestion is that it's good for windows up to 1/4" square. For periscopes, it would have to do a wee bit more than that, but I'll certainly check it out.

I have only used the Mikro Krystal Klear for a pair of 1/16 goggles, but have found it very good. It looks odd on application as it is white, but dries clear. For the goggles, I used a cocktail stick to draw it across the full aperture.

Krystal Klear is good stuff. For the spotlight on my Jumbo I put a small LED in the back and then filled the whole thing with Krystal Klear and it looks the goods. For periscopes I just cut pieces of clear plastic from that hard packaging that everything seems to come in these days and glue it in with Krysytal Klear. Paint the back with a translucent Vallejo paint in the shade of your choice and the jobs done.