A Simple Ocean Effect...

"MSW crew-mate Carl Musselman (carlomaha) send us a step-by-step feature of his method of creating his super realistic water bases!"



I have found this simple method of creating ocean waves and wakes, for the display of my 1/700 scale waterline ship models, to be very easy and rather realistic. It works well for 1/700 scale and probably not as well with larger scale models, and it may not be applicable for smaller scales such as 1/1200 and 1/2400 scales.

I have received many compliments from other ship modelers concerning the water effect that I have used in my dioramas and some of them have asked about how I do it. Although I didn’t invent this technique, I have prepared this tutorial “How-To” in order to demonstrate my method of it.

the method, step-by-step...

The key ingredient for this method of water effect display is TAMIYA’s “Ocean Effect Plate A” Item No. 89673.






The “Ocean Effect Plate A” creatively depicts a gentle, but rippled, ocean surface.






I have just recently discovered that Plastruct has similar, thinner water effect plastic sheets that come in blue or clear and in larger sheets. They are intended for smaller scale displays, but with the various textures that the sheets come in, they could be used for 1/700 scale harbor dioramas, I would think.



Material list:

Besides the “Ocean Effect Plate A”, I use the following listed materials:

1. IMEX Model Company, Inc. Stackable-Crystal Clear plastic display case. (IMEX has several different sizes to choose from with black or clear bases.)
2. LIQUITEX Gloss Heavy Gel (Found at Artist’s Supply Stores.)
3. TESTORS’ Model Master Acrylic Flat White paint
4. TESTORS’ Model Master Acrylic Gloss Clear Coat
5. TESTORS’ Model Master Spray Enamel
6. TESTORS’ “Colors by Boyd” Spray Enamel
7. HOBBY TOWN USA Gap Filling Insta-Cure Cyanoacrylate (CA) Glue.
8. LOCTITE Epoxy Glue
9. MONOJECT 412 Hobby Syringe
10. Various paint brushes
11. Wooden oak base
12. STICK-IT-FELT’s “Stiffened Adhesive Backed Felt”