Making soapy water for a diorama?

chunks · Post by **chunks** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 3:48 pm

This is for a 1/6 project, but also applies to any scale. Can anyone make any suggestions about making soapy water? Techniques, materials, etc. I'm working on a WWII Wehrmacht field kitchen (golosh cannon) and pretty much had it complete until I realized there's nothing set up for the PDB on KP to clean utensils, etc. I've the pots, pans, "fire", etc, but can come up with no way to represent the dishwater realistically. Any help and suggestions are much appreciated and thanks in advance.

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 6:54 pm

Do you really need soapy water? Just use some clear epoxy and put a little black in it for tinting. Out in the field there was usually no soap to be had. I guess you can whip it up kind of like an egg right before it sets and put the froth on top or in the corner of the wash basin.

chunks · Post by **chunks** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 7:21 pm

pickelhaube wrote:Do you really need soapy water? Just use some clear epoxy and put a little black in it for tinting. Out in the field there was usually no soap to be had. I guess you can whip it up kind of like an egg aright brfore it sets nd put the froth on top or in the corner of the wash basin.

Thanks, this is the kinda info that is just what I'm looking for.

In this case, the kitchen is fairly well equipped, fresh bread, veggies, meat, cheese, goose and chicken eggs, meat grinder, etc. Even a pig, goose, and chicken being loving cared for, just for future needs of course. I'm placing this early on when things were going well. Hot food containers, real coffee, milk, etc.

Tinting the resin is something I hadn't considered and is one of the things that I'd like to know more about.

Thanks again.

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:36 pm

Suds? that one got me...i would say take Vallejo water gels whip them up like they do for waves, but is not the full effect you want.

as corny as it sound I would look into people who build dollhouses for soapy water setups.

chunks · Post by **chunks** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:06 pm

Thanks much.

Panzer_M, Vallejo water gels I'd never heard of before and looks like it fills the bill.

Pickelhaube, the idea for tinting and putting the suds at the edge is the kinda thing I'm looking for, maybe exaggerating some since I can't add any steam coming off the water.

For anyone that's been through a field kitchen of any kind, ie one bucket/barrel of soapy hot water to scrub your mess kit followed by three or so to rinse it, is what I have in mind. This is also somewhat tongue in cheek, the main cooks are Sgt Schultz and Hermann Goering with two cyber hobby "Egon chef" figures as help.

Anything more that will help with this is most welcome also.

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 9:42 pm

chunks wrote:Thanks much.

Panzer_M, Vallejo water gels I'd never heard of before and looks like it fills the bill.

Pickelhaube, the idea for tinting and putting the suds at the edge is the kinda thing I'm looking for, maybe exaggerating some since I can't add any steam coming off the water.

For anyone that's been through a field kitchen of any kind, ie one bucket/barrel of soapy hot water to scrub your mess kit followed by three or so to rinse it, is what I have in mind. This is also somewhat tongue in cheek, the main cooks are Sgt Schultz and Hermann Goering with two cyber hobby "Egon chef" figures as help.

Anything more that will help with this is most welcome also.

yea i just ordered Vallejo's Panzer Aces set 6, which is skintones and all the paints need for Heer Splinter camo bundled together..after several recommendations...this will be the first time using them myself.

chunks · Post by **chunks** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:32 am

Looks like they make some real good stuff. The paints look real handy.

Panzer_M · Post by **Panzer_M** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:15 pm

got a idea for the color of the water to dirty it up

Add Tamiya's Smoke or Vallejo's smoke to it..it's not solid grey nor black and might work to give the water a grey tint to it, but not too much.

chunks · Post by **chunks** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 10:28 pm

Thanks, I'll give that a try. It should add enough to make it look like used dishwater but still transparent enough to show the utensils, etc sitting in it.

With the whipping up of the gel, I'll be trying it with toothpicks and also use those to place the "suds".

Thanks again, this'll give me something to mess with now that winters coming on again.

dfoos · Post by **dfoos** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:25 pm

How bout snow powder?

Games workshop sells little containers of snow powder for dioramas. If you sprinkled it on over wet water effects it should look like soapy water.

chunks · Post by **chunks** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:30 pm

dfoos wrote:How bout snow powder?

Games workshop sells little containers of snow powder for dioramas. If you sprinkled it on over wet water effects it should look like soapy water.

Thanks much. I've found some places to get all this stuff and will be experimenting with it after it arrives.

I'm always amazed with the diverse talent and experience the folks here have and share. Thanks to everyone.