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Thread: Majing Smoke and Flame Markers

  1. #1

    Default Majing Smoke and Flame Markers

    While surfing YouTube, I came across a great little guide on how to make your own smoke and flame markers. I thought they looked fantastic - love the texturing and 3D aspect (no glasses need!) to them as well. You will likely already have almost everything need to make them too. Worth a look.

  2. #2

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    Awesome guide.. I got to try this

  3. #3

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    You could of coarse also do it the easy way, like I did, and just order the smoke set from Flames Of War and go from there...
    link: http://www.maelstromgames.co.uk/inde...ob_mkr_101_000
    I just glued a thin metal wire inside the fabric to give it some strength. I insert the marker between the upper and lower wings.
    There's another thread on this forum that links to a site with some nice pictures also, but I can't find it right now...

  4. #4

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    Or do it an even easier way and buy the Col's. from Aerodrome accessories at the top of the page on the top bar.
    Rob.
    Last edited by Flying Officer Kyte; 02-04-2011 at 14:08.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  5. #5

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    I've been making the cotton ball markers for years. They are cheap and (IMHO) look better then anything else currently on the market. No offense to anyone here, of course.

    *edit:
    Watching the vid, this guys cotton fire is way more involved then mine. I just paint right on the cotton (no glue stage), and have never bothered with a mini clothes pin.

    I am going to try his though. his look great clipped on like that.
    Zach
    Last edited by vacca rabite; 02-04-2011 at 16:54.

  6. #6

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    Paul, thanks for the info...for those who aren't too handy or who have time constraints...ordering from the aerodrome accessory site makes sense too.

  7. #7

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    Out of curiosity, I tried to make the smoke and flame markers like the guy had in the youtube vid.
    The result was a total failure, and I scrapped all 6 that I was playing around with.
    I don't know if my glue mix was wrong or what, but the pre-painted glued cotten was no-where near as stiff as the stuff shown. in fact, mine would not hold up thier own weight. I scrapped them before moving to the painting stage.

    Zach

  8. #8

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    Okay, I'm stubborn and tried again.
    And it seemed to work this time! The smoke is much more ridgid. I'm not sure what I did different this time... I have not bought the mini clothes pins yet, maybe tomorrow. I am working on an alternate mounting means also. Will probably have photo updates this weekend.
    Zach

  9. #9

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    I do sort of a combination of ideas mentioned above in this thread that seems to work. Use a miniature clothespin and drill out a small hole on the inside of one of the wooden pins for 0.015" stainless steel wire about 3 " long. Glue the wire in the hole with some CA, paint it whatever color works for the smoke or flame fabric being used (I also use the Flames of War material and stretch it out; one package will last for several markers). Then put some general purpose glue on the wire and pull the FOW material around the wire up to the clothespin. The wire can be bent ever so slightly to trail the plane, and it looks pretty good to me. Total cost was $2.30 US for the clothespins, $11 or so for the lifetime supply of FOW Smoke and Flame material, and $2-3 for the steel wire that I had laying around from another project anyhow. This works out to less than 40 cents/marker, and they are quick and easy to make. It would be much cheaper to airbrush or color some cotton balls, but I like the FOW material as it seems a little more subtantial than teased cotton balls. By using it, there is also no need to mess with getting the paint the right pattern or color.

  10. #10

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    Have you got any pics to share Bob?

  11. #11

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    I'll try to get a digital photo done next week sometime as I have to head out of town today for the weekend......and enjoy a great Hockey Day up there tomorrow!

  12. #12

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    I am making 2 fire markers like the ones show in the youtube vid, but also trying 2 kinda like what Bob did. Except I am using a paperclip and the standard flight pegs. The paperclip is unfolded, and one end is wrapped around a standard flight peg tightly. Then the cotton ball/glue mix is wrapped around the stretched out paperclip. Tonight, when they are a little farther along, I'll take some pictures. Right now they just have black spray paint on them.

    I think I know where I went wrong with the MkI smoke markers - they were not fully dry after an hour when I went to paint them. The water needs to fully evaporate before the glue and cotton is strong enough to support its own weight. I *THOUGHT* the MkII attempt was also going to be a failure, but instead of scrapping them I left them on the hanger they were drying on and forgot about them for about a day or two. Last night I found them, and with all the water gone, they were a lot stronger then I expected.

    With the first attempts I had attempted dredging the extruded cotton balls through the water/glue mix. This did not work at all as expected (though some of the dredged attempts did become my paperclip wrapped prototypes.) You need to have the water and glue really thinned out or else the glue on your gingers will pull the cotton apart when you try to "pat" on the mix.

    Zach
    Last edited by vacca rabite; 02-11-2011 at 06:08.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by vacca rabite View Post
    or else the glue on your gingers will pull the cotton apart when you try to "pat" on the mix.
    Zach
    Are you using redheads as slave labor to make your WoW stuff? That explains how you're able to get so much stuff made.
    Last edited by PRS; 02-11-2011 at 09:02.

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by PRS View Post
    Are you using redheads as slave labor to make your WoW stuff? That explains how you're able to get so stuff made.
    Its been WAY too cold for me to go out to the garage to work on my project cars, so I have had a lot more time to work on miniatures. Also, the "snowstorm-a-week" we were having for a while gave me a few days off too. Again, too cold to work on cars, so I stayed inside and experimented on WoW stuff. I just try to put in an hour a night working on hobbies to force my mind off work and other stresses.

    As things warm up and I realize just how far behind schedule I am for having the 914 ready for the AutoX season, my hobbies will start to take a decidedly back seat to cars again. But while our high temps are never getting above 30, there is not enough beer in PA to make that kind of auto work fun.

    Zach

  15. #15

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    I just wanted to make a joke about your typo of 'gingers', but if it gets you to spend more time on WoW stuff I'm okay with the cold for a little longer.

  16. #16

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    Wow. I did not even pick up on that.




    I GET JOKES!

  17. #17

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    Here are three shots of a flame marker made from FOW as described above. Pardon the dog, but he is quite good at interesting the grandkids in WOW as we quaff a few root beers together
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by skystalker; 02-13-2011 at 18:43. Reason: photos didn't show?

  18. #18

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    I forgot to post pics in this thread of the finished smoke and fire markers I made. (more pics are in my painted model thread, if you have not already seen them.)
    Smoke:

    The smoke was make by wrapping a cotton ball dredged in a mix of water and glue around an unfolded paperclip. Its very strong.

    Fire:

    The fir4e was made exactly as it was in the youtube vid at the first post. it takes a LONG time for the glue to dry though - well over the 30 minutes to an hour that is stated in the vid - at least in my case.

    Zach

  19. #19

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    Hello. These are interesting smoke. Also, I tried to do here is the result

    Last edited by 82fox; 02-23-2011 at 08:14.

  20. #20

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    Is that a pipe cleaner holding the fire & smoke to the wing?
    Like the idea of fire coming out of the engine without covering too much of the plane. Looks realistic.
    Really a great job.

    Quote Originally Posted by 82fox View Post
    Hello. These are interesting smoke. Also, I tried to do here is the result


  21. #21

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    thank you for the compliment. It is cotton coated wire. Black smoke is a painting with charcoal dust, fire is painted tempera paints, and recoated hairspray.
    Last edited by 82fox; 02-23-2011 at 09:52.

  22. #22

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    Thanks for the information. I'll give it a try next weekend.

  23. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by 82fox View Post
    thank you for the compliment. It is cotton coated wire. Black smoke is a painting with charcoal dust, fire is painted tempera paints, and recoated hairspray.
    They look neat, I need to try this.
    Just keep away from an open flame!

  24. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by skystalker View Post
    Here are three shots of a flame marker made from FOW as described above. Pardon the dog, but he is quite good at interesting the grandkids in WOW as we quaff a few root beers together
    Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	9136Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	9137Click image for larger version. 

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    Snoopy Rocks, Bob!!! Snoopy Rocks!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Armoury Games Game Day 2-13-2011 09.jpg  
    Ken Head - "The Cowman"
    “You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it.” Robin Williams

  25. #25

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    Well, as the aerodrome flame markers were out of stock (and the web site down anyway)I tried using plastic pan scouring pads for mine and after several hours cutting, cussing and painting, I wasn't completely happy with the result. Then my nemesis calls me from Wal Mart - she's in the craft section (I asked her to pick me up some glue) and she says she's found this peel & stick foam which might work.......well a couple of tries later, I came up with this Click image for larger version. 

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    I just cut the shape and made a hole to fit over the peg on the flight stand.
    Click image for larger version. 

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  26. #26

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ed2 View Post
    Thanks for the information. I'll give it a try next weekend.
    How do you manage to smoke? I'm curious to your outcome.

  27. #27

    Default smoke markers

    Quote Originally Posted by 82fox View Post
    How do you manage to smoke? I'm curious to your outcome.
    I used the same rubber foam as the flame markers, this time in gray
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails wow1 (2).jpg   wow1 (3).jpg  

  28. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by 82fox View Post
    How do you manage to smoke? I'm curious to your outcome.
    http://flic.kr/p/9HaqkX
    As you can see it's too thick. But I'll keep trying.

  29. #29

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    Boys great.

    how did you do? it's really nice.

  30. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by 82fox View Post
    Boys great.

    how did you do? it's really nice.
    If your talking to me, It's just a cotton ball stretched over a wire and lightly sprayed with red in front, black in the middle & no paint in the rear.

    I'm looking for a bright yellow/orange to spray in front of the red for future fire markers.

  31. #31

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ed2 View Post
    If your talking to me, It's just a cotton ball stretched over a wire and lightly sprayed with red in front, black in the middle & no paint in the rear.

    I'm looking for a bright yellow/orange to spray in front of the red for future fire markers.
    yes it was you. I forgot to put a quote there.

  32. #32

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    I took cottonball approach to make this smoke trail. It was test piece. More in the making including fire.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    1. shape cattonball to lenghty shape
    2. Draw with black watter colour with brush from all sides. Use lots of watter so the colour soaks in. Let dry.
    3 Cotton is compressed together by the water and colour so make it fluffier with your finger.
    4. Shape it to final shape.
    5. Spray with mat warnish. Do it in several light passes and let dry after each pass. Repeat until it holds its shape without folding. I tend to spray more at the front for better rigidity.
    6. Make a small loop from wire, superglue to the bottom at the front. Let dry and bend the front to make a "hook" for attaching to the wing.

  33. #33

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    Great looking smoke trail, Petr!

  34. #34

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    As great as they look the drawback with smoke trails of this length is that they tend to get in the way when there are many planes in close proximity on the table. I truncated my simpler versions to just past the tail fin to get around this but even they prove too long sometimes.

    "He is wise who watches"

  35. #35

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    Dave, thank you for your experience. I will have to shorten it.

    How do you attache them to the plane? I see you have gimbal stand. Problem with mine with a hook is they fall from tilted plane. It does not bother me right now since I do not have gimbal stand (do not ship to my country will have to made them myself), but I am looking for a way to improove it in this way.

  36. #36

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    Hi Petr, mine are simply real pipe cleaners (as opposed to the craft ones), I hook them around the lower wing and run the piece over the elevator which usually holds them steady. Shortening them may take off some weight and improve the balance for you.
    Your long versions would look great on a WW1 bomber, this is one I picked up from a friend who made them for a company but they too are a bit long, quite heavy and, sadly, no longer in production (before anyone asks).

    "He is wise who watches"

  37. #37

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    A lot of us have made our own and have different techniques. Some easier, some more difficult. My version is 'HERE' in the How To section on the Home page. I use pipe cleaners, cotton and paint. I keep mine shorter, usually just a little longer than the plane. The pipe cleaner acts as a hook to attach to the wing.

    My fire markers look like this.
    Click image for larger version. 

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