Hi everyone
Here is the step by step of the fakelite paintwork I do on my periscope housings. I'm posting the beginning steps again so it's all here in one place.
First a short bit about 1940s bakelite. It came in many, many different colorations, patterns and amount and size of flecks.
Some sample images of actual backelite.
German Field Phone
note the two different colors on the same phone case
Other samples
German Periscope Housing(photos courtesy of my friend Kent Wiik)
Were there black ones?
Installed in a Panther cupola
I use only flat colors of Model Masters but brand is not important. Use the one you are comfortable with. Also, actual bakelite varies greatly in coloration and color mottling pattern so there is plenty of room for artistic license and more ore less colors depending on what you like. Overall color can vary from lots of red/orange to a very dark brown. I have seen varied coloring even in the same cupola.(granted it was restored).
Tools used
- Red Primer
- Rust colored paint
- Light Brown colored paint
- Dark Brown colored paint
- Black colored paint
- Fine tipped brush
- Medium sized brush
- Small mixing cup
- Thinner
- Small piece cut from a sponge (I prefer the synthetic, yellow ones used for drywall work that can be purchased at a hardware store for about a dollar.)
Step One
Paint the scope housings with your favorite red primer and let dry
Step Two
Using a small brush, smash the bristles so they are fanned out. I start with the darker color first but it's not really important. Make sure the paint is thinned quite a bit so it doesn't build up too much on the part.
Using a popsicle stick as my pallet, I dab the brush on it to unload excess paint from the brush
Step Three
Once the dark layer is randomly applied, do the same with a rust color dabbing over you last speckles as well as the other areas. Bakelite has a layered look to it so working randomly over the top of each layer you just painted, achieves this look .
Step Four
Now using both colors as needed until you have the look you want.
Inserted into a housing bracket
Installed on the Tiger
Panther housings dome a few years ago
Could we just paint periscopes black? Yes. But where's the fun in that. I prefer the reddish colors to contrast the other parts of the panzer but colors can easily be adjusted to suit your own preference. The scopes shown above Mike Stannard's excellent prism housings.
Hope this is useful and/or entertaining.
Have fun!
Tim
