Weathering the SAS Jeep
At the recent IPMS/USA National Conference, a marvellous, weathered Willys Jeep joined our display models for a day before it was taken to the Competition Hall.
This particular model was built and weathered by Bill O'Malley, and James & Ian took the opportunity to chat with him about the materials and techniques he used to give his model a rugged, desert-worn look.
You can watch the discussion in the video below...
Bill and Ian shared many tips on the paints and tools they used to achieve a realistic weathered effect, and there is plenty more advice online, including three more videos listed further down in this article. The great thing about weathering a model like the Jeep is that you have plenty of freedom to experiment. There is no right or wrong way to give a vehicle a worn finish that makes it look as though it has been heavily used and repaired countless times in North Africa.
A good place to start is the jerry cans, as you can hone your skills on the many included in the kit. If you have already completed your model, you can remove certain parts for weathering. For example, you can remove the wheels to weather them separately and gain access to the underside of the body. The guns are all detachable by design too. Alternatively, you may try weathering and distressing as you build the model.
We have put together a couple of galleries of photos so you can take a closer look at Bill's finished Jeep:
This first gallery presents photographs of Bill's Jeep in its entirety
This second gallery has many close-up photos, so you can appreciate the skill and get some ideas!
The weathering doesn't even need to end with the model.
For transporting his Jeep to the convention, Bill custom-built his own wooden crate to match the Jeep's military theme!
The crate is made to fit the model, protecting it during transport over hundreds of miles. It is also a work of art in its own right!
Help with Weathering
There are several ways to create these effects, and YouTube has plenty of tutorials you can follow.
Here is a selection of some of our favourites:
Our friend Take R in Japan has a very detailed weathering video covering every component of the Jeep, with information on all the tools and materials used. And if you don't speak Japanese, you can use YouTube's automatic dubbing feature!
Pitstain Hobbies has a great video showing how he weathered the Jeep's engine. You can also watch videos on more techniques, including how to weather the wheels.
World of Wayne has also been building the Jeep, and his videos include his best beginner-level tips for weathering and repainting.
And finally...Congratulations to Bill
We are happy to report that Bill recently won a Gold Medal at NordiCon, the largest scale-model contest in the Midwestern United States, for his weathered Jeep.
The judges loved it! Well done, Bill.
