1:35 Startovací agregát, Německo 2.sv.v.

The device without which the engine would not start in the morning

The large gasoline and diesel engines of heavy vehicles were hard to turn over in frost and the oil in them stiffened. That is why a wheeled unit belonged with them, one that preheated the engine and helped to turn it over. The package holds 14 resin castings, photo-etched parts and a decal, so besides the machine itself the small metal sections and the markings come up as well.

A decal on resin, step by step

A decal needs a smooth and glossy surface beneath it, otherwise air will be trapped under it and a whitish frame will appear around the edge. The method is always the same: varnish the flat paint over with a gloss varnish, let it cure for a day, slide the decal onto a wet surface and press the water out from under it with a cotton swab from the center to the edges. On a shaped surface a softener applied with a brush helps, after which the film gives way to the shape. Only once dry is the whole surface gone over with matte varnish, which hides the edge of the film.

A greasy sheen as proof of use

The unit was an oily machine, and that is an opportunity when painting. The difference between dusty sheet metal and a wet spot by the drain is made by a gloss varnish applied only into the running traces, never over a whole part. A puddle under the machine is created by layering clear varnish in two or three coats with drying in between, and a pinch of dark pigment is mixed into the last one.

Where to put it in the scene

The best place is beside a vehicle with the hood open, cables thrown over the fender and a figure leaning against the frame. The scene thereby gains a reason why people are standing in it.