Best Microballon product?

[Darkmessiah]

Been lookin at gettin a more realistic snow effect after using bicarb and pva for quite a while. just wondering if anyone has any experience they can lend me with regards to the best performing product and using microballons

Darkmessiah

 

[mattsterbenz]

I am still a big fan of the baking soda and pva method, but there are still options.

It all really depends on what kind of snow you want. I like all of these. Let me explain:

-Baking soda mixed with pva and globbed on the base in patches makes a good looking \"fresh snow\".

-GW snow (or Woodland scenics) snow applied over a layer of painted on pva glue (similar to applying flock) tends to look like slushy, melted snow.

-GW / woodland scenics snow when mixed with pva and globbed on the base tends to look inbetween these previous two. There is something about this stuff that is more transparent than the baking soda.

-Matt

 

[Einion]

Where do you live again Darkmessiah? If you\'re in the US there are plenty of things you can order online that might be suitable. Come to think of it if you\'re in the UK the Sterling is so strong these days that you could have something shipped directly to you and still come out ahead.

If you want go the microballoons route get it in places like here, here and here, not from a hobby supplier repackaged in small amounts and priced through the nose!

Other things to consider:
alum;
Cabosil;
hydrated alumina.

Marble dust is sometimes mentioned too but it doesn\'t really work that great for small-scale stuff (looks best in the coarser grinds, which look OK for large scales only).

Einion

 

[mickc22]

As it happens microballoons are the first item in my Wargames Market (WM) shop
link\'s in my sig

 

[airhead]

In the US, try your local model airplane shop or tower hobbies.

a quart jar is only a couple of bucks and will last the average mini painter a lifetime.

 

[Dragon Forge Design]

Just make sure your buying WHITE microballoons and nnot the red brown colored ones.. sometimes they are just sold as microballoons in sealed containers that you can\'t see in to.