Can Diecast be "distressed" without cracking/breaking it?

[PHPaul]

I have a 1/64th cereal box diecast truck that I want to add to a diorama as part of a junk pile.  It's a 30's Ford.  I'm going to strip it and repaint with a lot of rust but I'd like to add dents and bent-up body work and maybe a few "rust holes".

Can diecast be worked that way without breaking pieces off?  

If so, what's the best way to do it?

[plastic trucker]

I've watched guys straighten out bent diecast hot wheel bodies with heat on You Tube. But you can only bend it once.

Edited March 11, 2020 by plastic trucker

[PHPaul]

Hmmmm.  Should have thought of Ewe Toob.  I'll look around.  Thanks!

[randyc]

My experience is they just break, but maybe the internet will show you other techniques.  Be sure to share, whether it works or not.  Educational if nothing else.  Thanks

[PHPaul]

Surfed a little yesterday, didn't really find anything.  One guy has pretty decent luck "straightening" bent parts.

Nothing extreme, but slow, steady pressure seems to work as long as you don't have to move things too far.  

I've experimented a little and been able to put noticeable bends in the fenders.

If successful in achieving my intended result, I'll post pictures here.

[PHPaul]

Well the answer is...sorta.

I started with this:

I initially tried the "Purple Pond" but it didn't touch whatever they used for paint so I went to the old standby brake fluid.  Once stripped I went at it with a pair of parallel jaw pliers and a small vise.  I was able to do a fair bit of bending, taking it slow and watching carefully for the beginning of cracks.  I went a little too far with the driver's door and broke it, but some super glue and baking soda and it looks like I did it on purpose:

I used a small drill to make some "bullet holes", super-glued everything together artfully ? and hit it from a distance with Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer:

This will get posed on my farm diorama with a tree growing up through the frame.  

 

[DPNM]

Pretty good outcome. Looks good.

I have not tried this but looking at your pic gave me a couple ideas. On the next one, a Dremel type tool using various round bits may get you some dents. Small holes drilled through should give you the rust holes. Filing two or three small holes drilled close together could possibly give you some jagged edges. That would be for where the rust has eaten the part completely away.

[Gramps46]

Yup, it sure looks distressed.  Thanks for sharing your techniques.

[Snake45]

17 hours ago, PHPaul said:

I used a small drill to make some "bullet holes"

 

Looks more like contact-range 10-gauge shotgun blasts!  Or maybe 20mm antitank gun. 

[PHPaul]

20 mike-mike twin Oerlikon mount...

[Snake45]

2 hours ago, PHPaul said:

20 mike-mike twin Oerlikon mount...

I was thinking more in terms of a Lahti L-39 or Solothurn S-18. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahti_L-39

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solothurn_S-18/100

[PHPaul]

Ha!  There's no school like old school!

[randyc]

Wow.  Good job!

[PHPaul]

Howitzer-sized bullet holes aren't quite as noticeable when installed on the diorama.  

[randyc]

Dio looks great!   Take it outside for some photos - I'm thinking it will look really real.

[Gramps46]

Looks really well done.  

[PHPaul]

1 hour ago, randyc said:

Dio looks great!   Take it outside for some photos - I'm thinking it will look really real.

I hope to do that when it warms up and the trees leaf out.  Too dang cold and windy right now.

[PHPaul]

15 minutes ago, Gramps46 said:

Looks really well done.  

Thanks!  Made the Winter fly by and with the new additon there's room for more ideas.

[kilrathy10]

That's GOOOOD!!! I really dig it... You've gained a great new skill... 

[spencer1984]

Nicely done!

[PHPaul]

On 3/17/2020 at 11:39 PM, kilrathy10 said:

That's GOOOOD!!! I really dig it... You've gained a great new skill... 

Thanks.  Limited application for this diorama, maybe I'll do a junk yard...

1 hour ago, spencer1984 said:

Nicely done!

Thank you.