Scratchbuilding tip: Barrel Rifling

(versión en Español)

This scratchbuilding tip is intended for those people owning large 40K siege guns (medusa, bombard or even the most extreme example ever: Dora).

If you are real treadheads like me, you would look at your models and feel that something is missing... Yes, those huge barrels of yours are lacking any kind of inner detail. Something very upsetting (if you are like me), but you will see that this can be easily fixed !

I saw this technique on a hobby magazine. The author used it on a sturmtiger, but it can be applied to any large-barreled model.

I am going to add rifling detail to my (still unpainted) bombard.

I first take a thin polystyrene strip.


I cut a curved shape on a thick piece of polystyrene (to use it as a pattern) and paint evenly spaced marks on the thin strip.


I used the pattern to make light grooves with my scriber.

This is the finished piece, although I should have cut the ends following the grooves... Now there is going to be a line where the ends met (next time I'll do it right).

The finished piece once it is glued on place.


There is a nasty line where the ends met... I'll fix it with some putty, although I strongly recommend you to cut the ends folloving the curved grooves shape.

Now, you artillery will shine :)