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Northern_Ben

Exposing aluminum & primer paint effects

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Hi all,

As the title suggests, I'm looking for some advice on how to get that exposed metal / primer effect on my Blitzer Beetle. A bit like the pic below (stolen from IG)....I can only find full on weathering tutorials online, just want this look. Thanks!

Screenshot_20200407-214626.png

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Hi Ben - it really depends on how much work you want to put in, but essentially if you consider the effect you want to achieve being the same on a real vehicle - that is layers of paint, starting with the metal, then primer then the coloured top coat - so that is the order you need to paint your body (on the outside), and then sand away at the top coat to reveal the other layers below.

There are other techniques you can use if you want more deterioration/rust effect, such as sprinkling salt between the [thinner the better coats] layers of paint - and then washing the body at the end so the salt dissolves and leaves a pock-marked finish with the colour below showing through - but based on your photo above, you ought to be able to achieve that effect by lightly sanding (with really fine grit wet&dry paper - 1500+ for example) to wear through the top coat/s to reveal the colour layer/s underneath.

As a suggestion, you can buy an 'aluminium' silver paint as the base 'metal' coat, then use a layer of automotive primer - red oxide would would be better than grey in this instance perhaps if you wanted more contrast between the silver 'metal' and the yellow top coat - then start lightly sanding where you want the top colour to be removed.

If you're using this sanding technique, then it pays to also use a good [plastic] primer initially so that your 'metal' colour coat sticks well, and start with a reasonably thick base layer, and get progressively thinner (which is another reason that choosing a dark, or at least vivid top coat is a good idea, as it can be sprayed more thinly), so that when you sand you're not taking too much of the previous layers off at the same time - hence the reason for using a really fine grit sandpaper too.

Hope that helps...

note. there are plenty of examples of all sorts of weathering - from mild to extreme - here on TamiyaClub, take a look in the Builds thread section if you're looking for further inspiration and descriptions of how those were achieved, and indeed I've used various techniques on a range of my models in the past.

Jenny x

 

 

 

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As a thought - the flip side would be if you were using a Lexan body which you want/need to paint from the inside (although if authenticity is you goal, then you can always paint Lexan shells on the outside too [with the correct paint/primer] if you wish - it's what some 'scale' builders choose to do, although personally I don't like Lexan as a body material, much preferring a traditional hard-body) - then ideally you would paint your top coat colour first inside [just as you would as usual with a Lexan shell], then sand/chip away at the colour areas where you want the exposed metal to show through, then back the whole interior with your silver 'aluminium' colour, and it will show through the gaps in the paint you've made, while the top coat is still 'on top' of the metal when viewed from outside.

Jx

note. With a clear Lexan shell, one might also be tempted to simply paint the silver 'metal' colour in patches first where you want it, then painted the top coat over the rest (to save you sanding/chipping) - and from a distance perhaps the appearance would be pretty similar, however keep in mind that on closer inspection the 'metal' would be on top of the colour coat, when you actually want the reverse to be true of course - but ultimately that is also an option if authenticity is not a high priority and you want to achieve the effect most quickly on a Lexan body... personally I'd not choose either,  but do it the traditional way building up the layers of paint on the outside of the shell.

 

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11 hours ago, JennyMo said:

Hi Ben - it really depends on how much work you want to put in, but essentially if you consider the effect you want to achieve being the same on a real vehicle - that is layers of paint, starting with the metal, then primer then the coloured top coat - so that is the order you need to paint your body (on the outside), and then sand away at the top coat to reveal the other layers below.

There are other techniques you can use if you want more deterioration/rust effect, such as sprinkling salt between the [thinner the better coats] layers of paint - and then washing the body at the end so the salt dissolves and leaves a pock-marked finish with the colour below showing through - but based on your photo above, you ought to be able to achieve that effect by lightly sanding (with really fine grit wet&dry paper - 1500+ for example) to wear through the top coat/s to reveal the colour layer/s underneath.

As a suggestion, you can buy an 'aluminium' silver paint as the base 'metal' coat, then use a layer of automotive primer - red oxide would would be better than grey in this instance perhaps if you wanted more contrast between the silver 'metal' and the yellow top coat - then start lightly sanding where you want the top colour to be removed.

If you're using this sanding technique, then it pays to also use a good [plastic] primer initially so that your 'metal' colour coat sticks well, and start with a reasonably thick base layer, and get progressively thinner (which is another reason that choosing a dark, or at least vivid top coat is a good idea, as it can be sprayed more thinly), so that when you sand you're not taking too much of the previous layers off at the same time - hence the reason for using a really fine grit sandpaper too.

Hope that helps...

note. there are plenty of examples of all sorts of weathering - from mild to extreme - here on TamiyaClub, take a look in the Builds thread section if you're looking for further inspiration and descriptions of how those were achieved, and indeed I've used various techniques on a range of my models in the past.

Jenny x

 

 

 

Brilliant, thank you Jenny, I really appreciate that. Really useful information! I'll get some practice on spare plastic too, don't want to be too heavy handed with the sanding!

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Just a thought, no idea if it would work on hard body is Masking fluid from an Art shop. 

I've watched my mother-in-law use it when painting on canvas with oil & acrylic paint. she puts a base colour down, applies the Masking fluid in areas where she wants it to show, paint the top colour over the whole lot, then rubs off where the Masking fluid is to reveal the base colour again.

I'm just thinking it would cut out the sanding and risk of going though the whole lot? 

I believe @mtbkym01 has used masking fluid on a Lexen body before now.

Hope that helps

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Thanks RB, I have considered it actually, there's some really fine examples of paint schemes using masking fluid. Might have to give it a go 👍 

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Yes @Re-Bugged is correct, I’ve used liquid mask on lexan bodies before, it paints on and dries to a mask, that you then cut to achieve desired results. I imagine it would work on a hard body too, applied over the base coat thinly, then rubbed off after the top coat is applied. Be worth testing for sure

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@JennyMo & Others, I have related questions if you have time. I've read two similar proposals, but never seen/heard how they turn out in practice:

(1) For ABS bodies etc., would it work to paint it up in the manner suggested above, but without the weathering - just build up the layers and head off to drive, letting the normal rolls and tumble wear down the upper layer?

(2) For Lexan, I've read about people painting silver or similar on the inside, then painting the other colors on the outside. Similar to #1 - just let the normal wear process scrape away the paint to reveal the 'metal' underneath. Any idea if that really works?

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