Solvent For Hairspray

[Guest]

Warm water works best but you can do it with cold it just takes longer for it to work

So the water reacts to the hairspray instead of the enamel?

[Guest]

So the water reacts to the hairspray instead of the enamel?

Exactly! Before the enamel has fully dried, the scrubbing action loosens it up allowing the water to eat away at the hairspray. That in turn loosens more of the enamel from beneath the paint causing the worn effect.


Again, this rather highlights the difficulty in controlling what's happening. I've only used it for recreating a very worn whitewash where losing a lot of the top coat wasn't an issue.

[Guest]

Having said all that (!) I don't use the hairspray technique for rust anymore! Because of the variables involved, I find sponge chipping the best method. It allows for greater control & you can see the results as the work progresses.

How does the sponge chipping technique work please?

[Guest]

Dubster mentioned the hairspray technique using enamels.Has anyone tried the salt shipping technique with a gloss surface sprayed with Tamiya Synthetic Lacquer or equivalent? I ask because my next model will be a 1/24 road truck finished to a high gloss with that lacquer. Perhaps the procedure could be as for acrylics: apply acrylic rust paint, add the salt, clean off the surplus, spray with the gloss lacquer, remove the salt. For a good gloss, the final coat has always to be to wetness, which might pool around the salt crystals.


Worth a try anyway.


EDIT: Added first sentence.

[Guest]

How does the sponge chipping technique work please?

Steve, that's an excellent question!


You take a small piece of sponge, such as you'd find from a kitchen scouring pad. You need something with a dense, firm weave so bath or car sponges aren't really suitable.


You then dip the sponge into the paint. I usually wear gloves or hold the sponge with tweezers as the paint can get on your fingers quite easily.


The next stage is to blot the sponge on some kitchen towel. It's a bit like drybrushing, you want the paint on the sponge to be almost dry.


Once I'm happy that the majority of the paint has been blotted, I double check using a scrap piece of painted plastic.


Then I apply the sponge to the model, working it against the raised edges that would naturally see the most wear & tear. The initial application is done very gently in case the paint is wetter than expected. As the sponge dries out a bit, more pressure can be applied to vary the size of the chips - straight cut, crinkle or steakhouse :P


This explanation probably doesn't make much sense, but I'll be doing some chipping tomorrow, so perhaps I can illustrate it with some pictures?

[Guest]

Exactly! Before the enamel has fully dried, the scrubbing action loosens it up allowing the water to eat away at the hairspray. That in turn loosens more of the enamel from beneath the paint causing the worn effect.
Again, this rather highlights the difficulty in controlling what's happening. I've only used it for recreating a very worn whitewash where losing a lot of the top coat wasn't an issue.

Thanks for the insight Patrick, I think I'm gonna stick with the good ol sponge

[Guest]

..............This explanation probably doesn't make much sense, but I'll be doing some chipping tomorrow, so perhaps I can illustrate it with some pictures?

All very clear. Thanks. It seems that the salt method involves preventing the top colour coat from being applied to parts of the rust coat; the hairspray method involves rubbing away parts of the top colour coat to reveal patches of the rust coat; and the sponge method, being the other way round, involves applying the top colour coat first and then dabbing on patches of rust. I will experiment.


Some pics of your method would be nice.

[Adrian "Marvel" Reynolds]

There is also the Maskol method as well, I used this on a Battlestar Galactica Viper I built and was impressed at how easy it was to do and the effect.


Adrian

[Guest]

I have now got two shades of Mig Rust Pigment.


With all four methods (salt, hairspray, maskol and sponge) some or all of the paint on the surface of the finished model is not protected from handling etc. Most of my models have a final coat of varnish or have a hard gloss finish. Although I don't expect admirers to be rough, and dusting can be done gently, wouldn't it be good to put on a final overall coat of (probablymatt) varnish? What do you think?


Also, Mig pigments being a powder, surely it needs a liquid medium. What medium is used for that? Perhaps a diluted matt varnish?


I will of course experiment. (I fancy the maskol method).

[PaulTRose]

Jon did a good vid a while ago that i found useful

[Ian M]

Use course salt and crush it up a bit, that way you get a good mix of large and fine grains.

[Guest]

beowulf: "Jon did a good vid a while ago that i found useful"


Yes. I've found it. Thanks