Which Technique?
I had to decide which technique I would use …
(1) Hairspray Technique
(2) Salt Technique
(3) Sponge Technique
(1) The Hairspray Technique takes more work. You spray on a couple of thin coats of a cheap hairspray. Then the top coat of paint which will be chipped. What paint you use is important. To some extent all paint brands will work since the water used in chipping is dissolving the HS not the paint. It DOES make a difference though.
Tamiya – works probably best (since I have not used every paint I can only say ‘probably’). Tamiya acrylics do not dry to a solid vinyl layer of a shell. That means the chips are finer.
Vallejo – this is a vinyl acrylic. That means you get a vinyl shell and the chips are larger.
Lifecolor – somewhere in between Tamiya and Vallejo.
Since Tamiya are preferred it requires cranking up the airbrush etc.
(2) The Salt Technique is simpler. The rust undercoat is the same. With that dry you dampen the surface of the model, sift salt over it and when dry you spray the top coat on .. even rattle can will work.
The main difference for the modeler then is that with the Hairspray Technique you have total control over removal of paint exposing the rust underneath .. the chipping. The Salt Technique has much less control … you are sifting salt on a wet surface .. somewhat at random. When the salt dries you can go back with a brush and remove salt before you paint.
(3) Sponge Technique simply uses a sponge to apply the top color. A grout sponge purchased from Lowes works well. Cut of a piece small enough to hold in your fingers (roll it so a curved surface not a flat edge is presented), dip in paint then dab on newsprint until you see a textured effect. This is then applied to the model. The irregular/splotchy painting with the sponge works great.
I went with the Hairspray Technique just because of the control over the chipping. I would be just as happy probably using a sponge to be honest. |
Those are so cool. What are they actually? They remind me of central vacumns for shops producing large amounts of dust.
There are whatever you want them to be. I just made some .. gizmos .. whatchamacallits .. to hang on the side of a building. 🙂