Silver/ aluminum

[ellis995]

Hi guys

this might sound dum

But what colour do you use for say on the P51 or jet aircraft that is ( silver /chrome/ aliminum ) As that is what scares the hell out of me doing a P51 etc. .

Thanks

 

[Airframes]

Depends on the aircraft type and how it looked. Some could be very shiny, particularly post war, whilst others would exhibit varying tones and shades due to different grades of alloy, and even from which way the 'grain' of the sheets of alloy were laid. Bare metal finishes have long been a problem for modellers, and there are many schools of thought on how to achieve a good finish, from metal foils to the latest Alclad II.
Have a look at the 'Bare Metal Made Easy' guide I posted some time ago. Apart from the technique described, it includes some info on paints, and varying shades and tones.

 

[hawkeye2an]

I would be interested in this also.
I looked back on your posts several months and could not find this.
Any help finding it?

Thanks,
Andy

 

[Airframes]

It took me a while to find it too! It's on Page 6 of this section. Perhaps a Mod could 'sticky' it please?

 

[proton45]

I have been curious about the "bare metal foil" method...

Home Page - Bare-Metal Foil Co.

I hear that you can use plain old tin foil with the right epoxy.

 

[r2800doublewasp]

I have been curious about the "bare metal foil" method...

Home Page - Bare-Metal Foil Co.

I hear that you can use plain old tin foil with the right epoxy.

I read that you couldnt use regular foil, you have to use this thin cheap foil, not the thick renolds wrap... Its on a hyperscale page I think... Cant find the right one though, will have to look. Thats my two cents

 

[T Bolt]

I've had good luck using two shades of Floquil Railroad colors, bright silver and old silver.

I start by spraying the entire model with one color and then mask off some panels and spray the other color. Which color you use first depends on what look you want to achieve. I've found that the second color you spray always turns out shinier. The Floquil maybe doesn't look as good as Alclad or the model master metal colors but it is much easier to apply and very much tougher, standing up to mashing tape quite well.

1/72nd scale thunderbolt below as example

 

[proton45]

I read that you couldnt use regular foil, you have to use this thin cheap foil, not the thick renolds wrap... Its on a hyperscale page I think... Cant find the right one though, will have to look. Thats my two cents

I think that as a general rule you are right...however I read a comment someone made once, where they used different types of (household) foil to simulate uneven panels. They seemed to get good results simulating "field-where"...

 

[kgambit]

The hyperscale article about applying foil is this one:

http://www.hyperscale.com/features/2000/f84bs_1.htm

Additional hyperscale articles on painting NMF.

Natural Metal Finishes

Natural Metal Finishes Part 1 by Chris Bowie

Natural Metal Finishes Part 2 by Chris Bowie

 

[stona]

I used Alclad on this puttied and unpainted Me262 (loosely based on images of some aircraft captured at war's end). To increase contrast some shades were darkened by adding a little gloss black enamel. It worked and didn't seem to affect the finish.

Cheers
Steve

 

[hawkeye2an]

Nice job, Steve looks GREAT. Thanks for the other tips guys. I am about ready to attempt a natural metal job. All I've done so far is the Aluminum paint schemes used on some Utility types toward the end of the war and those were pretty easy.

 

[Wayne Little]

Like that Me262 steve...some more pics would be nice....

 

[Airframes]

Agree there! I've wanted to try Alclad II, but it's bl**dy expensive, and seems a bit of hassle to apply, getting the primers right etc. Still, I might give it a go sometime.

 

[dirkpitt289]

Not to hijack the thread but that is one stunning Me262. 8) I would also like to see more of it. My "Big Cannon" 262 is going to have that type of finish on it (Cockpit forward that is). The back end will be painted.

 

[T Bolt]

I had a bad experience using Alclad. I used the black Alclad brand primer then the Alclad II lacquer. The entire paint job cracked all over when it dried. Spent weeks sanding it off. Don't know if it was me or the primer, but as I was sanding it off the primer seemed rather gummy.

 

[stona]

I've heard horror stories about the Alclad primer not drying in weeks. For the polished alumimium or other very "shiny" ones I'd use someone else's gloss black. For the other shades I apply it over my usual Halfords' plastic primer (grey).
I've got a few more photos on my desk top machine at home which I'll stick up when I get to them.I was originally going to finish the Me262 as a JV44 machine and only did the nmf as an experiment! It certainly looks different on the shelf. I'm glad you like it.
Cheers
Steve

 

[hawkeye2an]

Here's a link to Alclad tips:

http://www.swannysmodels.com/Alclad.htm

I have used Krylon Fusion Gloss Black decanted into a jar and then airbrushed as a primer for Alclad. Dries fast and works well, need a couple light coats though.

 

[T Bolt]

I'll have to try the alclad again. I had bought the full range of aluminum color then got scared off with the primer fiasco and never used it again

 

[Sweb]

There are differing alloys on aircraft depending upon the area. These vary in color. Hot spots will use steel, others are heat treated differently for stiffness, etc. If accuracy is desired it would serve the modeler to do a little homework on each model where natural metal is the ultimate finish.

Weathered natural metal aircraft really don't look silver anymore. They are really what I'd call gray with highlights of aluminum, titanium and steel suggested in a method that Rub-N-Buff might pull off well. The model might be painted with low-lights over sub-skin structural members, finished in a very light (completely flat) gray and then, using a soft cloth dampened with a metallic color (like dry brush) it can be lightly buffed onto the skins bordered by the underlying structure and feathered out into the gray. These would be the panels themselves. Brand new factory roll-outs will look bright indeed but I've yet to see a model give that appearance in scale. This model of a Republic RF-84F Thunderflash was painted in flat aluminum overall. Structural detail was "picked out" using a regular number 2 pencil and an artist's felt blending stump.

http://www.box.net/shared/n9368tlbpp

 

[Airframes]

Good info and a beaut model.