Weathering, Wear, and Overall Use: Modeling Techniques

[Airframes]

Just reduce it from 72 pints to 60 pints for a week, and you've got yourself a printer! Just think of all the profiles etc you could print, not to mention making your own decals of course......Ooops, I mentioned it.........

 

[Lucky13]

Question....is the 0.5mm best to use in this are or are there smaller like 0.3mm to find as well, what are you using Wayne?

 

[Wayne Little]

Question....is the 0.5mm best to use in this are or are there smaller like 0.3mm to find as well, what are you using Wayne?

Standard 0.5mm....didn't I put a pic in the 'Part 1' article?

....damn!...I didn't....I'll do a shot later...

 

[Lucky13]

Thank you frightfully Wayne..!

 

[Wayne Little]

Here ya go Jan!..

 

[Lucky13]

Thank you Obi-Wan Little!

 

[Wayne Little]

Ok, have some more info for you Guys on my methods....enjoy!

 

[Airframes]

Excellent stuff Wayne! It's donkeys years since I tried this, so you've given me a bit of a kick-start - might have another go on the Dora, if the b****y paint dries!!

 

[Wurger]

I agree with Terry.Excellent tutorial !!!

 

[Heinz]

Perfect timing Wayne, thanks mate!

 

[Wayne Little]

Thought it was necessary with all the construction and painting going on....

 

[rochie]

great advice wayne !
And very professionally presented if i may say, thanks very much

 

[Catch22]

Great guide Wayne, thanks a bunch!

 

[Wayne Little]

You're Welcome...still more to come.....

 

[Wildcat]

First class tutorial Wayne!

 

[Njaco]

Thanks Wayne, I really needed that. Just picked up some pastels (not oil based!) the other day. But a question:

What is the order of a paint job in relation to coats?

Like when do you apply the gloss coat or the flat coat? When do you use Future and what exactly does it do? What is the full name of Future?

30 years and I still ask these dumb questions!

 

[Airframes]

No questions are dumb in this hobby Chris! if you don't ask, you don't learn!
I'll let Wayne answer re the pastels etc., but for the gloss, matt etc, here goes.
A clear gloss coat is applied to a model, in order to provide uniformity of colours and surface, and to allow good draw-down of decals. The latter need a smooth surface on which to adhere and settle properly, and to avoid, or at least minimize the possibility of 'silvering'. This phenomena is the silvery-grey haze, or perhaps just one small part, that can appear around a decal, and is caused by air being trapped under the decal film, or by the decal not quite being totally 'bonded' to the surface. Matt paint has a rough surface which, if viewed in cross-section through the layer of paint, under a microscope, would appear as a line of peaks and troughs. Gloss paint has a virtually smooth, flat surface if viewed the same way, thus avoiding the possibility of trapping air or moisture.
Once all decals have been applied, it's a good idea to apply another gloss coat, thin if possible,in order to seal the decals, and again provide a uniform surface appearance. When this is totally set, the desired finishing coating can be applied, ie matt, semi-matt, or gloss.
Future, known as Klear in the UK and some other countries, is a floor polish, and is called Johnson's Future (or Klear), although it has recently had a slight name change, in the UK at least, and is now known as Johson's PLEDGE Klear.
It is really only about 30 years ago, maybe a little longer, that modellers started to apply a gloss varnish to their models to aid decal application. There are enamel varnishes, acrylic varnishes, and laquers, and most people have their preferences. Klear/Future is an acrylic based product, which became popular, as it is very thin, which helps avoid 'clogging' detail, can be brushed or airbrushed without any modifiation, and can be 'layered; to provide varying degrees of shine. Also, of course, it is far less expensive than a 'dedicated' modelling product, a large bottle costing approx £2.50 in the UK, as opposed to a 'model' product, at the same price, being a tenth of the size!
Future dries quickly, and finds its own level, drying smoothly and evenly, and can have a matt base added, to allow matt or semi-matt finishes to be achieved. It can also be used as a thinner for acrylic paints, and brushes/airbrushes can be cleaned easily with water.
One word of warning though; excessive coats of Future/Klear can lead to the final coat cracking in time which, for its designed purpose, as a floor polish, would not be noticed. However, on a model, this effect stands out like the cannine accoutrements! Avoid more than about a total of 4 coats of gloss, in succession.
I hope this has helped Chris.
Terry.

 

[Njaco]

Thanks Terry.

So, to sumarize:

1. Put on the base coats of paint.
2. Apply gloss coat.
3. Apply decals (along with Micro-Sol or Solvset) to help set the decals.
4. Apply another gloss or Future.
5. Weather using wash or pastels or whatever.
6. Apply flat, matt coat.
7. Touch up if necessary.

Is that it?

Its been years since I've tried any professional painting and weathering and when I started back up I just fooled around with stuff, nothing serious. But I want to do this right. Heres the last time I did anything of worth!!

 

[Airframes]

Nearly right Chris!
Do any weathering/washes etc BEFORE the gloss coat and, if required, AFTER the matt coat, together with any touch up needed. And I forgot to add the Micro Sol/Set.
I had to read the full caption to that pic; I thought at first it was a young 'you'!

 

[Njaco]

Do any weathering/washes etc BEFORE the gloss coat...

ahhhh, I believe Wayne had his panel line weathering AFTER the gloss coat. Thats the stuff that confuses me.

That pic is from 1974 when I was "serious" about modeling and did dioramas. Thats a Brumbar being refueled on the Eastern front. Its real grainy and I apologize. On the side I scratch-built a tent with small maps and radios on a desk. I was real proud of that model. Its in Plastic Heaven now.