Let Let Let - Warplanes > Aircraft Modeling
HOW TO: Natural Metal Finishes
Second Air Force:
Since several of us have discussed NMF airplanes on Letipapa's Mystere IV A thread, we thought it would be nice to have a thread dedicated to ideas on how to make bare metal airplanes as realistic as we can. Everyone is invited to contribute all ideas as to preparation, materials, and methods that they use to get a proper finish for such airframes. Hopefully we can all learn from one another and increase the realism we all strive for.
I'll post this photo of a Falcon Vacuform F-89 that I built in the later 1980s as a starting point.
HOW TO: Natural Metal Finishes
I used Alclad and a product that I can no longer remember :-/ for the finish on this model. The 1/1 airplane I replicated was a rather tired machine and the skin was no longer the bright, polished finish of a new bird, hence the finish I was trying to achieve. I'll post some techniques and a few other photos later, but other duties call!
Scott
Letipapa:
Wow! This is so good! :-eek :-eek :-eek :-obey :-clap :-clap :-clap :-clap :-clap :-clap
It really has the gloomy shine:-wave
No.1:
Surface inspection
First at all I would like to congratulate to our friend Second Air Force for starting this great subject and I have set it sticky for a some time as well it definitely worth it :-flo
In this installment I would like to give some different approach to the use of the metal paints and this is based on the experience of the local fellow modelers. It is well known that in great value to the quality final finish depend on the same surface preparation. But it happen that even if we give our best to fill all the gaps, seal all joints and smoothed surface as much as perfect, that when we start to paint it, that some of the omissions and errors become visible in that moment. There is colors which less show thats in-corrections and there is paint who show them better. Definitely the top one color to show surface imperfections is the silver! Any silver paint will show you on surface if you miss anything. So this mean that in other hand this could be also help in finding errors.
On suggestions of our forum friends Samuraj77 and tenk I have buy one non modeling products, this is Cosmos Lac High Heat silver spray. Its principal use is to cover up heating surfaces and pipes and it is very fast drying, surface excellent adhere properties and it could resist temperature up to 700C!. It come in can of 450 ml volume and as well it cost some under 5€ and it excellent coverage make it best buy.
It is used as thin coat spray over the surface and due to the high shine it shows excellent whole surface details and you can spot any trouble details, including of bad surface shaping (this could happen when try to correct surface shape with filler). I recommend that, if you spot any trouble, to fine sand it, recommended sand paper is 1500 of 1500 grit, and sand down area and correct it with the way need for it.
Sample build for that method is Lightning:
http://www.letletlet-warplanes.com/2009/12/28/eduard-lightning-f-mk-1a/
Cheers :-wave
Second Air Force:
See, I've already learned about a new product! :-ok Keep the ideas coming, folks.
I apologize for not yet doing anything with this thread. I've been trying to figure out how not to bore everyone or tell y'all stuff that you already know all too well. :-blah :-blah :-blah
When I start a NMF project the first thing I have to do is plan. There are some kits out there that have so many flaws that the project would take years just to make the parts fit, much less to get a smooth enough finish for bare aluminum. The second consideration I make is the markings I want to replicate. My NMF methods require that I paint any anti-glare panels, radomes, deicer boots, etc. before the aluminum.
Once the planning and collecting of kit and other materials is done, the building process goes on as with any other kit with the exception of fixing ALL defects in the seams, panel lines, fit of turrets, canopies, etc. Quite often I've just sanded all the panel lines off (especially the raised kind) during the filling process and rescribed them lightly later.
For studying the quality of all my surfaces, and especially the seams, I use a grey lacquer auto body primer, dusted on with the airbrush in very light coats so as not to attack the plastic. I then use the red oxide auto primer and dust on another light coat, just enough to make the surface red. I use this as a "guide coat" to wet sand with 600 grit or so. All the flaws will show through as either high (grey) or low (red) primer. Sometimes I can go back with more spray coats of primer and wet sanding to fill the flaws, sometimes it takes some spot filler to correct the problem. Once I'm fully satisfied with the entire surface of the model I can move on to the final stage, applying the paint and aluminum.
More later,
Scott
No.1:
--- Quote ---I apologize for not yet doing anything with this thread
--- End quote ---
Oh no! House is built from many bricks! You have give fine enough for this thread and during the time this will build up in great source of info. Just wait to see what other members do (for example Profa used some cosmetic tool to make outstanding metal surface!!!)...
:-clap
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