how do you apply silver paint? i read some time ago that to do this you need to apply a base paint first, black flat paint, then you can apply the silver, but i was thinking that probably it will darken the silver paint, so what do you think?
It depends on what finish you want, really. Try it on a bit of scrap first, and try a few other methods (maybe on white, or without basecoat, etc) and see which you prefer. Oh, and let us know the results! One tip I picked up was for a natural 'weathered' metal look (rather than a polished metal look) is to 'polish' the silver paint (when it is dry, obviously!!) with abrasive toothpaste. It ends up looking quite like natural aluminium.
thanks guys, but here is the complicated question, i have 2 spray cans: botha are metalizer laques, but one is stainless steel and the other is aluminum plate, do you have any experience in this kind of paints? p.s. they are also buffing metalizer,any experience in it?
Me262: If I'm using silver paint from a bottle, I'll take a piece of sprue--from the kit--and use it to dip into the bottom of the bottle. The "silver" settles into the bottom, and the carrier-fluid is clear. This enables you to get a good covering of silver, and you can easily thin to get the correct consistency for what you're painting. I've been experimenting with my first "can" of metalizer that is buff-able? My observation is that it easily comes off on your hands if you handle it before sealing with a clear laquer. On aluminum, and other natural-metal finishes, most panels look and weather differently. The buffable finish allows you to manipulate and give a more 'natural" appearance. You can also buy aluminum 'foil' for modeling and use it to duplicate natural-metal finishes. I'm told it has a grain to the finish, and you can turn 90 degrees and achive different, contrasting panels. While I also own an airbrush, I find myself using cans when-ever it seems practical to do so. My favorite finishes tend to be 'colored ones" and not 'metallic-ones.' Hope this helps. Tim
I find it usefull to allways thin any paint with water. It gives a much smoother finish, although it is much more time consuming. It will need several coats. However I almost never paint with a brush on a large flat surface, I use an airbrush or spray can (from a distance) sparingly.
Actually, I did read in a modelling magazine that one technique for good looking metal finishes is to use thinned-down silver paint. I tried it on a Grumman Duck model, and it looks ok. Shiny, but not plasticy.
I'm currently working on a Tamiya 1/48 scale Grumman F4F Wildcat. (Beautiful kit with LOTS of detailing... I highly recommend it!) I decided I wanted to model a Wildcat that was weathering in the South Pacific and suffering from the elements. I gave it an overall coat of aluminum before going to work with the intermediate blue/gray camo-pattern. Figuring it was flying off a land-base strip like Guadalcanal, I've allowed some of the base aluminum to show through on leading-edges of wings, ammo/gun bays, the cowling and other areas of the plane such as wing-walks. This can be accomplished by scraping paint to expose the aluminum base-coat underneath. (Much more convincing that dry-brushing silver to create the same affect.) While it's not finished quite yet, I'll have to say the result is quite handsome and convincing. If you want to try this, just remember to plan ahead, and lay-down that aluminum base-coat before getting too-deep into construction and painting. I think you'll be quite impressed with the result. Tim
I really think it depends on what the disered result is. If you really want it to show, use white or no base colour. If you don't it's a totally different question. I think the scale which you're working on is important too. Like the Wildcat mentioned above, in 1/48, is totalljy different from the 1/72 DC-3 I painted or the tanks I used silver on. (for the worn off paint on tracks) For tanks I usually use a gun-metal or dark grey base coat, when painting tracks. Maybe the brand of your paint is decisive too. For example: Revell "gun metal"is a matt grey-like paint, while Humbrol's "gun metal" is a mix of gun metal grey and silver. It's shiney. Maybe this helps you along, may I invite you to tell us more about what it is you're going to paint silver?
you already saw the plane, a p-51 with invasion strips, but i got the wrong kind of silver paint, and f*** up the plane, :angry: :angry:
*sorry silence* so you're planning on painting it again, or do you want to know for the next time? Anyway, for planes I never use base coat. Just silver, straight on the plastic. have to admit I did just a few planes though, so experience is still in process
Some thoughts concerning base-coats... Unless I'm looking for a 'bleed-through' effect, I don't use them, nor see the need to. .. with silver or most any other color for that matter. (One exception might be to use a base-coat of white under localized areas where you're laying down Yellow to overcome the opaqueness of light-clolored pigment.) Keep in mind that with recessed panel-lines, too much paint will eventually fill them-in, or otherwise distort the 'crispness of these features. In the smaller 1/72 scale and beyond, this is an even MORE critical consideration. Many modeling companies injection-mold using a light neutral gray which simplifies matters... especially with aircraft. Armor kits tend to use tan or olive--Tamiya Sherman M4 kit for example--but since that's close to the olive drab you'll be painting it, it's really not a problem. Tim Tim
Have you tried polishing it with toothpaste? It is a mild abrasive and should reduce it to an aluminium-type finish. On panel lines, one nice trick at 1/72 that I often employ is to paint your recessed panel lines in black before anything else, then when your topcoat is dry drag a pin along the panel lines. This should peel off the top coat and leave a nice black recessed panel line, which looks pretty good at 1/72. You can almost see it on this shot of my germanised T-34 (but not easily, my camera is not the best).
