SPA Modeler

I need to find a better way to treat metal parts before painting. The paint on those Eduard brass legs seemed to chip every time I touched them. I recently picked up a can Mr. Metal Primer and used it on the Dora's brass flaps. Seemed to improve the paint's hold but still got some minor chipping. I've read you guys soaking brass parts in vinegar... does that help?

John,

The white wine vinegar has always worked for me but those parts are still delicate, paint-wise, even after that.

Work done on the bulkhead and seat mounting frame. I had the oils and stuff out anyway, so I tried to simulate leather on that head rest. I did the paint and the chipping whilst painting Emil and Corsair pets this week. My Kustom Curtiss Cockpit Green is a 2:1 ratio of Tamiya Yellow Green (Zinc Chromate) and German Gray. My approximation of what I dug up in my research. I think it works.

The head rest I painted in Red Brown, onto which I painted with Raw and Burnt Umber oils. The wash is Raw Umber.

Kenny,

The colors look good to me, but am an old one-eyed dude. Bet the leather look will be spot on when looking at the finished product.

Thank you, Lyle!

I have learned a lot on this forum. And one of the things I learned, from John, and Bruce, and the rest of the gang, is paying attention to the details, even the small ones. I looked at that head rest and thought to myself “Yeah. That really needs oils. I can make that look like leather with oils, and should!” I’m going to put a wash on the pedals next. They’re already chipped and the clear coat has had plenty of time to cure.

As to the green, many thanks on that. I’m enjoying conducting research, reading, looking at photos, and mixing my colors trying to replicate it. I actually have come to derive a lot of enjoyment from that, come to think of it.

Kenny, the research is a very seductive and deep rabbit hole.... have fun!

Love the leather, Kenny! I'm learning a lot from you about using oils. I wish I was as confident though. I'm much more confident with pastels, wet and dry, than oils. Something I need to work on.

Working with oil paints on models could be ticklish business under the wrong circumstances. And Inunderstand anybody’s apprehension in terms of using them. For one thing, oil paints aren’t really made for painted plastic, it just so happens that they can look nice on there, one of our “Happy Accidents” I guess. Since the “canvas” we’re painting on ain’t actually canvas, we have to do it differently. For one thing we’re not using a medium like Liquin. For another thing, the surface we’re applying the paint to is different. So we’ve come up with different uses for oils, like filters and washes and the like. The “leather” effect on my head rest is basically a study in dot fading honestly. Two very small dots of raw umber, swiped around with a brush soaked in white spirit, and two very small dots of burnt umber, swiped around with the brush. The brush created the semblance of texture. It worked pretty good. And I like the results I got with the filtering I did on my 1:32 Emil cockpit as well:



I think of it like straight-up painting, in that case I used the oil paint to slightly darken the darks, only, I used a very small amount of paint, and instead of applying it with a brush, I applied it with a toothpick and then proceeded to paint with it using a brush with a little thinner on it. Whatever I didn’t like got erased with white spirit. It’s a good technique. Play with it, keep doing it. The work you did on those wheels with the oils was terrific. You used the oils exactly in terms of the prime directive of working with oils: To Push It Over The Cliff. And that’s what I’m driving at- we aren’t creating an entire composition with these oils. Instead, we’re using minuscule amounts of oils in just the right way in order to create an effect that accentuates the piece in such a way that takes it up an extra notch or two at the top, hopefully making it stellar.

Two more tips in regards to oils- they usually tend to soak into what is beneath depending upon the poor city of that surface. If you want to filter/alter the base color, do not seal it. Apply any filters onto a Matt base, enamel (cured for a LONG time) or acrylic. If you’re desiring a pin wash, seal the base color with a clear gloss layer. The gloss helps the oil wash flow better. One additional tip- if you’re using oils over an unsealed enamel, allow them plenty of time to dry and cure, and use a mild thinner with your oils like Mona Lisa brand. Once enamels are cured, that stuff will not affect them.