Natural Metal Finishes The Oxidized Look

Dear Group,

I realize one key to getting an airplane to look like it has real natural metal is to vary the shade of the panels. One thing I wonde is how to get that oxidized look. There is a look in between the show stopping F104Cs that I have seen reall picture of and various USAF planes for example that almost look like they have gray paint on them, but in real photographs are obviously in natural metal. Except I supposed it has oxidized a bit. Doe sthe Alcad line have that look. Is ther something tha one can add gray paint to in small amounts with out messing up the metal effect or the pigments not mixing? By the way I noticed this look on a lot of Soviet planes.

TIA Big AL Baltimore

Reply to
AlbertCherer
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A lot of Soviet aircraft were wearing aluminium lacquer. I found that out sometime after doing a neat tonal job on one of my Soviet aircraft. I can't say about the Alclad line as I haven't used it so far.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Reply to
Mad-Modeller

Hello Al. I've achieved this look by basically spraying on shades of silver, aluminum, steel, etc tinted with various amounts of gray and/or white. Once dry, I rub it a bit with a soft cloth and apply decals, When all that's dry I overcoat with thin coat of flat, and in some places flat mixed with gloss for a slightly semi-gloss finish. The results are an reasonable representation of oxidized aluminum. Check the link below for a pictures of the results on one of my models.

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Reply to
Bill Woodier

in article snipped-for-privacy@nextline.com, Mad-Modeller at snipped-for-privacy@nextline.com wrote on 11/9/06 3:56 AM:

Bill: That potentially answers one of the questions I posted about the Indian MiG-21 -- it could have a coat of aluminum (sorry, aluminium) lacquer. I've ordered a bottle of Alclad Dull Aluminum. I'm thinking that might replicate the look.

Pip Moss

Reply to
Pip Moss

Alclad makes a number of bare metal "colors". You can use several of these, masking off appropriate areas. Admittedly masking Alclad is a bit of a challenge, but people do manage to do it. A good discussion would be how various people do mask over already applied Alclad.

Also, one can apply non-Alclad paints that appear like the more heavily oxidized areas (Testors Steel, for example), mask those areas off, then apply Alclad to the non-oxidized areas.

Reply to
Don Stauffer in Minnesota

in article snipped-for-privacy@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com, Don Stauffer in Minnesota at snipped-for-privacy@usfamily.net wrote on 11/9/06 10:14 AM:

I've had no trouble masking over Alclad. I use Tamiya masking tape and/or Scotch drafting tape; the Alclad virtually never pulls off. Actually, that's the main reason I prefer Alclad to SnJ, which I agree is easy to use and looks good, but I've had more problems masking over it. I also really like some of the "colors" that Alclad offers, especially Duraluminum.

Pip Moss

Pip Moss

Reply to
Pip Moss

I use ordinary cellulose car primer in a couple of mist coats over the plastic. Then a gloss light grey acrylic spray to produce a nice surface for the Alclad.

For masking over the Alclad, I use Tamiya masking tape for the edges and a cheap low-tack decorator's masking tape from my local DIY shop for filling in. I've had no problems whatsoever with the Alclad lifting.

I'm very impressed indeed with Alclad. I've been using it today to spray the natural metal areas on a couple of F-4s.

Reply to
Enzo Matrix

I remember your question because I checked my one source on the IAF and found no picture like you mentioned in it. No surprise there. What pictures are in it of MiGs shows uncamouflaged aircraft in both NMF and lacquer. Fairly the same for any aircraft in Indian service with the exception of the HF-24. All the pics for that one show polished metal. My source is "The Indian Air Force and its Aircraft", 1982, Pilot Press Ltd.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Reply to
Mad-Modeller

Testor's buffing aluminium has a fairly wide variety of shades, depending on how much and in which direction you buff it out. Buffed completely the aluminium has a chrome look. By varying the amount you buff, you can get all kinds of shading differences. Not buffed at all it looks dull and might pass for the oxidized look you're wanting. When the buffing is done, shoot a shell of Future over the kit. Then you'll be able to mask for other shades or colors. Use a low tack tape. I use drafting tape gently burnished along the edges of the mask. It doesn't pull the Future off, leaving the metalizer intact.

-- Chuck Ryan Springfield OH

Reply to
Chuck Ryan

This is in response to the idea of varying colors of panels etc....

I've used Alclad II with some success before. Alclad is not fully opaque and they suggest that you put it down over gloss black. Well on a CF-100 Canuck that I built, I painted the various panels (somewhat randomly) light blue or grimey black. (I could have had other panel tints, but I was going for contrast between the panels so chose a quite light and a quite dark color) I then hit that with gloss and rubbed it out using Novus 1, 2, 3.

When putting the Alclad Aluminum over that... not too heavily... it allows the shade from underneath it to show through. It's remarkably easy, and it's an effective approach.

I recommend playing with it. If you don't have to spray various metal colors, but can tint from underneath, by all means do it!

-- Stephen

Reply to
Stephen Tontoni

Pip Moss wrote in news:C1796D35.1615B% snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net:

For some reason, the 'polka-dot' theme on this made me think of the 1960's more than of the military. Now to try one in paisley!

cd

Reply to
Carl Dershem

I simply use a flat clear sprayed lightly over the panels which have been tinted to various shades, thus giving the surfaces a oxidized look. For areas where ground & flight crews would have touched or rubbed, simply touch these areas up with a gloss or semi gloss clear to replicate rubbing or wiping. Oxidized metal turns to a flat dull look, heavier oxidation can be achieve by adding flat white (1:10 or 1:20) to a clear media. Hawkeye

Reply to
Hawkeye

It reminds me of a wargame scheme. The rest of the plane looks NMF to me.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Reply to
Mad-Modeller

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