Rub n Buff

I've done a couple of models with Rub'n'Buff, but I don't expect to use it in the future. The good part is that it goes on very easily and can be polished to different sheens with care, and the finish is easy to bring to a uniform state. However, it takes forever to cure (months and months); in the meantime, any time you touch the finish, it rubs off. This also means it cannot be effectively masked. I could see using it for something that is literally all NMF, if you can minimize subsequent handling and somehow get decals on without the Rub 'n' Buff smearing on top of them. Apart from that, I'd limit use to small parts. but at that stage, brush painting with Humbrol aluminum (or something similar) is just as easy.

Mark Schynert

I've used it on several aircraft,and it worked out pretty well. I've never used it for an overall aircraft, but on the KC-97 various areas were rub and buffed in sliver. Looked very nice, and since there were other areas of painted surface, I could grab those instead of wearing the Rub and Buff off. After is cures, it's really tough. But like another poster said, it takes forever to reach that state.

Don H.

I have experimented with it. I used a dab of it on a tee shirt to buff out something I painted using Floquil Old Silver as a base. The results were astonishing. Same deal using the polishing powder from SNJ to polish Old Silver. I think it is funny that I have experimented with NMF on drop tanks and model airplane castoff but have never applied that knowledge to a display quality model. I think I need to build a P-51D or P-47 real soon! Good Luck. Max Bryant

Years ago it was the ONLY NMF simulator out there, as Testors Silver could never replicate the shinyiness. But you get used to having a silver finger for a few days, as it never seemed to fail that whatever you used to apply it let it leach back onto your finger.

I did up an Airfix B-29 with it back in 1967 and it looked great -- until it met Old Blue...

Cookie Sewell

My only experiences with it were in connection with the old Aurora Knight figures. Several of them were 'etched' for filigree and I used RnB gold on those figures. It filled in the engraved designs nicely. I haven't used it since and the gold dried up years ago.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

I sometimes use it on small parts (drop tanks etc.) but as others have said, it takes a long time to cure.

I have also used it to give different shades on a NMF. Paint the whole aircraft using a NMF paint, mask the area to be shaded, apply Rub n Buff, and polish. Using this method, the Rub n Buff seems to cure better (i.e. does not come off as easy).

But, there are better NMF products out there (Alcad 2, SNJ etc)

You can mix it with silver enamel paint and then buff it out .I also use it fror track high lighting on armour. I have a few different colours . It takes ages to cure if you use it by itself as others have pointed out

I've used it:

1. Handle with care. First 24hr or so, it seems to put a silver (or whatever color you're using) "shine" on anything that looks at it funny.

1. PITA for large areas.

2. Great for propellers and limited areas.

I have used the silver for years, it is an excellent finish, I use a finger tip to apply it and polish it all in one go and yes it will come off on your hands if handled a lot but a coat of Klear / Future over it works wonders and seals it in, there are easier products out there now as mentioned before.