Greetings,
I’m going to post this question in this forum as well. I’m painting some .50 cal machine guns for a 1/72 PT Boat. I’m using Aires 1/72 .50 cal guns and they are beautiful. I’m looking for best techniques for painting and weathering these guns. I’d really appreciate your input.
Thank you
Dave
My method for painting guns is 1st paint with Humbrol 85, coal black with a satin finish, followed by a silver dry brush. I don’t like any of the “gun metal” colors.
When i do U.S, armor i paint my M2’s flat black, then lightly rub a little graphite from a pencil on them, not to much tho[swg]
I start with a very dark grey base color, then mix a little burnt umber oil paint and Testors chrome silver enamel together and drybrush with that.
I have a few different methods that all seem to work.
My two favorites are:
A coat of flat black followed by a rub down with a pencil finished with a drybrush of aluminium
A coat of flat black, a mist of gunmetal finshed with a drybrush of aluminium.
Then I spray the barrel end with a little bit of Tarnished Black (either MM or Polly S, I forget) to replicate powder burn.
They’re basically the same thing, it just depends on how much work I want to do. I prefer the finish I get with the pencil (because it doesn’t get in the recesses and leaves shadows and depth), but it can sometimes be time consuming.
-Fred
ive never heard of using a pencil before. can some one explain in a little more detail than “a rub-down” or “a once-over”[swg]? thanks!
Hi there,
When it comes to using pencils theres a couple of different techniques I use.
1 Rub a pencil over some med sand paper and apply the dust on the model like pastels, but then buff with a soft cloth, tissue, trouser leg, etc or for small parts a cotton bud. But be cautious a little goes a long way. Generally start with HB and work up to 8B or higher and find a grade you like as the higher the B number the more it shines.
2 Use a watercolour pencil in metallic colour. They are available in various shades from silver, pewter etc. I generally use these straight from the pencil (well sharpened) and draw where I need the colour but being a water colour in a stick these can be smudged with a damp brush. These pencils come in a wide range of colours and are great for weathering as they are more manageable than pastel dust in my opinion and you place the colour exactly where you need it. Available in artist supply shops.
3 Charcol sticks ground on sandpaper and applied with a brush and buffed like pencils in 1 give a very high sheen on a silver base but need a coat of varnish to seal them if they are to be handled.
Hope this helps,
regards Gary[8-]
Just take the side of a sharpened pencil and just rub it over the gun, like making a chalk rubbing. The graphite from the pencil gives the gun a nice semi-metallic sheen. Kinda gives it that old brown/blued look that you come to see on old guns.
-Fred
One thing that wasn’t mentioned with the 50 cal was the handles. These were made of wood, at least the ones we had in the 70s were. I’m not sure if they still are, but I’m retty sure that the 50s from Vietnam back were all wood handles.
Last night I mixed up some Floquil Engine Black and some dark gray paint I had laying around. It had a nice sheet to it (not flat) and sprayed on very nicely. This morning I rubbed off some no. 2 pencil and rubbed it in to the finish. Awesome!
Tonight I’m going to mix up a wash and see what that does for the finish.
My practice piece was 1/35 scale. My subject piece is 1/72 so I’m going to lighten up the mixture a little. The photos I looked at seem a little lighter in color, probably from wear. I also noticed that the barrels are more worn than the main body after a lot of use so I’m going to carefully experiment with that as well. These 1/72 photo etch barrels are very fragile!
Thanks for the tips guys.
As far as i know the spade grip and cocking handle are still wood[swg]
I repair all sorts of things that go “bang” for the National Guard, and I can’t remember seeing any wood on any M2 machine guns. The spade grips and charging handle are either black plastic or reddish brown Bakelite. It is not unusual to see both on the same gun.
One thing I know for sure is that in 1943 the handles were made from wood. There are no rear handles on these guns as they sit in a metal cariage. The charging handle is wood though.
Thanks
Dave