I want to attempt the paint chip with salt method on my current build but would like a bit more info. What different methods and techniques have you guys and gals used with success? Do you use regular table salt or something different?
Thanks,
Paradox01
I’v been experimenting with this method recently and I found rock salt best as normal table salt is too fine but I supose it depends on how much paint damage you want to depict.I just dampen the area that I want to chip,place on the salt where needed and then let dry before painting.
The water won’t leave spots?
I have used the salt method on some aircraft I have done and my results were disaterous to say the least. Whether it was the salt or the water I don’t know, but I ended up with these huge white stains that showed through the paint.
My answer to this was to grind up/file some of my plastic spruce and use that in place of the salt. I then wet down the area with some rubbing alcohol. I the sprinkled the shavings over this area by pinching them between my thumb and forefinger and working them back and forth was able to distribute them fairly well.
I painted over it and then scraped the area clean with a tooth pick and was very happy with the end result.
You will loose some of the shavings as you AB but in the end it didn’t matter.
The area under the cockpit sill is a little overdone, but that was me enlarging the chipped area with the toothpick. the top of the intake and the splitter plate and front of the fuselage are about just right and that is just the chipping.
Hope this helps
Mark
I’v never had a problem.I always use tap water that’s been through a filter so I’m not sure if that makes a difference.I supose if you have alot of lime in your water if would affect the paint.
It’s more of the salt melting and leaving spot than the water itself. I used black pepper once instead of salt and it worked good. You can use anything that will act like a mask. It depends of the size of marks you want to leave.
Be creative![:D]
Why bother with salt, leave that for ya’ dinner, 'cos it never gives a true representation of chipped paint, anyway! [V]
The best way to create chipped paint effects are either with a good ‘0000’ brush or a scourin’ pad and paint, in which case, this technique is applied over your final coat of paint! Or Humbrol Maskol [;)]
Humbrol Maskol is used over a basecoat (the colour you want showin’ through the final coat), and can be applied with a brush or a scourin’ pad! After the final coat has been applied over this technique, jus’ rub away the Maskol with either your finger or a Grab It Stick! The Grab It Stick can be used for all the hard to reach places where your finger cannot! [;)]
You can never escape from usin’ the brush or pad [:D]
I’m going to have to agree with FingersEddie. I played around with the salt method a couple of itmes, and even though it is possible to get a good result, it really isn’t worth the effort and time. A much better, and quicker way, is to use a scouring pad. Look at a sponge for washing dishes. That green/black rough part on the back of it, cut it up into small shapes, that you can hold on to. Dip it into the paint of your choice, dab it almost dry on a piece of towel, and dab away at the area of the model you wish to ‘paint chip’. The less paint there is left on the pad, the more controlled the technique. Add to that some fine scratches with a thin brush, and the results are fantastic.
Below is a sample of the result I was able to achieve. Note that the chips in this instance are rather large, but again, lower the amount of paint used, and you can reproduce almost microscopic paint scuffs and scratches.
