By way of cross pollenation there are a couple of really good articles in the current US issue of Airfix Model World magazine (number 5, the one with the Mossie on the cover). Article one is metal finishes using Alclad2; nice detail on the application of the various buffed and non-buffed finishes to achieve a great faux metal finish. Article 2 is the painting of the Airfix Vostok launch vehicle and the many guises and schemes that have been proliferated since the original model release in the sixties. Also gets in to the "is it grey or is it green" discussion.

That's Airfix Magazine Number 05 - on sale at finer newsagents everywhere.

http://www.airfixmodelworld.com/

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Gravity is a harsh mistress
SAM 002
NAR 91005
"The complexity of living is eminently favored to the simplicity of not."

Does anyone know of the technique of polishing or burnishing metal colored paint to more closely resemble metal surfaces? Some years ago (read: many) I read of a technique using tooth paste—but that's as much as I can remember.

I'm hoping someone can shed some light on it or perhaps explain some trick of their own.

There are buffable finishes for metallic pigments - rub-n-buff was one. There are current buffable pigments Humbrol I know has some. I am not too sure about a toothpaste solution since that would ten to scratch the surfaces. Might be good for multi-panel finshes to distinguish panel lines.

There are some good articles on metal finished plastic models that might be appropriate. Alclad has their suggestions and there are some IPMS sites that contain reference.

http://www.alclad2.com/

http://ipmsstockholm.org/

http://www.ipms-css.org/

__________________
Gravity is a harsh mistress
SAM 002
NAR 91005
"The complexity of living is eminently favored to the simplicity of not."

Model Master used to make paints that are metal finishes. (Maybe they still do?) They came in both buff and non-buff, IIRC. The ones I am thinking of were meant for airbrush use only.

- Rich

Thanks for the replies folks. I'll see what I can do here—perhaps a little experimentation.

Those paints were listed as "airbrush only" but you could brush them on small areas or parts with fantastic results.

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You are only limited by your imagination......

Ryan Leach
NAR# 87642
SAM #216
SoJARS NAR Section 593
Aerospace Education Officer
X-15 FANATIC