AK Chipping Fluid

[Elm City Hobbies]

Need some advice.

Thought I had read somewhere that once you have your base colors down that go under the chipping fluid, and top coat of paint (that you then chip away) that prior to the spraying the chipping fluid, that you should lay down a layer of varnish to protect the underlying base colors.

Am I dreaming I read this, or what? Ready to put the chipping fluid on the BTR-50....but can't help but wonder if it needs a varnish coat.

The base coat is 2 colors of Vallejo primer, which are tougher than Vallejo paint.

Also assume that if it does need a varnish coat, that it should be something other than acrylic?

 

[Chris S]

Hi Scott ,

You are correct ,normally a coat of clear is applied (enamel) this stops the underlying paint from being lifted . But as you say your base is Vallejo primer which I think is Polly based ? isnt it , then you should be ok ,But if in doubt Just put a clear coat on to be sure ....its up to you

Chris.

 

[spud]

If your going to use Vallejo then it doesn't have the effect as it does with tamiya paints as the Vallejo comes off differently.

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

Iain uses and recommends a lacquer clear coat but I always do it with an acrylic clear coat and have never had any ill effect. It really depends greatly on how aggressive you are with your technique.

...and like spud mentions, I wouldn't use Vallejo for the chipped paint. Not only is it harder to get through (meaning you have to be really aggressive) but it comes up in huge chips and sheets and doesn't really look very good.

 

[spud]

i use Vallejo Satin and never have any prob so its down to how aggressive you are. I find mixing my paint with water helps break it down easier than if i used X20-A

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

I use ModelFlex satin and find the same...

I also thin the Tamiya with water when I am using it for chipping.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

I would think Tamiya mixed with water would come off easier as the water to paint molecular bond is probably alot weaker than the bond between X-20 and the paint.

Got some old Tamiya here....just don't know if I have the color I would need....if nothing else I can always use vallejo and hope for the best.....

 

[spud]

never used lifecolor with it but i would assume it would be just like tamiya??

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

I have only used Lifecolor once on my M51....so not really qualified to give a definite answer on it.

I do find that it is closer in relation to Vallejo than it is to Tamiya.....but that being said, it is far different than both.

Just looked at my Tamiya stash....not much left since I switched over to Vallejo....small amount of Desert Yellow, and some Deck Tan, and Buff....none of which are really the shade I am going for.

Could use the Deck Tan to lighten up the Desert Yellow, I just find that the Desert Yellow is too yellow for what I want....to far from a sand like color you would see on an Iraqi vehicle.

 

[spud]

why not use the buff to lighten it?

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

Lifecolor doesn't chip as well as Tamiya,

...I would use it before Vallejo for chipping but nothing chips nearly as well as Tamiya.

 

[spud]

as were on the subject, how well does Model Flex chip Ken ?

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

as were on the subject, how well does Model Flex chip Ken ?

Peep this ;D

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

why not use the buff to lighten it?

Not so sure the buff will take the yellow out of it as I find the Desert Yellow...too yellow for an Iraqi Sand color, worth mixing a test batch though, but not much Desert Yellow left.

Now got me to thinking I should spray up a test panel using Vallejo Model Color, Air Color and Tamiya just to see the difference. Would like to see if there is any difference between Model Color that is thinned out, and Model Air that is pre-thinned, I am thinking no...but one never knows.

Also thinking that since I don't have much in the way of Tamiya colors to mix up some sand (and no I am not buying more) if I should revisit the salt method....last time I used it, (used Tamiya Paint), that the paint partially dissolved the salt, and it left these little salt rings around the grain of salt....kinda looked like crap. Don't know if it would do the same with the Vallejo Paint or not...lol...something else to put on the test sheet I suppose!

 

[spud]

it will be interesting to see if there is any difference in the colors, and maybe salting might be a good option

Ken thanks for reminding me. I might actually try them on my Darius base, I have the T34-85 turret one

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

Ken thanks for reminding me. I might actually try them on my Darius base, I have the T34-85 turret one

...it was the only time I used ModelFlex for chipping and it was the perfect chance to experiment. They don't chip too badly but not super fine like Tamiya and isn't as easy to control either.

*

The very thing that makes Vallejo such a strong and resilient paint is the very thing that makes them a lousy choice to chip with. I have a German 250 half track I chipped using Vallejo Model Air white and I really had to work at the surface to get through, then once through the paint came up in big pieces. It was like a switch, on or off. You can see it in ScaleModelMedics video where he chips the muffler. Not only does he go at it with a toothpick but you can literally see large flakes of paint lifting.

I've chipped a ton of paint jobs with hairspray and the chipping fluids, and in all my experiences, with Tamiya, you actually start to see through the paint before it starts to chip, which can be such a cool effect in itself, that semi translucent worn look so you don't have stark bright white next to stark underlying color paint. Nothing about that looks real in scale, the white wash needs to look like it's slowly wearing/washing off, not flaking off clean, in big pieces. There weren't big white flakes of paint lying around the battle field. When the Tamiya does start to chip, it starts very small and fine and this is all with the lightest of pressure. By lightest, I mean almost none, simply moving a wet brush across the surface begins to take the smallest of chips. When working in scale, this is exactly what you want if you want it to look real. You can start small and fine and work up from there, with most other acrylic paints, you don't have that control.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Yeah I remember when I did my Zero..........





With hairspray and Vallejo, it pretty much came off in sheets.

Now that I am remembering that....I didn't put a barrier coat between the aluminum (also Vallejo) and the hairspray....(over Vallejo Grey primer I think), so should be good without a barrier.

Now see if I can mix a suitable color from Tamiya Buff and Desert Yellow!

 

[Junkie]

I haven't had any success with HS Chipping an Vallejo either....none.