What do you think is the best technique for paint chipping or rust? Hairspray or salt.

Bob:

Chipping...

Actually, I'm in the "do it very lightly" school for the most part (save, perhaps paradoxically, on my Horch DAK flak-truck... posted below to show what I do for heavier chipping and wear...) - and I do not do either hair-spray nor salt! I AM thinking of trying the hair-spray method, as I've personally seen a good-looking example done with it - on the other hand, there are some great looking salt examples posted around, too. Both hair-spray and salt will create actual gaps or "chips" in the outer coat(s), so really get the right effect, and either way will work.

As I said, I prefer "light" in general, going on the observation that generally AFV do not appear seriously chipped nor rusted. Those seen in the north Africa campaign are a sort of special exception, as German DAK vehicles were often originally dunkelgrau re-painted with one or another "sand" or related color(s) once in Africa (many were actually "painted" with mud or with an oil & dirt slurry...), and many photos show these to be seriously sand-worn and often chipped.... with the original dunkelgrau being exposed.

MY approach to chipping in general is to do a very small amount of dry-brushing and detail-chipping on sharp edges and highest-traffic areas using either the "revealed undercoats" or "revealed dark steel with a little dark rusting". In my DAK Horch case, I wanted to depict heavy sand-blasting wear to expose the original dunkelgrau coat, so I actually painted the truck dunkelgrau (enamel), let it fully-cure, and then painted on acryl "sand" colors, followed by some scrubbing with a "scratchy pad" and water and alcohol to wear the sand off. That, and some light scraping with the knife to get real scratches. Like with the salt or hair-spray, I'm actually removing the outer coat(s), so the effect is "genuine", as versus with dry-brushing, where "chips" are actually added paint on top of the "chipped" coat. It's a simple-to-do approach and it worked well for me.



Cheers!

Bob

I think for standard vehicle chipping, brush, or light sponge chipping is the best way,I see salt and Hairspray as a great way to depict WW2 German Desert vehicles sand coat shipping revealing the grey, or whitewashes. or wrecks.
in the end if your using it for standard chipping it's and extra coat or three on top of whats already there. imo.

lpj out.

Neither unless your goal is to depict massive areas of indescrimnately abraded / worn paint. These techniques might be appropriate when showing things like a temporary winter white wash in its last days; a desert cammo colors hastily applied over standard European factory finishes and worn by the effects of sand storms, etc; the finishes inside of truck beds that have delivered many loads of heavy supplies and equipment; or perhaps derelict or destroyed vehicles that have more rust than paint left on them.

These can be used effectively on smaller sub-assemblies, though, like mufflers or other exhaust components for some "special" effects like new factory paint just starrting to "burn" off, etc. But generally, when used like this, those sub-assemblies are painted separately in order to isolate the effects. Separately finishing these kinds of parts can also result in highlighting the effect too by contrasting it with the rest of the finish.

But for most models, I'd suggest that "targeted" worn and abraded paint placed in specific and logical areas that are consistant with the over all degree of weathering and wear and tear are a much better approach.

For this, a fine brush and perhaps some judicious "sponging" are the best tools and techniques. As Bob's Horch shows, even extreme wear and tear shouldn't be completely random - it should be logical in location and degree - and for this, you need control, and for control, "salt" masks and "hairspray" are generally too indescrimate and random in my opinion.

All techniqes have their place depending on the final look you're trying to achieve, but generally, I think "salt" or "hairspray" chipping is over-done on most models.

Of the two, each has its pluses and minuses depending on the desired final result, and I wouldn't say that one is necessariliy better than the other.

Since you asked, and FWIW, that's MHO...

I couldn't agree more with both Bob and Mike. I, personally, wouldn't use either. My preferred method is simply to use a fine brush (5/0) to, slowly, stipple/paint the chip where appropriate. I, for the most part, make three chip layers. The first layer is a lighter version of the base color. The second layer is a rust color and the third is the steel color. I paint one on top of each other leaving an outline of the previous color as I do the next one. Of course, I don't go all the way down to steel on every chip as I like subtlety.

Rob

While I completely agree that those methods are best for wrecks or white washes etc. and not for paint chips per se, I have to disagree that hairspray is too random, or that you have little control.

While the salt simply falls and sticks where gravity deems appropriate, you and only you decide where the hairspray chips. You have nothing but control with hairspray chipping as it only comes off where you take it off. If not, you might be doing something wrong.

Thank you gentlemen. I will just experiment and see what works best for me.