Hey there, I tried the hairspray snow method today and failed... miserably. I'll have to strip the paint, and will be buying IPA tomorrow. I knew I should have tested it beforehand on some spare plastic. You live and learn.

I sprayed two coats of HS on my tank, waited for 30-40 minutes and sprayed a coat of white. The white came out somewhat gray, but I didn't really want to put down a heavy coat.

I let it cure for more than an hour and started trying to chip it. At first, I brushed on some water on a small surface, as I've seen other people do, to let the paint soften. But what happend is that small dots appeared on the surface, showing the base coat.

The white paint would smear, not chip like I've seen everywhere. Also, it produced some tiny particles flowing about and sticking to the surface, also not what I've seen in other builds. Thirdly, things started turning yellow! Huh... I know, right?

Was all of this due to HS not compatible with this method? What should I look for in a HS so that it works properly?

I am using Tamiya acrylics and had sealed the base coat beforehand.

Thanks.

Hello, I am using the cheapest hair spray which I was able to buy and works great. The layer of white paint should be thin and transparent in places which already at the stage of painting gives the effect of wiping. Try to wipe the paint brush slowly and press on to the surface of the sensitivity so that the coating wears out slowly. I addition I protect basic camouflage clearcoat or liquid for floors, so that the liquid for floors gives a smooth surface and paint will go down easier and you have to be careful. How to form lumps smywać you must be up to date because I will stick permanently.
At the bottom of my exemplary models made ​​by this method

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Paweł

Hi mate,when i used the hairspray technique on my BR86 Locomotive i allowed 24 hrs between coats,had no problems at all after that and swear by it on my 1/35th trains.
Hope this helps.

I tried it on Tamiya's Challenger 2 with pretty good results. Here's the way I done mine. First, I prime the entire tank with a flat black auto primer (spray can). I let that set for 24 hours. Then I painted the "British Dark Green and black camo pattern" on and let that set for 24 hours. Then, I airbrushed two (2) very thin coats of "Future Floor Wax (Pledge) or the entire model, then let this dry for 24 hours. The model will have a bizarre shiny look, but that's okay, it's just the floor wax. Then, I sprayed two (2) layers of aerosol hair spray in very light coats. Let this set for about one (1) hour and then you can paint your acrylic top coat. In my case I used Testors Model Master Acrylic British Gulf War Sand. I let this set for about 30 minutes. Then I took a old toothbrush and saturated the model with water and started "scrubbing". Don't be afraid to scrubb hard because it did take some elbow grease to get the desired affect. Just be careful and watch out for the delict parts so you don't accidentally break them off. After it was all said and done I was very pleased with the end result. I highly recommend giving this a try.

Tony

Hi Y,

Yes, you are correct. Testing is one of the most important elements to success in many endeavors, it's no different with model paint finishes. Especially if you've never done it before. I see this quite often on this site, a blatant lack of testing beforehand, so please embrace the concept of practice and testing with modeling. It makes a huge difference and saves a good model from needing to be stripped, or worse.

As to what you did wrong with the HS technique, the best I can guess in the absence of photos is the quantity of HS you applied was likely far too much. Posted photos would have helped enormously to further diagnose your issues, because your description might also imply you used an odd store bought HS product that caused the reaction you described, which given where you're from is a likely cause. One reason the chemical companies like Vallejo and AK make the chipping fluids is because of this global element of different HS sold in stores, so perhaps buy on of those chipping fluids for your needs.

If you want to try another store bought HS, use a men's product and it should say the equivalent of Fine Mist Spray (or similar) and be a medium hold type of product (avoid the extra hold type of stuff). No spritzer bottles, (ie. the pump tops) and must be an aerosol can because it sprays a very even controllable quantity. My preferred brand is Tresemme, but not sure you have access to it.

For application, hold the model at arm's length and move the can evenly and quickly across the model and do not linger in any one spot. Most guys spray it too close to the model and this applies too much HS. Coat the model evenly with two even coats, and best to have it applied everywhere for full chipping jobs rather than miss a spot and wish you hadn't. The same principle applies for the chipping fluids, two even coats works best. The rest of the technique is identical whether HS or CF.



As to some of the advice given, I should note there is no need for extended wait periods or varnish coat applications. In fact, applying a gloss coat to a model will dramatically change the surface tension and alter how HS chips, often resulting in very large chips because the paint has nothing to adhere too (let alone how the rest of the weathering will go).

If HS is applied and used properly, there is no need to wait beyond the HS (or CF) drying -- usually a few minutes, faster if you use a hair dryer to speed it up -- or the need to apply obsessive varnishes or Future coats. Likewise there is no need to wait 24 hrs to use the process, nor should there be a need for "hard scrubbing", and if that is the case than most likely there is too little HS on the model to begin with. The process was and is designed to be very gentle to a model's surface, especially with PE parts glued on, and the most effective scrubbing is often very delicate and requires little physical effort. The process works best when going slow and maintaining control throughout each are of the model.

You control this technique via the quantity of HS (or chipping fluid) and the opacity of the top coat applied in both steps. Once you gain experience and skill with the technique, you can begin to alter these two factors to control the size, shape and intensity of the chipping you require for each project.

Is there a maximum time you can leave either the HS or CF before they no longer work? I generally do not have time to paint more than one coat before I have to stop modelling, sometimes for weeks. I have tried this before and after a week of curing time, I got no chipping whatsoever.

Paul

I've been able to continue chipping for a few weeks, if need be. In general, if you cannot chip at any point in time then you either cannot get the water underneath the top coat to dissolve the HS (which is how the process works) or you have too little HS applied to begin with, possibly a combination of both factors.

If your goal is to chip a standard opaque top coat (such as general light chips and scratches) then you will have likely sealed the model up with the top coat and getting the water under it will be a challenge. You might also have applied the paint too thickly in general as well, causing more issues. That effort diminishes greatly if you're project is a distressed whitewash, for example, where the top coat should be rather translucent by nature. Just depends on what you are doing and how.

But like the original OP, there is not much to go on trying to diagnose why you've had issues. Could be you sprayed paint thinned with lacquer thinner and it cures to a much harder level, etc., can be a number of things...

Basic HS/CF troubleshooting - (remember the process is about dissolving the HS/CF, not the top layer of paint.)

Can't chip:
1) Too little HS applied
2) Too much top paint applied
3) Can't get the water to the HS
4) Used a lacquer thinner or enamel product and paint cures solid

Chips too much or too large:
1) Gloss coat underneath (no surface grip)
2) Too much HS applied
3) Wrong paint used, some chip better than others. i.e.. Tamiya preferable over Vallejo
4) Too thin top layer applied

If schedule is an issue, then I recommend working towards steps that protect the HS on the model as you go. In fact, it's a good idea to get some chipping started before stopping until the next installment so you know that it works. However, there are numerous variables that would affect the allowable timeframe for a "maximum", so there is no fundamental answer to what constitutes this.