"Shiny & polished craft metallic acrylic paint?" Topic

I'm feeling out for anybody's experience with Folk Art, Delta Ceramcoat, Apple Bottom, etc. silver, sterling silver, aluminium, etc.

I wanna paint late WWII American and Japanese planes that look shiny and new, like in the photos. Not all dull.

Does anybody know if any of these paints come out as polished?

I have read at raidenminiatures.com about a special paint from Japan, SM06 – Chrome Silver, but it is very difficult to get and very expensive. I'd rather use that money on more planes. Or a nice dinner with my girlfriend ;)

Oh, check the link: link

So?

Gracias,
Pájaro Muerto

You might want to try Tamiya. I know it's not craft paint, but it's widely available.

In a recent issue of Finescale Modeler, a company came out with a buffing acrylic metallic paint. That may do the trick. Still not a craft paint, and may need to be special ordered, but I don't think ANY craft paint is going to give you the finish you want.

Damon.

I that is the stuff I tried it looks great…. until you try to protection coat it…. the it stops looking raw metal and starts looking PLASTIC!!!!
and if you try to go without putting down a protective coat you touch the paint as it picking up a piece to look at or move and you get a perfect finger print in… tarmish!!
Tamyia had a polishable metalic paint but it was withdrawn at one because of the mystery content of the paints the could not import it to the US.
Have you tried some of the alcohol based metalics and coating the dried piece with Future acrylic floor wax…. let it set a couple daus the buff with a coffon ball? I have not personally tried it but it soumds logical and an attempt I would try.

Say another idea came to me from my ill spent youth… do like our gilding friends and actually lay down an extremely thin skin of metal.
Gilding is more trouble than painting but doable
coat the plane in gilders glue… follow directions but usually it ls let dry unil the hair on the back of your arm sticks
take the aluminum foil and lay down on the almost dried glue… pat into place with a gilders brush (very soft wide camel hair)-- if some areas do not cover just take more foil and pat over bare spot. when covered lightly burish first with a cotton ball-- when set burnish harder with a cotton stick (Q-Tip). after about 12 hours so you are sure the glue is dry polish softly.
Lightly coat dried surface with a glossy fixative.

Your best bet would be to have it plated in the metal color you want. Find some of those people who bronze baby shoes and other things. They might be able to do it.

TheRaven and Zephyr1:

The trouble is, the WWII planes to paint are 1/285 scale! tinies, 2-3 cm long. Any quite a few (like 12 for starters). So the gilding doesn't work. Maybe they can be plated, but… it must cost like $10 USD US each plane, I guess!

El Pájaro Muerto

Oh yeah, I was reading about Tamiya Chrome Silver and Tamiya TITANIUM Silver, which is newer. I saw some photos of 1/48 F-104s and Mustangs, and they looked real nice.

Testors Model Master Chrome silver enamal. Works like a charm.

Whoa!!!!! simple solution!! I am assuming the air craft are pewter or at least white metal….. get some 0000 steel steel wool and polish the plane to a high polish,,,, Carefully paint cockpits what ever colors you have decided to to depict your glass work in.
Now I have never done this with aircraft but it makes awesome chain mail or for unheraldic painted Plate armor
BTW 285th aircraft are too small to benefit from Tamiya's polishing paint.
Hope this idea solves your problem

TheRaven: Yes, they ARE pewter or a like alloy. Good idea.

Hmmm… 0000 steel wool… Is that a variation of the one you use to scrape sticky burnt stuff on pots in your sink? Should I look in a hardware store or a supermarket?

Another question: after you polish and paint details, do you seal in a gloss of Krystall Klear lacquer?

I read an article called "Natural Metal for the Masses"
link
where the writer used mixes of Humbrol silver with whites and blacks to give slightly different metal tints to different panels on the plane. I guess you could do that also with say, Chrome Silver 100%, Chrome Silver + Aluminum 50:50, Aluminum 100%.

I already had bought a pot each of Tamiya Chrome Silver and Tamiya Titanium Silver on the net, before reading your post. I will try them out anyways, when the package gets here, and check the results.

Thanks!

Pájaro Muerto

I am afraid you are going to have to go to a hardware store. Woodworking store (it is used to bring fine woods to a high finish) or a craft store, the number of zeros is arbitray needs to be over 3 beyond that it is a matter of h how shinny with out the scratches showing. Now this is kind of extreme but you can buy a burnisher (highly polished round pointed steel tool generally with a handle) to work out and the the microscopic scratch patter that gives the appearance of poliish, I used it on silver jewelry and small (4" high) sculptures--you may have difficiulty finding one small enoiugh for your aircraft.
Protective coating…. hmm well it has to be light enough to not effect the metal look it can easily get a Plastic look. But be aware that the polished metal stays polished a long time.. Now if you hold the surface of the plames alot (not by with wing tip or base) with oily fingers it will break down.
and it depends on how you store your planes..if you keep them in a closed box toss in one of those silicone bags jewelers use in thier trays of silver jewelry… they retard oxidation.
Sorry, I generally have no idea to the answer people are seeking; so when I do know something about it I tend to give much more information than they wanted. Too many years of teaching sculpture and Jewelry making I guess.