How to do bare-metal look (not chrome)?

[nomuse]

Working on a mixed-materials prop. The graphite-rubbed black paint trick worked great for the "treated" metal but there are some bits I'd like to look like untreated, bare steel. Any ideas for a paint treatment?

 

[nomuse]

Well...Rub & Buff followed by acrylic washes doesn't do it. It looked okay, but it looked just a little too painted.

Golden Iridescent Stainless Steel added nothing of use.

But heavily buffed graphite rub over blue-gray base is showing promise.

 

[fotokid]

what metal are you working with?

 

[nomuse]

I wish I could just bare the metal. But the prop is a mash-up of steel, brass, aluminum, styrene, SLS, and Apoxie. I've been giving it opaque primer, and a paint treatment on top of that.

The look I'm after is 1930's blue-ing with wear mostly on the bearing surfaces. It's a made-up pulp era hand cannon, and will be mostly a display prop. The graphite-based technique is looking great on the blued surfaces. The breech cover faces, though, which are briefly exposed when the gun is opened for re-loading, are giving me some trouble.

 

[exoray]

Graphite rub over white or silver paint...

 

[neilo1]

I used a zinc rich paint out of a rattle can, used to touch up galvanized steel. I then used a very small amount of black liquid shoe polish for a mild weathering, For the rusted areas I used a redish-brown. Because it's shoe polish no sealing was required when dry.

Hope this can help.

 

[nomuse]

"Zinc rich?" I like the look there. Very zinc-y, but quite appropriate for some designs (would be really, really cool on a retro ray gun).

I did a graphite rub on light gray. Looks very lead. Fortunately you can hardly see that spot so it will do for THIS prop.

BTW, what are people using for graphite? I bought a General's wide graphite stick (2B) and powdered it with a hand file.

 

[Crin]

"Zinc rich?" I like the look there. Very zinc-y, but quite appropriate for some designs (would be really, really cool on a retro ray gun).

I did a graphite rub on light gray. Looks very lead. Fortunately you can hardly see that spot so it will do for THIS prop.

BTW, what are people using for graphite? I bought a General's wide graphite stick (2B) and powdered it with a hand file.

You can buy powdered graphite in hardware stores - it should be with the lubricants.

 

[nomuse]

Never thought of that, Crin! And I knew about graphite lubricant, too!

The prop is done. I mean to take it out to the woods to get some decent pictures...until then all I have is an "almost done" shot taken on my floor.