1:1 Full Scale Weathering

Hi Gang,

As many of you know I am helping Chris Lee and his full scale Millennium Falcon build. I've nearly finished both the cockpit console and one of the exterior quad lasers.

http://www.therpf.com/f9/1-1-millennium-falcon-console-replica-147319/index39.html

For fun I'm going to paint the Quad and the new MF styled base and would like to achieve a "realistic" weathered effect to include dents, scratches, drips, oil streaks, etc. but I've never weathered anything this scale before. I'm not sure whether to use oil based can or spray paint with thinner/mineral spirits as a wash... etc????

QUESTION: Does anybody have any ideas/guidance on how to achieve a realistic weathered look on such a large scale?

Thanks!

Slight Bump

Leave it outside? Sorry...it's all I've got. :lol

Bootlegger137 said:

Leave it outside? Sorry...it's all I've got. :lol

Click to expand...

LOL! That just might work...

There are various methods you could use, but it would be time cosuming. Oil paints can be used to streak rust, or you could airbrush the stains on. You can splatter transparent paints w/ chip brushes to build further stains and textures. You could also use pastel chalks...while realistic would likely take you a while to apply. There are weathering powders and solutions made by AK Industries specifically for this, but they would likely be expensive for the quantities you need.

Well, it's not going to be easy. Dents are going to need to be put in first, because the base is wood. For instance, when you dent painted metal, the metal bends and the paint flakes off. If you whack wood, the breaks, and you'll see the wood underneath the paint.

So, you can use a hammer, a dremel, a wonder bar or anything else, to put some dents in the wood.

After you've dented the wood, it's going to need a coat of wood filler, or bondo glazing putty, to cover the wood grain.

Then, base paint the whole thing in aluminum/silver lacquer and give it time to dry.

Then mix up a paste of salt and water, and put the past into all the dents, and anywhere else you want to show a scratch. But make sure the scrathes are in logical places - rub points, high points, contact points. Scratches where nobody would ever touch, don't make any sense.

Next, apply your top coat. When that's dry, rub off all the salt paste - this will take off the top paint, allowing the silver to show through.

After all that, you can start to weather - and you don't need anything special. All you need is some actual dirt, maybe a quart of oil (if you change your own oil, you can reserve a little bit for the weathering process), and some water. Mix the dirt and water, glop it on in random places, let it dry, then hose most of it off. The trick is to stain the paint, in a way that water would naturally run. Then do the same thing with the oil. Throw some on, throw some water on it, and let it works it's way into the nooks and crannies.

The worst weathering is the weathering that looks purposeful.

-Fred

Have you thought of using real rust. Steel wool plus water plus a bit of air... presto.

I've done this on model kits a few years back. Can't imagine it wouldn't work full size.

Gigatron said:

Well, it's not going to be easy. Dents are going to need to be put in first, because the base is wood. For instance, when you dent painted metal, the metal bends and the paint flakes off. If you whack wood, the breaks, and you'll see the wood underneath the paint.

So, you can use a hammer, a dremel, a wonder bar or anything else, to put some dents in the wood.

After you've dented the wood, it's going to need a coat of wood filler, or bondo glazing putty, to cover the wood grain.

Then, base paint the whole thing in aluminum/silver lacquer and give it time to dry.

Then mix up a paste of salt and water, and put the past into all the dents, and anywhere else you want to show a scratch. But make sure the scrathes are in logical places - rub points, high points, contact points. Scratches where nobody would ever touch, don't make any sense.

Next, apply your top coat. When that's dry, rub off all the salt paste - this will take off the top paint, allowing the silver to show through.

After all that, you can start to weather - and you don't need anything special. All you need is some actual dirt, maybe a quart of oil (if you change your own oil, you can reserve a little bit for the weathering process), and some water. Mix the dirt and water, glop it on in random places, let it dry, then hose most of it off. The trick is to stain the paint, in a way that water would naturally run. Then do the same thing with the oil. Throw some on, throw some water on it, and let it works it's way into the nooks and crannies.

The worst weathering is the weathering that looks purposeful.

-Fred

Click to expand...

Hi Fred,

Thanks for the GREAT advice! I'll definately take all this to task!

Mr Walker said:

Have you thought of using real rust. Steel wool plus water plus a bit of air... presto.

I've done this on model kits a few years back. Can't imagine it wouldn't work full size.

Click to expand...

I'll try this as well!