Aging a plastic gun

[Capn_Jack_Savvy]

Well I purchased an Airsoft FBI issue for use with my Indy gear! I know! I know! I know! The orange tip is going to be removed and the finger piece on the grip as well.

My question is that this piece is 100% plastic with exception of the barrel. I am wonder what would be a good technique to achieve a bluish metal look with the sharp edges slightly worn through look? I know you can use different types of paint but I would hate to have to repaint the entire gun primer gray and start from scratch.

Any help would be great!

 

[Ramiel]

You could always try with graphite powder all over the "black" parts, then a transparent fixative/protective paint, and then some silver paint rubbed on the edges of the gun with a piece of cloth or something like that...

 

[TazVader]

good call Ram. I know you are going budget mate. But isn't the holster for something like a Webley? With a longer barrel? Just looks weird with that gun in the holster to my eye. It is a nice pistol though. Easily to a rebuild to make it look almost exactly like Indy's. The shells inare a really nice touch BTW. How much did that set you back? The ht and whip actually look pretty god....so does the jacket

Regards
Christian

 

[WinstonWolf359]

Here's a couple of mine. Different guns, same process:

On both of them I sprayed the whole gun with two coats of Testors gunmetal buffing metallizer, and two coats of metallizer sealer. Then I put two thin coats of Krylon BBQ black. I then buffed the BBQ black with a soft rag to smooth out and gloss up the finish. That might expose a little of the gunmetal underneath, but I also (lightly) rubbed down the whole gun with 0000 steel wool to expose just a little more of the gunmetal.

Also, on the FBI .38 I rubbed the grips down with 300 grit sandpaper to knock off the shine and give them a little texture.

Hope this helps!

 

[stormtrooperguy]

for a really quick and dirty weathering job you could just dry brush some testor's steel model paint on it.

i usually put a couple of coats of rustoleum satin black on plastic stuff. just gives it a less "injection molded plastic" sorta feel.

 

[Coz]

I second the BBQ paint idea!

Used it on this resin Webley (over primer, but BBQ paint is quite resilient anyway). Once dry I buffed it with a shoe brush & paint brush to put a bit of a sheen on it (the BBQ paint has a pretty dusty / flat finish otherwise).
The grip was painted satin black, but you won't need to do that, obviously!

I added wear by drybrushing with a couple of different shades of silver / metallic acrylic paints.

Use a darker shade to drybrush areas that would see wear through the bluing by regular handling - backstrap, trigger guard, sides of the cylinder & barrel - you can also do a little on things like the cylinder release, hammer & trigger.

Use a lighter shade to add 'deeper' wear, such as on the edges of the hammer spur, sight edges, end of the barrel, front edge of the cylinder and frame.

You could add a lanyard ring made from a replacement sink plug chain bolt and a metal curtain ring

http://s84.photobucket.com/albums/k22/Coz_UK/Resin Webley Mk 4/

Another way is to paint the gun a dark silver / pewter colour, and use black ink to 'antique' it. I used Games Workshop 'Citadel' ink.

One cool thing with the ink is that you can use isopropyl alcohol to strategically 'wear' the black back off.

Thinned ink, mostly rubbed off:

Straight black ink, lightly rubbed off:

Hope that helps!

C.

 

[CustomCreations]

love that sawn off ! where did you get that ???
Also, any more info on Testors' gunmetal buffing metallizer '?

 

[WinstonWolf359]

I get the Testors from most any hobby/model shop. They have airbrush and rattlecan versions of most of the colors. I've only used the rattlecans. The great thing about the metallizer sealer is it doesn't ruin the metallic finish like a regular clear coat usually will.

 

[Capn_Jack_Savvy]

Excellent techniques. I will dry the gunmetal paint followed by the black and a serious buffing. The Webley holster was homemade by me based on actual Webley holster photos found online. The Airsoft is merely a place holder and something to work on while I wait for this:

http://www.indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?t=26180

I am also making a smaller holster to evenually fit the Airsoft version.

 

[Coz]

Capn - that's a great looking Webley! Man, I hate England right now.
Something I forgot to mention - get plenty of photo reference!

CC - This is the base gun (I modified it a bit!):

It's marketed as a 'Pirate Shotgun' (comes with an eyepatch and a telescope!). Cost me about £4 off ebay.

If you have a Poundland shop near you, there's a very similar one available there.

C.

 

[CustomCreations]

Coz- SWEET paint job man! I thought it was a more elaborate thing...;-)

 

[Capn_Jack_Savvy]

Coz or Winston Wolf: Where did you guys get the lanyard ring? I saw on Coz Photobucket links that it was sort of drain ring???? I have been looking for something like that to create my lanyard ring for about two months now.

Thanks alot for your help and excellent paint jobs!

 

[Coz]

I found mine at a DIY shop, but as it was the wrong shape, I stuck it in a drill to reshape it (it was chromed plastic).

Kinda like this:

You can also find a similar fitting on LED / Laser keychains. They're shallower, but a good adhesive should work (glue to a bolt?).
Kinda like this:

C.

 

[WinstonWolf359]

I wish I could be of more help on the lanyard ring, but the pistol that has one originally came from an IndyLounge board member and was already installed when he sold it to me. All I did was repaint it and put on the real grips.

From looking at it I think it is just some kind of metal loop inserted up into a hole drilled into the grip frame, with a small key-ring type ring hooked onto that. It's not particularly accurate, but it looks close enough for me right now.

I think real lanyard rings should be easy enough to find, though.

 

[Capn_Jack_Savvy]

Well thanks for all the tips. Here is the completed product. Two pieces on this particular Airsoft model are solid plastic meaning black color all the way through. This consists of the cylinder and flat piece on opposite side. The rest of the gun has black over a white plastic so I actually was able to sand down to the white to highlight the weathering on edges. The barrel and trigger assembly are metal coated with black.

Just sanding, painting using silver and flat black. I still need to remove that orange tip stuck inside the barrel!

 

[TridCloudwalker]

Great job with yours.

Here's one I just finished:

 

[dropshipbob]

Silver Rub N' Buff works pretty good if you want to simulate weathered gunmetal.

 

[OhioAstromech]

You could always try with graphite powder all over the "black" parts, then a transparent fixative/protective paint, and then some silver paint rubbed on the edges of the gun with a piece of cloth or something like that...

Flat black and graphite are the best to give a realistic worn finish.
I never thought about applying a transparent fixative.
I would be afraid it would cause it to lose some of the metalic appearance.

Scot

 

[Coz]

Very nice job Cap'n! Much better!
Looks just the thing to accompany an adventurer on his travels!

 

[TridCloudwalker]

I forgot to mention: Mine was done with a base coat of silver (and bronze for the scope), then a layer or three of satin black. Then I rubbed the whole gun down with graphite powder. Then scrapped/sanded off some of the satin black to expose the silver & bronze, and then highlighted areas with a bit of silver. I also worked some earthtone pastels into recesses.