Solvent For Hairspray

[Stevekir]

I am reading about using the hairspray technique for weathering rust. It apparently needs to be airbrushed on. What is the solvent for hairspray please? (Needed for cleaning the airbrush).


I will also be experimenting with using salt crystals. Anyone got any tips or finished pics using the methods (I know the basic steps to follow). Results I have seen can be very authentic.


Thanks.

 

[dubster72]

Umm why airbrush the hairspray on Steve? Most people just spray it directly from the can. You're not aiming for a super fine finish as you would with paint. It's just a barrier between each coat of paint.


However, if you do decant it then water is sufficient, or any other regular airbrush cleaner. I've used windscreen wash fluid.

 

[Stevekir]

Umm why airbrush the hairspray on Steve? Most people just spray it directly from the can. You're not aiming for a super fine finish as you would with paint. It's just a barrier between each coat of paint.
However, if you do decant it then water is sufficient, or any other regular airbrush cleaner. I've used windscreen wash fluid.

I read somewhere that the force of the spray might dislodge the salt chips. However, I will go for applying direct from the can. (Now for the embarrassment of buying the stuff!)


Thanks.

 

[Gern]

(Now for the embarrassment of buying the stuff!)
Thanks.

You could always ask Tony (Yakface) for advice on that Steve! Betcha he spends more time looking for bits and pieces (tweezers, cutters, sanders, decorative bits for lenses etc etc) on the cosmetics counter than his missus does! :D :D:D

 

[dubster72]

I read somewhere that the force of the spray might dislodge the salt chips. However, I will go for applying direct from the can. (Now for the embarrassment of buying the stuff!)
Thanks.

I just mist it on from about 6 to 10" away - the spray isn't that forceful.


Go to your local Poundshop... no-one in there will care a hoot

 

[Gern]

I just mist it on from about 6 to 10" away - the spray isn't that forceful.
Go to your local Poundshop... no-one in there will care a hoot

So how come I keep getting those funny looks?

 

[phikoleoputra]

Can I use enamel/lacquer paints with hairspray technique?

 

[dubster72]

So how come I keep getting those funny looks?

That's just your aftershave!

 

[dubster72]

Can I use enamel/lacquer paints with hairspray technique?

Absolutely Leo! I've done it with Humbrol enamels, Tamiya thinned with cellulose thinner & Humbrol enamel rattle cans.


The usual advice to test before committing to an expensive kit still applies though...

 

[PaulTRose]

I read somewhere that the force of the spray might dislodge the salt chips. However, I will go for applying direct from the can. (Now for the embarrassment of buying the stuff!)
Thanks.

why are you using salt?


you are mixing two different techniques there

 

[yak face]

As Dave says i regularly trawl the cosmetic aisle for all sorts of stuff , ive found the hairspray works fine straight from the tin , either as a pigment fixer or used between coats to enable the top coat to be scrubbed off after . Paul is right too , if youre doing the salt technique then the hairspray isnt really necessary as well . Cheers tony

 

[Stevekir]

why are you using salt?
you are mixing two different techniques there

You'r right. I have been lookingh at videos of rust techniques and I got muddled. I will first try the salt method.


Here's what looks like a good video:

and this one for the hairspray method:

The voice on the second says that it gives a useful 3D effect which I think the first does not. Perhaps the first could have some very fine grains (sand or something coarser than talcum powder any ideas?, my next model will be in 1/24 scale) sprinkled on to the rust coat and perhaps lightly coated with mat varnish (or hairspray) to fix them before the colour coat is applied. Practice will decide.

 

[phikoleoputra]

Absolutely Leo! I've done it with Humbrol enamels, Tamiya thinned with cellulose thinner & Humbrol enamel rattle cans.
The usual advice to test before committing to an expensive kit still applies though...

So, the sequence is like this? Correct me if i'm wrong


1. paint (rust color)


2. Hairspray


3. Base paint (whatever color)


4. Wait until dry then appLy the technique?!


Do i wipe it with water or enamel thinner?


I really want to try this method. Thanks in advance Patrick

 

[dubster72]

So, the sequence is like this? Correct me if i'm wrong
1. paint (rust color)


2. Hairspray


3. Base paint (whatever color)


4. Wait until dry then appLy the technique?!


Do i wipe it with water or enamel thinner?


I really want to try this method. Thanks in advance Patrick

That's pretty much it. Don't wait too long after applying the coat over the hairspray or it can be difficult to remove. The length of time varies a lot; paint type, brand, age of the paint can all play a part, so there's no hard & fast rule.


I use warm water & a toothbrush to scrub the paint off.


Having said all that (!) I don't use the hairspray technique for rust anymore! Because of the variables involved, I find sponge chipping the best method. It allows for greater control & you can see the results as the work progresses.


The hairspray & salt techniques only allow you to see the result once it's done - sometimes that's too late to realise it's not how you wanted it to look.

 

[papa 695]

So, the sequence is like this? Correct me if i'm wrong
1. paint (rust color)


2. Hairspray


3. Base paint (whatever color)


4. Wait until dry then appLy the technique?!


Do i wipe it with water or enamel thinner?


I really want to try this method. Thanks in advance Patrick

Warm water works best but you can do it with cold it just takes longer for it to work

 

[phikoleoputra]

Warm water works best but you can do it with cold it just takes longer for it to work

So the water reacts to the hairspray instead of the enamel?

 

[dubster72]

So the water reacts to the hairspray instead of the enamel?

Exactly! Before the enamel has fully dried, the scrubbing action loosens it up allowing the water to eat away at the hairspray. That in turn loosens more of the enamel from beneath the paint causing the worn effect.


Again, this rather highlights the difficulty in controlling what's happening. I've only used it for recreating a very worn whitewash where losing a lot of the top coat wasn't an issue.

 

[Stevekir]

Having said all that (!) I don't use the hairspray technique for rust anymore! Because of the variables involved, I find sponge chipping the best method. It allows for greater control & you can see the results as the work progresses.

How does the sponge chipping technique work please?

 

[Stevekir]

Dubster mentioned the hairspray technique using enamels.Has anyone tried the salt shipping technique with a gloss surface sprayed with Tamiya Synthetic Lacquer or equivalent? I ask because my next model will be a 1/24 road truck finished to a high gloss with that lacquer. Perhaps the procedure could be as for acrylics: apply acrylic rust paint, add the salt, clean off the surplus, spray with the gloss lacquer, remove the salt. For a good gloss, the final coat has always to be to wetness, which might pool around the salt crystals.


Worth a try anyway.


EDIT: Added first sentence.

 

[dubster72]

How does the sponge chipping technique work please?

Steve, that's an excellent question!


You take a small piece of sponge, such as you'd find from a kitchen scouring pad. You need something with a dense, firm weave so bath or car sponges aren't really suitable.


You then dip the sponge into the paint. I usually wear gloves or hold the sponge with tweezers as the paint can get on your fingers quite easily.


The next stage is to blot the sponge on some kitchen towel. It's a bit like drybrushing, you want the paint on the sponge to be almost dry.


Once I'm happy that the majority of the paint has been blotted, I double check using a scrap piece of painted plastic.


Then I apply the sponge to the model, working it against the raised edges that would naturally see the most wear & tear. The initial application is done very gently in case the paint is wetter than expected. As the sponge dries out a bit, more pressure can be applied to vary the size of the chips - straight cut, crinkle or steakhouse :P


This explanation probably doesn't make much sense, but I'll be doing some chipping tomorrow, so perhaps I can illustrate it with some pictures?