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So I have a conversion I've been working on for awhile, finally getting down to the fiddly bits and painting. I really need a rusted look to make this work the way I drew it up, and I've been playing with various methods of getting an organic rusted look, namely the "Hairspray" and "Salt" methods. Short version for those who haven't done this, basically you put down a rusty looking base coat, coat with hairspray or salt, paint your final coat, then use water and a brush to knock off the top layer, exposing the under layer. These methods are giving me bang up perfect results on small items. Mainly the "hairspray" method, but when I try to bring them to a larger scale, the undercoat invariably chips, exposing my primer. Having now watched about 900 hours of people using these methods on youtube I am at a loss. I can't figure out why it works so well on a really small area, but when applied to the hood of vehicle, I am SOL.


Does anyone out there have a surefire bang up way to get a really nice organic rusted look? I've tried salt and hairspray and can't get them to work on a large scale, the underlayer always peels off with the top layer. They usually start to look great, then a big fat chip peels down to the primer and the whole thing is buggered.


If anyone has a great rust method, I'd take any help at this point. Cheers guys!

Have you tried the sponge method? Take a natural sponge, dip it in your chosen paint, dry off most of the paint a la drybrushing, and then stipple on the paint.

For the hairspray method are you not supposed to hit the rust layer with a layer of varnish before you go onto the salt and damaged layers?

Cant you just repaint your rust colours onto the bits that chip off? Not like it has to have a perfect layer is it?


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Or maybe youre putting too heavy a layer on top of the salt. The salt should brush away.. Not peel or scrape.. Maybe use a brush upto the edges of the salt so youre not covering it with paint which would harden it onto your rusty base layer

You need to put down a gloss coat after your rust coloring so that it will not chip off and show the primer.
Primer.
Rust coloring
Heavy gloss coat
Hairspray
Main colors/highlighting.

Then go back with some water (damp, not a ton) and toothbrush to pick at the top paint layer.

Or, you can use the sponge method and sponge on your rust coloring over your top color.

Alternatively, you can buy some AK interactive or Ammo by Mig Jimenez chipping fluid. It works like the hairspray, but allows better control.

I apologize, I forgot to mention I am using a varnish to seal in the rust. I wasn't sure whether I should rely on that, so I was thinning it out. I am going to try and layer the varnish on heavy and give that a go.


As for the sponge method, I like it, and I create some pretty beat up stuff, I guess, I am trying to get a really, paint peeling, organic feel and I love this hairspray method for that.


Gonna hit this up with enough varnish so that in 2000 years, archeologist will be able to use the oxygen trapped in it to decipher the climate. (Maybe slightly less, no diluting this time)

You are letting the layers dry and cure properly right? (primer and all)

Going at it like 30min after can have that effect.

The last run through, I primed, 24hrs, based and added my rust effect, then varnished and wait 24 hours. Hairspray, waited maybe 4 hours, then put on the color coat and then the next day, I got in from work super excited, sure it would work this time aaaaaaaand.....crapped out.


The issue is the chips I am getting are so large and obvious, that when I go back and paint them, they just look off. I am probably being picky, but this is the first full conversion I've done in this ork army. 20+ years playing and this is my first custom vehicle, so I am being overly sensitive about it I think. I probably need to accept well enough on this next pass and use it as a learning experience for the next vehicle on my desk.


Re-coating a piece right now, I am worried now that I was thinking about it too much and that I just over thinned the varnish and it wasn't doing it's job. I may have over used water too in the final stage.