OK, I've read many, many pages of threads on the above subject but nowhere do I find specific, very detailed descriptions (preferably with photos or, even better, with video) on certain techniques for weathering the hull and painting the decks. Yes, I have read Jake Groby's essay on the subject. I even called him on his cell phone a week or two ago to ask him a question about which he was gracious enough to give me an answer (since it was during his working hours and he doesn't know me from Adam. He was in his car at the time).
Any of you who have some experience doing what I've not been able to do, please chime in and let me know what you think I should be doing differently or if I shouldn't attempt some of these techniques at all.
Unfortunately I just don't seem to be able to get any of the beautiful hull and/or deck painting/weathering techniques to work for me. I'm starting to think that I just don't have the required skill set for the kind of modeling that I often admire on this forum. However, I will trudge on! I'm going to include a bit of the build log I thought about keeping (I'm having second thoughts on that) so that you might understand some of my frustration.
December 31, 2011
In the last week I've painted the bulwarks white. I then decided to cut off the triangular gussets that support the bulwarks and will eventually use wire to represent the "A"-shaped iron stanchions that actually do that job on the CS. This required that I do sanding and grinding with my Dremel tool. It's a rough job but most of the roughness on the inside of the bulwarks where I sanded/ground the triangular gussets off will be underneath pinrails - some of which will have coils of rope around the pins so what's below the rails probably won't show. I've put on about 3 coats of flat white paint on the bulwarks so far. Lots of overpainting but I'll be taking care of what will show later.
One unfortunate result of my using my Dremel to cut out and grind the bulwarks free of the triangular gussets is that I ground out some sections of the waterways (the edges of the deck next to the bulwarks) so that I'll have to use some putty to fill in the gaps when the time comes to attach the deck sections. Although the waterways have white paint on them in the picture below, they will be painted red (a sort of salmon/rust color red) in the finished model.
November 13, 2012
I used Testors 1/4 oz. little square bottle to paint the coppered portion of the hull several months ago. I then attempted (just a couple of weeks ago) to use Jake Groby's method for weathering the copper. I used Floquil antique white and light green to do exactly as he said. When I went to gently rub off the still damp paint with an old t-shirt (suggested by Jake as an answer to my question as to what I should do where he says: "...wash the paint down with ONLY turpentine,..") and, even though I thought I was rubbing very gently, lots of the copper paint (which had been dry for months) was rubbed off. Total failure!!
I then repainted the coppering and, after it dried (48hrs.) I tried using my arist acrylic paints to attempt the same effect. I figured water couldn't wash away the enamel paint. I was WRONG!! Big sections of black hull reappeared. I was bummed.
I've since given up on the weathering idea for the Muntz Metal hull. I've just repainted the coppering (this time using Floquil copper enamel paint).
I also tried and failed to bring out the detail of the planking on the deck sections using the technique of first spray painting with black, then, when the paint is dry, painting with Armor Sand. After the Armor Sand had dried, I took a medium steel wool and gently tried to work away enough paint so the detail showed through. Another complete disaster!! Some sections were not worked away at all and others were too black. I tried it once more (repainting both colors after having tried to get most of the paint off. Still did not work for me. Now there's no detail left on the decks (just on the roofs of the cabins which I'd not gotten to at first). Again, it's probably my lousy technique but, needless to say, I'm very disappointed. I've given up on that step and simply painted the decks and cabin roofs a shade of light/medium gray that I hope represents weathered teak.
All suggestions, comments, criticisms, will be gratefully stored away for my next build.
Mike