NMF on a LARGE model - what paint?

I use rattle can silver paint - 2 or 3 light coats should do it.

I used to use Testors Metalizer paint from a rattle can. I painted a B-24 with one can. The B-29 is a large model. I would guess that 3 cans should be enough. However, you will need Testors Metalizer Sealer also.

I'd skip on the metalizer kind only because you have to add a sealer on top of it all. Simple silver paint is suffice IMO. Tamiya has Bare Metal Silver in rattle can so I'd use that instead. 

Keep in mind, any aircraft as NMF are not shiny in service.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

I'd skip on the metalizer kind only because you have to add a sealer on top of it all. Simple silver paint is suffice IMO. Tamiya has Bare Metal Silver in rattle can so I'd use that instead. 

Keep in mind, any aircraft as NMF are not shiny in service.

 

Thanks.  Is the Tamiya Bare Meta Silver maskable?

I question the high cost of Alclad.  A bottle costs eight dollars, versus four for the MM enamel I use.  But Alclad is so thin as sold in the bottle, and the secret to the Alclad finish is to put it down very thin (which, being thin itself, allows you to cut paint flow way back).  So I only use half as much of the stuff as I do enamel.  You do need a good base coat.  That does add a bit for paint cost.

But lets face it- the cost of paint for our models is minimal compared to the cost of the kit, and PE and resin upgrade aftermarket (which I find often doubles cost).

Do a Korean War B-29 with black undersides and you cut your NMF paint requirements in half

I have built three jumbo models- Star Trek 1/350 NX-01, a 1/72 B-36, and the Forbidden Planet C-57D.  Because of their size, I decided to use big rattle cans of Krylon paint.  They make a number of choices of NMF finishes, and I found it to work out quite well.  I would recommend doing it outside or in a garage, as the dust that precipitated from 6 or 8 coats of this stuff really had a lot of "fall-out".  Dusted everything in my basement, and I still have some of it hanging around from years ago!  Hack-Kaff!   And of course, a respirator is necessary!

Cadet Chuck

I have built two jumbo models- Star Trek 1/350 NX-01, and the Forbidden Planet C-57D.  Because of their size, I decided to use big rattle cans of Krylon paint.  

 

NOPE! Krylon are garbage. Ask me how I know. Krylon is on my ban list of paint brands.

Yes Tamiya in rattle can is maskable as long as you use Tamiya tape or Frog Yellow tape from Walmart.

Stik - 

Now that would be an awesome scheme!!

Blacksheep- I would be interested in knowing what problems you had with Krylon.  It worked ok for me, although I have only used it those large models, because of their size.

Chuck

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

 

 

Stik - 

Now that would be an awesome scheme!!

 

Well once the Migs appeared over North Korea, the B-29 was as vulnerable as the heavies over Germany in 1943, even with escort. The MiG-15's armament was optimized for killing bombers. So they switched to night bombing.

Of course they launched and recovered in daylight. And occasionally bombed south of Mig Alley in daylight.

Don Stauffer

I question the high cost of Alclad.  A bottle costs eight dollars, versus four for the MM enamel I use.  But Alclad is so thin as sold in the bottle, and the secret to the Alclad finish is to put it down very thin (which, being thin itself, allows you to cut paint flow way back).  So I only use half as much of the stuff as I do enamel.  You do need a good base coat.  That does add a bit for paint cost.

But lets face it- the cost of paint for our models is minimal compared to the cost of the kit, and PE and resin upgrade aftermarket (which I find often doubles cost).

 

How about this as an alternative for paint as a NMF---Bare Metal Foil. I know that this may seem insane, but I am currently working on a 1/48 scale B-29 in Bare Metal Foil. 

JohnnyK

How about this as an alternative for paint as a NMF---Bare Metal Foil. I know that this may seem insane, but I am currently working on a 1/48 scale B-29 in Bare Metal Foil. 

 

 

 

Hope you lots of money for that. Also, consider whether or not decals will adhere to that stuff. Weathering? Forget about it. I'd say no on Bare Metal Foil. You'll have to buy multiple packages for a 1/48 scale bomber.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

 

 

JohnnyK

How about this as an alternative for paint as a NMF---Bare Metal Foil. I know that this may seem insane, but I am currently working on a 1/48 scale B-29 in Bare Metal Foil. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you lots of money for that. Also, consider whether or not decals will adhere to that stuff. Weathering? Forget about it. I'd say no on Bare Metal Foil. You'll have to buy multiple packages for a 1/48 scale bomber.

 

One can also use foil from the store. Microscale makes an adhesive that you apply to the model or foil to bond the two together. One of these days I'm gonna try the foil method for NMF. Decals adhere to foil. They adhere to most anything if you're not careful.

Spider webbing, cracking. I sprayed in several light coats. Oh yeah - they were brand new rattle cans too. Never again I will use Krylon.

[quote user="BlackSheepTwoOneFour"

Hope you lots of money for that. Also, consider whether or not decals will adhere to that stuff. Weathering? Forget about it. I'd say no on Bare Metal Foil. You'll have to buy multiple packages for a 1/48 scale bomber.

[/quote]

Weathering BMF isn't difficult. FSM writer Bucky Sheftall published several articles in the magazine during the 90's in which he detailed his approach and I've played around with his technique a few times since. It uses aluminum foil and Microscale adhesive, so the costs are limited. Bucky's advice was to pay attention to the grain of the metal to create different "tones" on individual panels and to use steel wool to smooth edges and achieve even more tonal variation. When complete, the foil is sealed and weathering goes about as usual, using various washes and pastels to achieve various effects, then another coat of sealer.

A lot of work? No more than what was being preached as gospel for metal finishes at the time. We were lectured to polish the plastic with micro grade sandpaper and to use metal polish to get bare plastic as reflective as possible before applying paint and then instructed to polish the paint after it had cured. In a lot of ways, Bucky's technique was easier.

Covering a Superfortress completely in BMF isn't anything new and it's been done many times with great results. A labor of love - time intensive, challenging, and maybe a bit expensive, but if you're ready to tackle a project like that, be sure to share it with the forum!