Topic: Exhaust stub colours

Can anyone tell me a good way to get the rusty steel look of a merlin exhaust manifold ?  I've painted them matt black but they just don't look right.


Steve

Steve I went out and got some art crayons (Rowney Oil Pastels), they are about 1/2" thick, make sure you dont get the chalk ones, they look the same, but rub off. I got several shades of black/grey and Burnt Sienna, a type of rusty brown/red.

Practise on some scrap paper, put a blob of pastel down, then use your finger to drag and draw it, mix in different colours as you go. Also the Gell Pens are pretty good at small details and colours. But remember to make sure you proof them.

Duncan Hutson did an artical a while back in RCM&E, which I wish a still had. t was very informative, about laying down colours and sanding them back. I just paint them rust, then mess about with blacks/brown etc. (I don't like mine either. )

I good bet would be to contact Dave Tilbury aka Scaleman on here.....Dave would know  ...he's good at that kind of thing.

Did he also add salt and then disolve it once the paint had set, to give a rough effect?

keith  8)

The idea of the salt added in with the paint then disolved was to create a 'pitted' effect, much like heat distorted metal...................Duncan used this effect well on models with large exposed 'collector ring' type exhaust, as well as those with long 'pipes', such as his 1.4 scale SE5a......... these had a large area...........using this on small exhaust stacks could (to my mind anyway) be a little tricky.

I have alwayd gone down the 'several layers of paint' route...starting with a base silver, then a black, then adding progressively lighter tones of brown, until I get an almost straw colour........much like the colour of a spark plug when running well....if that makes sense ??

I also think that making the stack detailed adds a lot........the weld line down the centre is V prominant, and can add a lot if done well.

Phil

Thanks for the help guys, I'll try a couple of test pieces first and see how I get on. Here's what I have now, I'll see if it can be improved upon.

hi steve

i guess my route is very similar to phil's, first applying silver paint then matt black over the top, next lighty rub though the black to expose the silver either with fine wire wool or 1200 wet and dry, next give them a couple of light coats of mucky wash, (thinned down mixture of black and small amount of silver and white, allow to dry, then comes the tricky part, using an airbrush spray lighter greys over the ends and thinned down white, remember that the first one will not have much as no exhaust vapours go over it, but the rest do. i used this technique on my hurricane and spit, it works well because when i make up my exhaust stubs i put weld seems on them, rubbing back the paint highlights these which in turn makes them come to life.

i like the salt idea as my tiger moth exhaust has a textured surface, will be using a similar version for mine.

dont't forget that the stains down the sides of aircraft are rarely black....mostly greys and soft browns.

post your results....would like to see them

cheers

dave

Well I've welded them up, sprayed light grey/metallic silver and it makes a difference already. When it's dry I'll do the black and then the sooty and rusty bits.

Ive some good rusty looking colours on my bt hurri exhausts but cant get my photos from 22kb to 20 kb ??

Ben,

use the image uploader at the top of the page, it will take up to 50kb, then paste the links into the thread.  Any ideas appreciated.

Thanks

Steve

Slipstream........go to the model shop and buy a tinlet of brick-red.....can"t remember the number off hand now, but it"s the colour used for the bottom surface of warships etc.......if you paint it over your stubbs, then scuff through it to allow some silver to show, finish off with some pencil lead......rubbed in with your finger....

 Cliff

Gone over them with a black wash, added rusty bits using humbrol browns and added the grey / white at the exhaust ends.  Any comments / suggestions ?







Steve

I reckon they look 101% better...........nice job, proof them, and leave them as they are. Love the weld lines and end flange........nice  

Phil

ps:- is that a BT Hurri ??

Slipstream, I agree with Phil, look great the way they are........

    Cliff

100% better.....much!

One small comment though, the stubs do look "rather stuck-on" if I where you, I would paint a small black box around the set.....giving the impression that they are comming through the cowling. It won't be a prefect answer, but it will divite the eye away form the the stuck-on look you have know. Add some exhaust and oil stains too.

Just my two cents worth

By the way...the welds! what did you use for those? pretty effective I thought.

Hi Alan,Cliff, Phil, , thanks for the comments. The welds were done with a pointed satay stick and PVA glue, built up in two runs. I will paint a black box around the exhaust, they were just put on with masking tape to get an idea of what it looked like.

Oil streaks, smoke stains etc will be added shortly.

Phil,  it's the Warbirds Hurricane


Steve

rather than the 'black box'..........why not physically cut an opening in the cowl as per the fullsize..........mount the 3 stacks to a piece of ply, and then mount the job lot into the cowl from the inside, making sure to space the ply off the inside of the cowl with say some 1/8 balsa............no black box, but a 'scale' opening and the exhausts protruding through with a 'space' all the way round.

Phil

Phil,

I had thought of doing that but it's a question of how far to go on a model that is not scale anyway and the fact that the fuselage sits quite tight against the inside of the cowl for nearly two inches. In short it's the hassle factor that made me decide against it but thanks for the idea.

Steve