Getting chalk to stick to delrin?

[GonzoCRFan]

I've been working on a car, and decided to use chalks to weather the trucks. I love the effect it gives, problem is, the chalk doesn't stick well to the damn slippery plastic when I try to lock it in with Dullcote. And after 6-7 applications and subsequent Dullcoting, I'm getting pretty sick of it. Anyone have any recommendations on how I can improve the chalk's adherance?

[Chris333]

I'd paint the trucks with grimy black or some other "weather" color, then put the chalk on.

[cr6841]

sean,

          yeah, paint it grimy black, add your chalks, and spray it about 12 in. from the model, hitting it with a very light, fine mist. depending on how light/dark you want it, repeat the process until you are not sick anymore, and stop crying. if all else fails, break out the airbrush.

[GonzoCRFan]

repeat the process until you are not sick anymore, and stop crying. if all else fails, break out the airbrush.

Hey, I'm not the pansy who wears a mask while spraying. "La-de-da, look at me! I'm afraid of having multi-colored boogers!" VOCs are good at clearing out your sinuses...

And after seeing the pre-dullcote effect of chalks, I'm never using paint to weather trucks again.

[bsoplinger]

What about a base coat of dullcoat on the trucks, then applying the chalks then sealing with more dullcoat? Or using flat future (Future mixed with Tamiya flat base) in place of the dullcoat?

[GonzoCRFan]

What about a base coat of dullcoat on the trucks, then applying the chalks then sealing with more dullcoat? Or using flat future (Future mixed with Tamiya flat base) in place of the dullcoat?

Those are good suggestions also, though I'd be concerned with the wet dullcote mucking up my brush - I'm guessing isopropyl alcohol would clean dullcote out of a brush? I'll have to keep those two in mind for next time, but I already painted the trucks on this particular car.

[Chris333]

You can get dullcote in cans. If you brush it on you will need "brush cleaner"  I don't think alcohol will work.

I go through 5-6 cans of dullcote a year. Maybe more

[GonzoCRFan]

You can get dullcote in cans.

I am well aware of that. 

Before I tried it, I was under the impression that at least some of the wet, sprayed-on dullcote would stick to the brush while I was slapping on the chalks. That doesn't seem to be the case, so I guess it doesn't matter now.

[cr6841]

sean,

         pansy? i am man, i use solvent base paint. acrylic is safe, sissy paint, make sean into pansy;) solvent paint fun. voc's fun. try using floquil brunswick green. it's really a dead flat black, and apply heavy layers of artists' pastels,(oil pastels stick better), and do it while it's slightly tacky. it holds the dust in the paint while it's drying. polly s engine black is good too. then paint the wheels a dark rust or a little lighter, and it will bring out the truck's dust a little more.

[GonzoCRFan]

sean,

         pansy? i am man, i use solvent base paint. acrylic is safe, sissy paint, make sean into pansy;) solvent paint fun. voc's fun. try using floquil brunswick green. it's really a dead flat black, and apply heavy layers of artists' pastels,(oil pastels stick better), and do it while it's slightly tacky. it holds the dust in the paint while it's drying. polly s engine black is good too. then paint the wheels a dark rust or a little lighter, and it will bring out the truck's dust a little more.

I'll have to give that a try...so the darker black surface is preferred, as opposed to using something lighter, like grimy black? I would think the darker color would be harder to cover, but the increase in contrast probably makes the trucks look more realistic.

[Pomperaugrr]

Bragdon weathering powders work very well.  There is an adhesive that is mixed in and activated when rubbed on surfaces.  I have used this on locomotive and rolling stock trucks, both with and without a shot of dullcoat on the plastic first.  It works well either way.

Eric

[tom mann]

Sean,

Unless you're talking about G scale trucks, I would stay away from using chalk on trucks.  I did this in my June-July '05 chalk phase*, and I regret it.  The chalk fills in all the detail, to the point that the springs look like cylinders.

Another idea is to use your airbrush from far away, so the paint drys before it hits the surface and creates a textured look.

*see my book for more.

[GonzoCRFan]

Unless you're talking about G scale trucks, I would stay away from using chalk on trucks.  I did this in my June-July '05 chalk phase*, and I regret it.  The chalk fills in all the detail, to the point that the springs look like cylinders.

I haven't really noticed this happening, even on the bearing caps. But that might have something to do with me using 600-grit sandpaper to make the powder, it's extremely fine stuff.

[quadk]

Sean, for my trucks I usually start out spraying them with like a grimy black or something then putting some hair spray in a cap. Then dip the brush in the hair spray then the powder and put it on. When it dries then you don't have to seal it with dullcote as the hairspray does it for you. This also works if you don't spray your trucks first with anything. I have did it both ways, just like to have the base coat first.