Toothpaste vs liquid mask vs hairspray for chipping effect??

[foxmulder_ms]

Which one of these methods/materials (toothpaste, liquid mask or hairspray) do you guys use for chipping effects on your models? How do you use it?

 

Thanks!!

[Janissary]

I have used liquid mask, hairspray, and AK chipping fluid. My (rather limited) experience is as follows:

 

LM: Easy to apply with a sponge. Best if you dilute it a little bit with water. May create too pronounced chips if applied thick. Comes off with gentle rubbing and with some water, but can also be a little difficult to remove if it is too thin and the surface has a flat paint on it. Overall, I think it has a tendency to create stark, flaky effects, which is not too suitable for general wear and tear IMO. But, depending on the effect you want, it can be very good. Armor modelers seem to use it very effectively, which I envy. 

 

Hairspray: Apply with an airbrush. I don't thin it but could be thinned with water. Too much hairspray will create pronounced chips. So for subtle chips, I would apply it thinly. You can use water and a brush to gently remove it. Most of the chipping on my MiG-29 was done with hairspray. I did the chipping in the kitchen sink with thinly running water and an old toothbrush. 

 

AK chipping fluid: Apply with an A/B similar to hairspray. However, this tends to bead up if the surface is gloss or semi gloss, which I don't like at all! Creates large, flaky chips. I haven't observed anything that is superior to the hairspray.  That said, I think it is my failure to use it properly because I have seen some marvelous effects others have achieved.

 

Doogs has a good demo of the chipping effect on his website (Doogs Models). 

[foxmulder_ms]

Thanks!

 

You cannot use hairspray with enamels, right? 

 

Also, with the hair spray, do you cover large areas then chip away "target" points by brush or you apply hairspray itself "targeted"? 

[Janissary]

I haven't tried it but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work with enamels. I don't think enamel paint would interact negatively with the HS. In my one and only time using HS (MiG-29), I applied it to the entire surface instead of selectively applying it. The reason is that HS it allows me to decide where to chip where not to chip later on, rather than having to remember where the HS was applied. However, if you truly have only a small area to chip, I would only apply the HS there. 

 

The biggest challenge is how to chip in a subtle way. That takes some practice, but is in fact fairly straightforward. The sheen of the underlying surface (gloss vs matte), the amount of HS applied, the chipping tool, and the amount of water you use are the parameters you can play with. For subtlety, a somewhat matte surface with a thin layer of HS is best.

[foxmulder_ms]

Last questions: You said you brushed the hairspray, so they came as aerosols right, did you decant it or found a non-aerosol hairspray? basically tell me the brand you used please :)

[Janissary]

Sure. I airbrush the HS. It is a travel size, non-aerosol bottle i bought from target i think. 

https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/tresemme-tres-two-extra-hold-non-aerosol-hair-spray/ID=prod4267279-product

 

mine is a medium hold i think but you get the idea. But any brand should do it. Two pumps directly into the airbrush (no thinning) covers a surpringly large area. 

[foxmulder_ms]

Thanks, again..