Engines,engines, engines

[kpisnuts]

Hi all some people have said they thought my engines looked very realistic (I think it helps in that most of my life I've been around or worked on either motorcycle or car engines) so I thought if anyone wants to know how I do any aspect of weathering an engine they could just ask or if it would help maybe I could try and post a video (pretty rubbish at social media) 

Here is a random sample of the hundreds of engines I must have modeled over the years 

[digger303]

That's a great offer and some awesome engines.

[BigWall]

I agree with Digger. Thank you for the offer!

[Kevthemodeller]

Super collection there mate, great offer too

[kpisnuts]

Hi all so the first installment, I'm basically the laziest modeler ever and if there's a short cut or an easy way to do something I'm there.

So heres the first bit of aging an engine, since I'm working on an engine atm I decided to use that as the first example.

First requirement talcum powder.



Here's our nice clean engine




I use enamels so in this case I dip the brush in white spirit before picking up some talc(you can use water but you would have to matt the engine first as the water will just bead otherwise) I then dab the loaded brush on the engine (really load it all up with the white spirit and talc)once that's done flood with white spirit till it looks how you want.




I used gun metal from ABT



To highlight the bolt heads.



I then dust it all with Uschi powders



Then buff that with a soft brush






My ref pic



This is going to end up being a very long post as I have lots of stuff to add to it (assuming you want it)

[Casper]

Great thread kpisnuts, thanks for showing your weathering techniques. The talc works a treat

[digger303]

The metalizing powder : Do you apply a sealer over that or not. ?
Marvelous work.

[kpisnuts]

No, no sealer, even without its far more robust than alclad (never have got on with that stuff)

[kpisnuts]

Hi all well I have been given lots of ref pics of this engine and none of them are as distressed as this is, so a bit of white spirit and a cotton bud and it's looking more like it should.



So next method, here is the sacrificial engine for this example (and for most of the others)



OK as I said at the start of this I use mostly enamels so I can't say if this works with acrylics (although I've found in the past adding washing up liquid to the solution tends to have the same effect as white spirit)

If you want an engine that looks like it's been in a dusty environment (as in my mad to the max bike) 

Get an empty tin or bottle into that pour some matt colour of the earth in the area your engine has been driving in ( for the mad to the max bike I used sand as it was set in a desert, for this I've used earth)

Add talcum powder to it and mix keep adding talc till you get paste like consistency then add white spirit keep stirring till you get the consistency of milk, add the talc to the paint first don't thin it till you've added the talc as the talc doesn't seem to take the colour if you thin the paint first.

OK so use a big brush and load it with this mixture and dab it all over the engine(really cover it so it gets in all the nooks and crannies, then load your brush with white spirit (this is the important bit hold engine as it will be in the car or bike and flood the engine with white spirit just let gravity do its thing.




This is how it looks when dry



All the plastic parts I dab with ABT copper oxide blue patina

And again blend with white spirit

I also add ABT engine grease anywhere you might expect an oil leak

[digger303]

Some very good tips there. Thanks for making the time and putting the effort in to show us. It's much appreciated.

[kpisnuts]

Thanks, as long as its of some use and people want to know, I'm happy to post.

[kpisnuts]

Sorry for such a long wait before a progress report but I have to wait till I'm doing something that relates to this topic.

OK so for headers I use ak real metal steel



Ak real metal gold



And valejo Arctic blue


First paint the headers with AK steel ( if I was doing bike headers I would buff the steel up first) (the AK range of metal finishes are amazing and all can be buffed) (the buffing works even better if you have of the paint on the cotton bud or cloth you are buffing the work with) 

Slightly off point my airbrush died so I decided to try and replicate finishes without one.

So get some of the AK gold on your brush(medium flat brush) work most of it off on a tissue and dry brush only on the first bends of the headers.

Next get a cotton bud dip it in AK steel and rub most of it off then dip it in the Arctic blue and starting at the dry brushed gold blend from the gold down towards the exhaust.




Here's how it should look.





If on a motorcycle you would blend less and the header would be highly polished.

[digger303]

Nice tip on exhaust painting...thank you
Doubled up on one pic there.

[kpisnuts]

Hi all I'm thinking of expanding this to include bodywork, interiors or any and all aspects of my modelling techs, firstly would anyone be interested, secondly should I post it all here or set up separate sections for each subject.

[digger303]

Hi all I'm thinking of expanding this to include bodywork, interiors or any and all aspects of my modelling techs, firstly would anyone be interested, secondly should I post it all here or set up separate sections for each subject.

We are always interested in everything. Sharing is what we do...

[BigWall]

Hi all I'm thinking of expanding this to include bodywork, interiors or any and all aspects of my modelling techs, firstly would anyone be interested, secondly should I post it all here or set up separate sections for each subject.

That would be great. I really like your engine weathering. I think a separate post for each subject would make it easier for someone to find.

[psmithmags]

Excellent tips, especially the talc, to achieve amazing results. And you even ask 'would you be interested with more?' Of course we would. Thanks for the time and effort in explaining your techniques. On another note, I will agree with BigWall, in that it would be easier with a separate post for each subject, if possible.

[kpisnuts]

Hi so heres another quickie (very messy one)

Take some AK real metal in this case steel put it on a cloth take some string and press it into the AK steel



Fold the cloth over the string



Put your fingers on the cloth over the string and pull the string through



Lots of braided hoses, you can use different thicknesses for different sizes of hose or even double it put it in a dremel and spin it up to double the thickness.

Put some hearshrink on the ends and paint steel.

[BigWall]

Nice! It looks much easier than trying to paint it.

Edited to add:

Does the string stay flexible with this technique?

[digger303]

another goodie.

[kpisnuts]

Yes it does mate.

[Kevthemodeller]

Neat trick on the thread

[kpisnuts]

9OK so this next one will be in 2 parts as its more than 10 pics long.
Doing an old oily engine .
So heres how it looks before 



So put it on joints or gasket areas (think about where a real engine would leak)(for anyone who doesn't know anything much about engines don't put it on fuel injection or electrical areas, fuel injectors do leak but not using this product
Whilst this is still wet my next favourite colour (I know you may be thinking is he nuts, but trust me)


This is important keep engine in the orientation it will bevin the vehicle then load the brush with white spirit and flood the areas with the colours on them, you should end up with this.

[digger303]

That looks like it could very easily be mistaken for a real engine...no doubt.

[BigWall]

Excellent modeling! Thanks for sharing your process

[kpisnuts]

Thanks guys but that is just the first part not done yet.
So here is the next bit.
Another of my favourite products

I have an old stiff brush I use for stuff like this.

Dip in the powder.

And flick over the engine by pulling your finger through the bristles.
You should end up with this

[BigWall]

Another nice effect!

What did you wrap around the wires?

[kpisnuts]

It's medical micropore tape, this was 10mm so I cut it in half lengthways wrapped the wires and painted it black,

[Kevthemodeller]

Lovely weathering effects

[luc75]

that some lovely weathering.

[kpisnuts]

Hi all this is how I do engine cases.

So first I prime it.

Then dab white in random places.




Then since it's already a light grey primer, I add a bit of darker grey(just for a bit of variation)






Now I just use a stiff brush lightly loaded with AK steel

And scrub over it all.

[ForeverPlasticKits]

Amazing work and paint, some of the engines are so realistic!

[kpisnuts]

OK so now I mix a wash up using 



It's a very thin wash and I just run it in the nooks and crannies.

Then I make another thin wash using



I put this over the whole engine(very quick don't move it about as you will wet the silver and it will all just end up looking a dirty mess) I let that dry then use 



And dust it all over the engine and give it a little buff up.

[ForeverPlasticKits]

A M A Z I N G !

[BigWall]

Very nice!