Author Topic: Engines, engines,engines,  (Read 4866 times)

Offline kpnuts

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Engines, engines,engines,
« on: August 15, 2021, 12:31:59 AM »
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 







Offline apophenia

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2021, 04:21:10 AM »
Excellent and amazing stuff!

... or if it would help maybe I could try and post a video...

That would probably cover a lot of the anticipated questions. A 'how to' video on engine finishes would be a great idea  :smiley:
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Offline kpnuts

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2021, 04:00:54 AM »
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)

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2021, 04:05:50 AM »
Please! More - this is great stuff.

Offline apophenia

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2021, 02:17:19 AM »
It is indeed! Please continue  :smiley:

Meanwhile, a summary of 'Part 1' might be ...

1) Paint 'clean' engine;
2) Dab brush loaded with white spirit [1] dipped in talc;
3) Flood with white spirit until desired look is acheived;
4) Overpaint with pigment powder (eg: ABT gun metal [2]);
5) Highlight (bolt heads, etc.);
6) Dust with Uschi powders [3];
7) Buff with a soft brush.

_______________________________

[1] aka mineral turpentine or mineral spirits
[2] Abteilung 502 ABT P231 weathering pigment
[3] Uschi Van Der Rosten metallic powders
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2021, 02:00:31 AM »
Perhaps timely:

All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #6 on: August 21, 2021, 03:09:12 AM »
A mini build-along/group build would be interesting. Just pick an engine, build it then paint it following Ken's suggestions

Offline kpnuts

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #7 on: August 21, 2021, 04:24:05 AM »
Not sure I would get on with acrylics.
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




Offline ScranJ51

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #8 on: August 21, 2021, 08:41:41 AM »
looking good!    ;)
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Offline apophenia

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2021, 10:38:03 AM »
Indeed! And the dusty environment technique how-tos are perfectly-timed for the Post-Apocalypse Group Build  :smiley:
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2021, 02:16:42 AM »
Indeed! And the dusty environment technique how-tos are perfectly-timed for the Post-Apocalypse Group Build  :smiley:

The apocalypse is no excuse to not maintain good engine care and keep it clean... ;)
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline apophenia

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #11 on: August 22, 2021, 02:39:56 AM »
The apocalypse is no excuse to not maintain good engine care and keep it clean... ;)

 ;D ;D

Get out those post-apocalyptic whisk brooms to brush off engine dust (gotta conserve water)   ;)
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline kpnuts

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2021, 03:10:30 AM »
Hi all here's my method for aging plastic parts on car engines you know fuse boxes, air boxes drive shaft gators and such.

I use mig 502 Abteilung model colour copper oxide blue patina

I roughly dab the 502 over the part 



Then hold the part the way it will be in the car and scrub loads of white spirit over the part and let gravity do its job


Offline kpnuts

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #13 on: September 13, 2021, 04:52:18 PM »
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.

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #14 on: September 13, 2021, 05:29:16 PM »
I'd see about getting this thread moved to the Tips, Tools & Techniques board & do each subject (engines, interiors, interior bodywork, exterior bodywork, etc) as a separate topic, that way those who are interested can find what they're looking for in each subject more easily ... & some builders may only be interested in one or two subjects (kerbside car builders, for example, don't really need to know the engine stuff but the bodywork stuff is very important to them).

Maybe ask Greg to pin them, so they're at the top of the first page. ;)
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Offline kpnuts

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #15 on: September 20, 2021, 02:14:10 AM »
Thanks I will see if it can be moved.
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.

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #16 on: September 20, 2021, 02:41:06 AM »
 :smiley:
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline apophenia

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #17 on: September 20, 2021, 07:46:03 AM »
Oh, that thread pulled through AK pigment trick is dead clever  :smiley:  Although, yeah, I can see how that could quickly get messy  ;D
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline kpnuts

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #18 on: October 03, 2021, 03:44:16 AM »
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 




First my favourite leaky engine product.



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.







Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #19 on: October 03, 2021, 03:52:22 AM »
I hate to have to tell you this but I don't think that engine will fit into the Porsche...leaving now. ;) 8) ;D
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline kpnuts

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #20 on: October 03, 2021, 04:20:05 AM »
Ha ha.
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





Offline apophenia

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #21 on: October 03, 2021, 10:39:12 AM »
Oh that is a thing of beauty  :-*   Just looking at your photos makes me want to go and clean tool and then have a good scrub up!
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline kpnuts

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #22 on: October 28, 2021, 04:02:34 AM »
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.




Offline kpnuts

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Re: Engines, engines,engines,
« Reply #23 on: October 30, 2021, 02:11:37 AM »
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.