• Welcome to Westlake Publishing Forums.
 

News:

    REGARDING MEMBERSHIP ON THIS FORUM: Due to spam, our server has disabled the forum software to gain membership. The only way to become a new member is for you to send me a private e-mail with your preferred screen name (we prefer you use your real name, or some variant there-of), and email adress you would like to have associated with the account.  -- Send the information to:  Russ at finescalerr@msn.com

Main Menu

Ranger Crackle Paints

Started by Junior, November 19, 2010, 09:51:15 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Junior

Received a couple of different Ranger Crackle colors today. My results are fantastic BUT hardly visible without a magnifying glass. Anyone else had the same experience yet? The picture of the Pick Up Truck posted on another thread although a 1:24 scale model is blown up quite a bit and I just have a feeling viewing under normal conditions might confirm what I just said.

Anders ???

Malachi Constant

Well, I'm curious about that too ... just received a couple of bottles of the stuff yesterday.  I'll post my results here when I get a round tuit.

Cheers,
Dallas
-- Dallas Mallerich  (Just a freakin' newbie who stumbled into the place)
Email me on the "Contact Us" page at www.BoulderValleyModels.com

Chuck Doan

I normally use a 5x loupe to inspect my stuff. Sounds perfect.

i just got mine a few minuets ago. Didnt get time to play though.

Pictures Anders?
"They're most important to me. Most important. All the little details." -Joseph Cotten, Shadow of a Doubt





http://public.fotki.com/ChuckDoan/model_projects/

NORCALLOGGER

Anders,
I tried 4 different colors on wood, styrene, and paper, my results are very like you discribe.  The "crackle" is way too fine for naked eye viewing especially in a scale like 1:20.  The metallic color I tried "Tarnished Brass" gave a very interesting "translucent" effect but with NO crackle and a finish that would be the envy of any brass polisher.
On the white and black colors I tried to highlight the minimal crackling effect with washes of black and white acrylics but all it did was wash the crackle paint off the base material.  Perhaps using oils or spraying with a fixative before the washes would have different results but haven't had a chance to try that yet.
Rick

Chuck Doan

#4




A few quick tests with the Picket Fence crackle paint. Worked the first time. The application needs to be heavy to get bigger cracks, and the chips will show the thickness.
I tried paint thinner brushed on the wood first , and found the paint flaked off much easier using tape or gentle knife scraping. The smaller boards came from the scrapbox, undercoat unknown. The larger board was brushed with Silverwood first. It is 1/2" wide for reference.

BTW, the Fired Brick color looks more like a Flamingo pink to my eyes. Didn't crack as well as the white either.

I hope others can try it out and share the results.
"They're most important to me. Most important. All the little details." -Joseph Cotten, Shadow of a Doubt





http://public.fotki.com/ChuckDoan/model_projects/

Damn Cranky

Chuck, those are some great results . . . yes, I think experimentation is good because this way everyone arrives at their own comfort and taste level.

I really like the results you got so far.
Crazy About Rust!

finescalerr

Interesting range of reaction to the paint. It seems (looking back at that other thread) everybody's results have been in the same ballpark, at least with regard to the actual crackling. Yet some find the effect disappointing while others are pleased. Judging from the photos and the comments, I would theorize that people who like to view a model close-up, under magnification, will be happy with the paint. Those who prefer to stand back a little and use the naked eye may be less impressed.

Consistent with my own myopic view of the world, I think Chuck's results and those we saw on the pickup truck bed are superb. (Yes, I used a superlative.) But, like Chuck, I look at models under magnification. And I am in the minority.

The same difference of opinion occurs at model contests where the voting public often prefers exaggeration to realism.

Tentative conclusion: The paint works quite well. Its results are realistically to scale, hence somewhat subtle. It holds very good potential for some of us. Others will look for a different way to express the effect they have in mind. Ya can't please everyone.

Russ

Damn Cranky

So true, so true, but in the meantime we have yet another technique in the ole bag of trick or arsenal.
Crazy About Rust!

narrowgauger

Hi Guys

woven into this thread is one of the best bits of model building advice you will ever get.

Unless you look at your models with high magnification and take close-up photographs before the model is finished and then again when it is finished (or so we think) you will not get the best from your model building.  You will be amazed how much there is still to do on the model to reach perfection after it is finished and we stand back to look at the photo's and have seen it under 10 magnification.

this crackle paint has legs and indeed will work well on any woodwork.  the suppliers will be delighted to see a spike in sales following our dialogue on the subject.

have fun, buy a good maginfying glass and above all stay cool

Bernard

Ray Dunakin

I wonder if the cracked paint can be made durable with some kind of clear protective coat?
Visit my website to see pics of the rugged and rocky In-ko-pah Railroad!

Ray Dunakin's World

Junior

#10
Finally had some results that are visible without magnification. As stated by Chuck - the thicker coat the larger cracks. However the larger cracks are very, very fragile. I used a fixative that are designed for artists pastel work on paper. Great improvement but you still have to be a bit carefull when touching the surface of the boards. Also mixed in some black to the Fired Brick color and got a nice dark red color that worked just fine.

Anders ;D

finescalerr

Please post a photo when you have time. -- Russ

Junior

Russ........will do! Won´t be much different from what you already have seen. Setting up the equipment tomorrow for a photo session of various modeling projects. Have to get your samples ready as well!

Anders ::)


Junior

#13
Not really sure what to say about these paints. In my scale 1/87 I´m only pleased with the short board in the middle leaning against the cap. That board has the thinnest layer of paint but the cracks are difficult to see under the naked eye. The other boards are "too much" in my opinion. I put them up against a 1/87 shed so they can be viewed close to scale. Guess I´m in the wrong scale.... >:(
By the way has anyone seen a wall with these kind of cracks? Myself I have only seen window frames and rafters.

Anders ???

Mr Potato Head

Hey I was a little late to the "Ranger Rick" topic, but I went on line and found "Tim Holt" products, and then I saw they were for the scrap bookers, so I called my local scrap book store , "Archiver's" and they had all of his products in stock. I was surprised how thick it is? So on my first attempt I tried to smooth it out, and as you can see from my results it came out as peeling paint but not cracked. On my first attempt I put paint thinner down first Ala Chuck Doan, and it did peel easily, on my second attempt I didn't use the thinner and I let it dry over night , I only tried to peel it with scotch tape sparingly , but I like the results, I did cup my 1 x 12 1:48 boards though? Now I can have peeling and chipped as well as cracked paint. Thanks for who ever came up with this method, now I can chip and crack and peel like Chuck! I did use Chuck's method for preparing the boards they have 5-8 coats of Silver wood sanded lightly before each application, I didn't use weathering powder like Chuck, but I do plan to use a wash of artists oils to give it a second color and more aging and weathering, more to come.

Gil
Peeling more than Potatoes in Boise
Gil Flores
In exile in Boise Idaho