Humbrol Metalcote- Is It Good

[Crossiant Oliver]

I got humbrol metalcote to use on a Tamiya P-51B for a modelling contest because I don't have an airbrush and this looked good. I saw the humbrol video about it, but I was wondering what the actual modellers think of it. Is it good or not? And how much buffing do I need to get a weathered look of a model?

Edited May 10, 2017 by Crossiant Oliver

[Andre B]

I have good experience of humbrol metalcote but my paint's ar rather old and from an time when Humbrol paints had better quality than today. I usually use them toghether with Tamiya AS and TS spraycans (TS 17 aluminum, TS 30 silver leaf and AS 12 Bare metall) for P-51D Mustangs. I paint the aircraft with the Tamiya spraycan and just paint small parts af the aircraft with Humbrol metalcote to create life and difference on the aircraft. On Mustang's I ususally paint those plates around the exhaust's, ailerons and other smaller plates on the aircraft. The difference often shows up concerning lightconditions and variation of angles.

Ususally you get an weathered look right after you used the Humbrol Metalcote. After that it's up to ypu to decide how much you want to buff and polish those painted parts. Try to paint som parts that you don't need and get some experience before you paint the aicraft...

 

/André

 

Edited May 10, 2017 by Andre B

[tonyot]

I like it and it does buff up very nicely with little effort. One of the most useful colours,....27003 Polished Steel has been unavailable in a tinlet for ages now so don`t know whether Humbrol are discontinuing this line,....I hope not. 27002 Polished Aluminium for the fuselage and 27001 Aluminium for the wings would look good to represent the silver painted wings of the original aircraft.

 

Have a look at this video;

And this;

Cheers

           Tony

[Truro Model Builder]

There was a build article in a model magazine about 18 months ago, in which the contributor did a Sukhoi Su-7 and brush painted it with Metalcote, buffing it up. It came out very well and a member of my club did the same on a 1/72 F-5A in Spanish markings and an old Frog Fairey Delta 2. Both came out superbly. I've not plucked up the courage yet to try it myself.

 

[Giorgio N]

1 minute ago, T7 Models said:

There was a build article in a model magazine about 18 months ago, in which the contributor did a Sukhoi Su-7 and brush painted it with Metalcote, buffing it up. It came out very well and a member of my club did the same on a 1/72 F-5A in Spanish markings and an old Frog Fairey Delta 2. Both came out superbly. I've not plucked up the courage yet to try it myself.

 

 

Did they use the metalcote from the tins ? I've used this myself a few times and can give very, very good results. However I've never been able to brush this on large parts, fine on smaller ones but anytime I had to deal with larger parts I ended up with the paint not covering properly. Now the old Metalcote was meant to be used with an airbrush so I always put my problems down to this, wonder though if there are ways to use this paint with a brush too

[Truro Model Builder]

Brush painted directly from the tins. I should see Kevin this evening, so I'll get him to scribble down a few pointers.

 

[Nick Millman]

6 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

 

Did they use the metalcote from the tins ? I've used this myself a few times and can give very, very good results. However I've never been able to brush this on large parts, fine on smaller ones but anytime I had to deal with larger parts I ended up with the paint not covering properly. Now the old Metalcote was meant to be used with an airbrush so I always put my problems down to this, wonder though if there are ways to use this paint with a brush too

 

I've hand brushed Humbrol Metalcote on large areas ok using a flat brush - it is (or was) thin enough out of the tin - but I always apply two coats with a barrier coat of Clear between them. This prevents 'pick-up', show through and gives a very smooth final coat. I don't apply a primer but prep the plastic carefully, making sure that its absolutely clean and degreased. Any imperfections will be magnified by the Metalcote.

 

Nick

[Giorgio N]

25 minutes ago, T7 Models said:

Brush painted directly from the tins. I should see Kevin this evening, so I'll get him to scribble down a few pointers.

 

 

Thanks, any tip may be useful

 

25 minutes ago, Nick Millman said:

 

I've hand brushed Humbrol Metalcote on large areas ok using a flat brush - it is (or was) thin enough out of the tin - but I always apply two coats with a barrier coat of Clear between them. This prevents 'pick-up', show through and gives a very smooth final coat. I don't apply a primer but prep the plastic carefully, making sure that its absolutely clean and degreased. Any imperfections will be magnified by the Metalcote.

 

Nick

 

Thanks Nick, the clear trick sounds interesting. One of the problems I had was that a second coat tended to "melt" the paint on the previous coat, never thought of using a barrier between coats, I'll give this method a try, I've bought several tins from a shop that was trying to get rid of old Humbrol tins a while ago and it would be a pity not to use them

[Courageous]

7 hours ago, Crossiant Oliver said:

I got humbrol metalcote to use on a Tamiya P-51B for a modelling contest because I don't have an airbrush and this looked good. I saw the humbrol video about it, but I was wondering what the actual modellers think of it. Is it good or not? And how much buffing do I need to get a weathered look of a model?

 

I use Metalcoat for my Sabre subjects and like it. The beauty of this stuff is that from a colour you can get two tones; 'buffed' and 'non-buffed'. Although you can't see it clearly, my Sabre wings this tonal difference.

 

Stuart

[vildebeest]

Let's see, it must be for over 30 years now that I have been religiously hand-brushing only one coat of  metallic paint - which could end up rather thick - to avoid pick up disasters of early models and all I needed all along was a coat of Clear on top of the first coat. You'll be telling me next that there is an easy way to hand-brush yellow.

 

Paul

[Truro Model Builder]

After giving my club friend a call, he has emailed the following:

 

I prime the model (often Halfords rattle can) then using a flat brush I paint on sections at a time, see reason below.

For the F-5 I used Matt Aluminium (Humbrol enamel 27001). 

 

1) It is important to mix the paint really well.

 

2) I then remove enough to use in a few minutes and thin with white spirit.  

 

3) A quick thin coat, in direction of air-flow, is applied. It is a quick drying paint and it is important not to let the paint start drying / thickening while applying, otherwise deep furrowed brush marks are the result.

 

4) I apply at least three thin coats... ( I believe the author of the article that started me using metalcoat used six or more coats).The reason for multiple coats is a) to minimise brush marks and to enable polishing without burnishing through to the base plastic which I can attest through personal experience can happen. I usually rub the paint down between coats with normal kitchen paper towel.

 

5) The paint dries quickly and I have applied all three coats in a day, but I have always waited 24 hours before polishing.

 

6) I polish unevenly using a dremmel with a buffing attachment trying to achiave the patina usually seen on aircraft with a natural metal finish.

 

 

7) Decals can be applied direct or after a gloss coat as per your usual preference............I applied 1 coat of Kleer after decals to give a sheen but not too glossy.

 

 

[Courageous]

T7 Models, concise details.

 

I personally use Halfords Primer which I buff. Then it's two coats from the 'rattle-can' of Metalcote, wait 24hrs and buff with kitchen towel.

I have dried the Dremel buffer approach and in my eagerness and excess pressure, buffed my way to the plastic!

 

Stuart

[Work In Progress]

It is VERY easy to burn through the paint with any sort of Dremel: the rotational speed is rather too quick even at the slowest setting, so T7's pal must be very delicate in his touch.

[Killingholme]

 

14 hours ago, Crossiant Oliver said:

I got humbrol metalcote to use on a Tamiya P-51B for a modelling contest because I don't have an airbrush and this looked good. I saw the humbrol video about it, but I was wondering what the actual modellers think of it. Is it good or not? And how much buffing do I need to get a weathered look of a model?

 

It works quite well, but you'll inevitably apply a thick layer using a modern humbrol rattle can- they appear very ferocious, especially when new! And half of the cost of that can will be spent just decorating a sheet of last week's newspaper...

 

I'd say buy an airbrush. You can get a cheapie Chinese one from ebay with a compressor for 60 quid, less if you buy one with a 'mini' compressor.  For the cost of 10 rattle cans, or one Friday night out in town, it's paid for itself...

 

Trust me, you'll never look back. I've spent a fortune over the years on tools that have turned out to be useless, but the airbrush is the one thing I consider absolutely, fundamentally essential!

[fightersweep]

On 5/10/2017 at 2:09 PM, vildebeest said:

You'll be telling me next that there is an easy way to hand-brush yellow.

 

Paul

 

It's funny you should say that. I've always hated brushing yellow, but stumbled across the method of a thin coat of Klear between coats of yellow, and voila! A perfect brush painted yellow surface that is smooth and uniform in colour.

 

I actually fell of my modelling chair in amazement!

 

Best regards;

Steve

 

 

Edited May 12, 2017 by fightersweep

[Work In Progress]

And do it over white primer.

[fightersweep]

Oooo! Does that mean it works on white too? I hate painting white!

 

Best regards;

Steve

[Work In Progress]

I never paint anything white using model paint except for the smallest brush painted details e.g. on figures and cockpit details. Everything of any size on a model that needs to be white I do with aerosol car primer (usually including the entire airframe and any other relevant major components such as a prop that needs yellow tips), and then I paint any other colours needed over the top. Sometimes I even do that to part or all of a whole sprues before taking parts off. That approach has never given me the slightest difficulty, whereas brush painting white over any sort of area using mdel paint has always been difficult and led to unpleasant-looking results.

[fightersweep]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I must admit I've never used aerosol paint on a model. I use an airbrush on my bigger models, but I'm quite happy to use brush painting on 1/72 stuff as I like to maintain and develop brush skills. Is there a knack to getting a fine, smooth finish with an aerosol can?

 

Sorry, I feel like I'm hi-jacking the thread!

 

Best regards;
Steve

Edited May 13, 2017 by fightersweep

[Work In Progress]

Just buy one from Halfords and get a couple of cheap bagged-shot kits from any major model show (anything really) for a couple of quid each and practice. It's not difficult. Main thing for beginners to any kind of paint spraying, whether airbrush, full size spraygun or aerosol can, is be patient. Most people at first try to put on too much paint too quickly and get runs. If that happens stop immediately.

 

Just mist on the first couple of fine coats moving the spraycan fairly quickly, and then when they've flashed off try a slightly slower-moving, heavier coat. Move your whole arm left and right across the job maintaining a constant distance, rather than pivoting left and right from a central point. Don't depress or release the button while the nozzle is pointed at the model, in case it spits. Start each spray pass an inch or so to one side, and finish it an inch or so to the other side. Let each coat flash off before you re-coat.

 

Sometimes it's helpful to hang whatever you're painting on a couple of wire hooks suspended from something like a stepladder. For small things like a 1/72 aeroplane or a collection of undercarriage doors etc you might want to secure them down to a block of scrap wood with blu-tack on the other side. Otherwise the blast of the nozzle may blow your wet-painted part away.

 

It's best done outdoors in calm dry warm weather, in inside a dust-free heated garage with good ventilation. It helps to warm the can in a basin of warm water for a few minutes, and let it rest in the warm water while the coats flash off. Shake the can for a long time before starting work, and for a minute or so between coats.