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Chipping Essentials Weathering Set (AK138) AK Interactive Weathering your model is a key component of achieving a realistic-looking result, whether you want to depict it in an almost new condition, or go to extremes and portray a beaten-up piece of junk that is almost ready for the scrapyard. How heavily or otherwise you weather your models is entirely up to you, but chipping of paint on military vehicles is present almost from the factory due to the slightly careless nature of crew and operators who are more focused on the task in hand than keeping their vehicle factory fresh. Chipping is a technique that is easy to do but more difficult to do well, having to remember to keep your work in-scale with the size of the model. Following the discovery of the “hairspray technique”, many different varieties of the same thing have arrived on the market. AK Interactive have taken a slightly different approach and packaged together a choice of two types of fluid along with a couple of paints that will be perfect for the substrate below the fluid and top coat of paint. The set arrives in a clear clamshell box with a hanger, plus a small instruction booklet to help you get to grips with the technique. The 35ml bottles have a screw top, and one contains Worn Effects fluid that permits very fine scratches and signs of wear to be achieved, while the other is full of Heavy Chipping fluid, which is thicker and allows the modeller to distress the final paint surface much more aggressively. The two paints for the substrate are in 17ml dropper bottles in silver and rusty brown shades, with an orange screw-cap. They are marked as a new formulation that is made in their own factory, where they stress that they make paints exclusively for their own brand. I guess people have seen the bottles, put two and two together and got five. Now you know. They can be used under the top coat with a layer of chipping fluid between them, or for the post-chipping detailing where rusted or fresh edges are exposed by the paint that has been removed through use. The instructions show demonstrations of the methods for each fluid, with small photos of the substrate, the work in progress and the finished surface after moistening the top layer of paint and disturbing it with a paintbrush. It also demonstrates the finished techniques for using the rust and aluminium coloured paints as a post-chipping medium, showing what can be done. Owning this sets won’t make you an instant-expert, so you will need to test and practice the technique until you are confident enough to use the technique on your models. Conclusion Chipping of paint gives any model an added sense of realism, as long as it is appropriate for the subject and in-scale with the kit you’re using the technique on. Having all the necessary constituents in one handy pack is very convenient too. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Worn Effects Acrylic Fluid AK Interactive If you've ever wondered how AFV modellers create those wonderful distressed and chipped paint effects, it started off with people using hairspray to add a water soluble layer between coats of paint. Time moves on however, and frustrated by the lack of control that your typical hairspray nozzle gives, and the smell of most of them, AK came up with this new fluid. It is odourless, and water soluble, but is applied by airbrush, giving much better control over application and resulting in thinner layers that allow more flexibility in the removal of the top layer of paint. Use is simple: Paint your model with the base colour, and let that cure for a few days Spray 1-3 thin coats of Worn Effects fluid over the painted surface As soon as the surface is dry, airbrush the next coat of acrylic paint Once the top coat is on, use a damp brush to wet the surface and remove small quantities of paint Continue to scratch and scuff the damp paint until you achieve the effect you want Conclusion This is a much more pleasing way to achieve the familiar chipped and abraded look of a well-used AFV, mainly because it is real chipping and wear, rather than paint laid over the top to simulate it. Some of the effects that you can achieve are truly stunning, but as always check your references to ensure your finished result is reminiscent of the real thing. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of