Bozothenutter Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 Dark colour with metallic drybrushing? Metallic colour with a dark wash? And why? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 Depends who made the engines, and the model. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnl42 Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 GIYF and beware of restorations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 Pre-WW2, wartime or post-war? Civilian use or military? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 24, 2022 Share Posted November 24, 2022 If the instructions tell you to paint them metallic, I tend to do as I'm told, then use a dark wash to bring out the detail on the fins and other areas. For other colours, just sub the metallic for that colour I've really got to do a few more jets 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted November 26, 2022 Share Posted November 26, 2022 The why is simple: to make the cooling fins more visible in a model. The contrast between the metallic fins and the dark recesses will make the former "pop" instead of disappearing in the little room inside a scale model cowling. Regarding the two techniques, it's a matter of taste and which one each modeller finds easier. Personally I prefer a metallic coat followed by a wash. Working in 1/72 I generally paint the engine parts in their colours and then apply a dark wash to the whole engine, essier for me than trying to drybrush each cylinder. However I've seen others using the drybrush technique and achieving great result 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted November 26, 2022 Share Posted November 26, 2022 Also, whose engines? American, British, German, Japanese? Different countries did different things at different times. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigsty Posted November 26, 2022 Share Posted November 26, 2022 Another thing to think about is whether you have a one-piece engine, or fourteen separate cylinders and a crankcase. Dry-brushing is a lot harder with a one-piece because you have to get the brush between the front row cylinders to do the back row - and even if it's just one row, your efforts will stand out better on the tops than down the sides. Normally that's not too great a problem within a cowling. But for an even effect all over, a wash is likely to be easier. I've just used neat Tamiya Smoke (X19) over some Mr Metal Stainless on a couple of BMW 801s and it's just the effect I wanted. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwidave4 Posted November 26, 2022 Share Posted November 26, 2022 The best way to answer your own question is to do what all scale modellers should do all the time - find contemporary reference pics and follow them. Most of the radials I have worked on have had aluminium cylinders/heads/rocker boxes in natural cast finish, usually with bake black enamel baffles and push rod covers. However there are engines with black painted cylinders, and/or cylinder heads. As already mentioned it also depends on the country of origin and the manufacturer so it is really a question that is in the 'how long is a piece of string category?' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted November 27, 2022 Share Posted November 27, 2022 So, these are Wright R-2600's for a B-25: This is a P&W R-1830 on a C-47: And apparently, so is this: This is a Bristol Mercury: A Bristol Hercules. All Bristol engines were basically the same, Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted November 27, 2022 Share Posted November 27, 2022 Nice pair of Bristols: Note how the barrels are only half painted on the Mercury. This was my first thought when reading the OP. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted November 27, 2022 Share Posted November 27, 2022 In any case the problem for the modeller is the same, no matter if the finned area of the cylinder was left unpainted or was painted: how to make such areas recognisable, particularly in the smaller scales. And the solutions are the same: wash or drybrushing. The only difference would be in the colour used for the cylinder. Even on an engine with these painted black, I would use a dark grey for the cylinders and then apply a black wash to achieve the needed contrast. Similar with drybrushing, a black base coat followed by grey to highlight the cooling fins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted November 27, 2022 Share Posted November 27, 2022 7 hours ago, Giorgio N said: In any case the problem for the modeller is the same, no matter if the finned area of the cylinder was left unpainted or was painted: how to make such areas recognisable, particularly in the smaller scales. And the solutions are the same: wash or drybrushing. The only difference would be in the colour used for the cylinder. Even on an engine with these painted black, I would use a dark grey for the cylinders and then apply a black wash to achieve the needed contrast. Similar with drybrushing, a black base coat followed by grey to highlight the cooling fins What about a gloss or semi-gloss paint with a flat black wash? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 18 hours ago, dogsbody said: What about a gloss or semi-gloss paint with a flat black wash? Chris You mean having the same colour overall and using a wash of the same colour but matt ? Not sure this would give enough contrast, might be worth a try but I doubt it would replicate the effect 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted November 28, 2022 Share Posted November 28, 2022 The other aspect is the difference in appearance between a brand new clean engine from an exhibition in museum and the worn one from a heavily exploited machine on a front line at war... Cheers J-W 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiseca Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 (edited) There's a third option I've used from time to time to highlight raised detail, and I tend to prefer this over dry brushing (but not over a wash): That is, "prime" the whole part in a hard wearing metallic enamel instead of a regular primer. Then spray the whole part with the second colour, black or whatever, using a softer acrylic paint. Then gently sand the raised detail back to the metal finish. Personally I am happier with the results I get from that than from dry brushing. I feel like I have more control and get a more consistent finish, and it's faster (if I ignore time wasted waiting for it to dry). I haven't tried it on a radial engine but I expect it will give the same access challenges as dry brushing. EDIT: That would give a purpose prepared look but I'd use a wash if I wanted a used look. Also, I see I've just replied to a thread that is 3 months old! Oops. Edited January 20 by kiseca 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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