How to do battle damage with Salt!

Gear Needed:

• -          A Model
• -          Model Primer
• -          Matt Spray
• -          Base Coat (can be spray can or done with air brush)
• -          Hair Spray (try not to get wet look or glossy)
• -          Rock Salt
• -          A container
• -          Tooth Brush (kids ones I find better and smaller)

Step – 01

Make sure your model is made and all flash removed and mold lines. I recommend trying to do the model in parts like shown to get a better end result. 

Step – 02

Primer the model this can be any color you wish depending on your main color. But remember this will be showing though in the end so you want it to look like a primer color. Just like when get chip on your car and you see the gray primer under that this is the effect you are going for. You could also add in an extra step here and also lightly spray a rust color over the top of the primer to make it look like it has start rusting to. Just remember to do a very light mist you still want to see mostly primer. 

 

Step – 03

While we wait for the primer to dry get out your rock salt and container. I prefer the rock salt that comes with the grinder bit on the top and this is why. You don’t want the salt all the same damage to paint is not consistent. So you want a mix the normal size rock salt with some finer rock salt. About 50/50 mix is nice, use the grinder on the salt to make some random smaller sizes and them mix in some normal size salt. If you don’t have a grinder on the salt container you can just crush it with something.

 

Step – 04

For this step the amount of salt you want to put on is up to you. First we spray the model with the hair spray do a nice even coat so the model goes all glossy. Don’t overdo it as it will run and affect the end result. Now quickly before it dry’s sprinkle your salt mix all over it or where you want the damage to show. Once that is done just give it a light shake to get any really lose bits off.

 

Step – 05

Easy step now once the hair spray had dried spray the whole model with your base color. Note that if you get the wrong hair spray it may not dry and stay glossy and sticky we don’t want this. Make sure you use hair spray that does not say wet look or glossy.

Step – 06

Once your base color is dry get your tooth brush and run a skink full of just warm water put your model in the water and scrub all the salt off. You need to make sure it’s wet or the salt won’t come off. Don’t worry if you can’t get all the small little bits off as this adds to the effect.

 

Step – 07

Once you have dried out the model from taking a swim just look over it and make sure you have not missed any big bits of salt and you don’t have white powdering on the model. This is salt left on the model give it another wash and scrub. Once happy with model you want to seal all that work you have just done in, give the whole model a good coat of Matt varnish and you are done.

End of part one

Next how to detail your salt damage.