First I would like to thank my good Friend Steve Reid for  taking pictures and notes while I demonstrated this technique at one of our local model club meetings.

This is a step-by-step tutorial on the process of HEAVILY rusting a model vehicle. This technique is appropriate to a vehicle that has been burned, left in the elements for decades, or both.

The subject is a T-55 Turret, and the goal is to finish it as if it were left out in the elements for 20 years or longer.

1.) Start by priming your model in Black Enamel. Allow it to cure for 24 hours. Black is the most forgiving color, if you should happen to scratch through to the base later.

Once your primer has dried the remaining steps are done in a single session.
Use compressed air from your airbrush or a hair dryer to quickly dry, steps where you need to dry are identified in the text.

2.) Mix up a chocolate brown color from Tamiya XF-64, RED BROWN, and XF-1, FLAT BLACK, Acrylics. Airbrush this on and allow it to dry.

3.) Using thinner for Oil Paint (Grumbacher Pre-tested odorless thinner), wet down the surface of the model.

4.) Stipple on some VanDyke Brown Oil paint, then some black. The goal is a wet splotchy coat.



5.) Next your going to apply some pigment powders. You want a standard rust (Rust), rust with a little black (Dark Rust), and rust with a little yellow (Orange).



6.) Dab the pigments over the wet oil paint. Dark Rust first, then Rust and finally the Orange color. If needed re-wet with the Oil thinner to aid adhesion.





7.) Stop here and dry thoroughly. As this dries the colors will become more vibrant. You should start to like what you are seeing.

8.) Next apply a heavy coat of hairspray. Surface should be wet but you don't want so much that you get a run. Then sprinkle on some salt (for his demonstration I used both, fine and coarse salt, but you can choose according to the size of the chipping you want to achieve). You are looking for a "very random" application. Where the salt lands paint will not stick- bear that in mind.





9.) Now apply a second coat of hairspray to seal in the salt. Dry thoroughly again with the hairdryer.

10.) At this point the turrets final colors were sprayed on. If you want to model a burnt tank, use less of the paint color and some black (smoke residue) over the rust.

For this T-55 first apply an overall coat of Tamiya XF-57,BUFF, Acrylic. Followed by post shading with Tamiya XF-64, RED BROWN.





11.) Next spray on some camouflage stripes using Tamiya XF-26, Deep Green. Dry thoroughly- again using a hairdryer.





12.) Now using a stippling action, begin removing the salt. Rubbing harder will remove some of the pigment layer as well.







13.) You now have control of the adhesion of each of these layers. Stippling will remove some, rubbing gently will remove more. You can even scratch with a pin or tweezers. It will take some time to remove each grain of salt- and along the way you will recognize that you have control over the finished effect.







Guys this is deceptively easy- and a lot of fun.


One final note once completely dry this is a tough finish- you would think that it would flake off over time- but it is quite durable.




Here are some pics of the finished turret after further weathering:









This is a variation of the normal salt & hairspray technique that will give you a more dimensional chipped paint look.