# Simulating wood, peeling paint



## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I did a little test of some techniques for simulating the look of old wooden boards with peeling paint. I plan to use this method on the upper level of the small house I'm working on.


I started with a scrap of 1/8" thick styrene about 2" x 4". I scribed "wood grain" into the wood using a piece of hacksaw blade, as described in my other post. A hobby knife was used to carve additional cracks, nail holes, etc. 


Next I painted several layers of Apple Barrel acrylic paints, in thin washes, allowing each to dry before adding the next layer. I started with a couple washes of warm brown (Nutmeg), and then a mix of brown and orange (Apricot). Another wash of brown, then a darker, slightly redder brown (Espresso). When applying the darker color, I left some of the lighter areas exposed to provide variation. Last was a thin layer of black, just enough to seep into the crevices; a little more was added to darken specific areas.


This produced a very life-like representation of old, weathered wood:






















Note that for weathered wood in colder, wetter climates, you'd probably need more grays and less of the warm tones.






Next I dabbed on some small blotches of "Micro Mask". I also added a strip of tape to represent an area which had once been covered by a now-missing batten. 


After the Micro Mask had dried, I coated the whole thing with Testor's enamel thinner. While this was still wet, I very lightly brushed on some random splotches of Apple Barrel "Hunter Green" acrylic paint. The paint thinner causes the water-based acrylic to smear unevenly:






















After the paint and enamel thinner had dried, I pulled off the tape. Then I washed the piece in cold water to remove the Micro Mask. The effect turned out beautifully. However, the base coats came off the styrene in a few places. This should be avoidable, simply by better preparation of the surface prior to painting:
































This method of replicating the look of peeling paint on old wood show great promise.  In the future I will carefully sand the surface and clean it with alcohol before painting, and that should eliminate the few adhesion problems seen in this test.


.


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## Dean Whipple (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks good, even the white doesn't look that bad...


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

That's very effective! 

Acrylic is pretty easy to scratch off styrene.


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## Greg Stevens (Jan 3, 2008)

Ray,

I have to tell you, I really like the plastic before the painting. That wood look is perfect for an old outhouse or abandoned miners or loggers cabin. Perfect.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Yeah, I'm wondering if it might be better to use a coat of white primer as a base. 

BTW, even though it's just a test sample and not model, I got tired of looking at those white spots. So I used a small brush to touch up the paint, then sprayed the whole thing with a coat of Krylon UV Matte.


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## Matt Vogt (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for taking the time to post this, Ray. That looks great! I agree, I think it will work great for both painted and unpainted.
keep us up to date with your applications!

Matt


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow. I love it. Just to clarify, did you carve that from a block of styrene or is it pieces glued up? 

Robert


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

The base is one piece carved to look like boards, and the battens (skinny boards) are separate pieces glued onto the base.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Peeling paint can be achieved with great results by using a sand blaster, with a real fine sand or glass bead, with two or three coats of different colored paint on a building and then sandblast with a little downward direction, gives it the real look as if the weather had beat it off. Blasting through the different layers shows different colors. Works great for weathering real wood. Dennis


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I've simulated peeling paint with rubber cement over a base coat with the final coat over blobs of r cement. A rubber eraser picks the cement and lifts it, the edges are very effective. I've done multple layers, adding instant aging. 
Don't brush it on, I applied it with a pick.


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## Tom Thornton (Nov 18, 2008)

Ray That looks great. Can't wait to see what you build that looks old and worn out.

tom Thornton


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