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Dark Helmet
03-17-2008, 06:50 PM
By the end of this week i should be finished building my new saber, made from mhs, sink tube and parks parts. I want to make it look VERY old and worn, Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way to make this thing look like a relic? I would like to simulate a little rust, as well as battle damage too...

Obi-Dar Ke-Gnomie
03-17-2008, 07:02 PM
When you're swinging your saber around like a madman, and you drop it forcefully into the gravel, it really makes it look beat to hell.

Don't ask me how I know this...

Novastar
03-17-2008, 09:11 PM
It's true. :)

There are "ways" to weather a saber, and then there is just USAGE. Funny that this is mentioned, as a portion of the switch plate on the "good guy" version of Flange III (Green) was BROKEN OFF by an attack I made last night shooting the 250-move fight... funny that it lasted all this way, and finally broke on the "finishing night"!

I'll simply re-epoxy it, heheh

But yes, the saber hilts are scratched, beat up, dropped, dinged, dirty, sprayed with "grip spray", and have otherwise gone through something like 4000 hits a month up until a bit ago. They're weathered alright. :)

On the other side, of the coin... for "fake weathering", you can always use a file/rasp, sand paper, a screwdriver to rake scratches... "rust colored paint", throw dirt on it, clean it off, repeat, wipe it down, fight with it for an hour or two, toss it in the air, let it land on the cement... roll it like a rolling pin over cement... :) Even a dab or two of certain "acidic" epoxies or super glues will give certain metal parts a weird "haze"... :

Lord Maul
03-17-2008, 09:25 PM
Take your saber hilt, dig a hole in your yard, and bury it for a week or two. That is a tried and true method.

Another is using paint, but I don't know snitz about that.

Dark Helmet
03-17-2008, 10:16 PM
sounds good so far, i'd like to have some rust too,there seems to be some info on this in the model train market, so i'll look deeper in that direction. as far as scarring, i have some epoxy paint i can rub into the dents and scratches.... after i dig it up from my neighbors yard.....

after playing around a bit, a blowtorch will turn sink tube a blue "tarnished" color, so the only think left is aging/stressing the aluminum parts...

Dark Navel
03-17-2008, 11:06 PM
If you have an airbrush you can create all kinds of stuff. I used it to make all of the right colors, blaster marks and rust on my Millenium Falcon model. As you may or may not know I am a stickler when it comes to accuracy.

If you have a dremmel there are several bits you can use to age your saber. Vary the speeds and bits to get different age marks but use it on a scrap piece first to see what looks best

How about scorch marks from a saber duel? Use the dremmel to create it...Black from the deepest point and then fade to grey and then light gray to the edges to simulate a burn/scorch mark. Make this away from where your hand sits on the hilt because you don't want to rub off the paint. I used acrlyic and then a sealer.

Madcow
03-18-2008, 09:20 AM
Simply get flat black model paint (you can do this with a flat rust colour too - mix it with flat black).

Then get some paint thinner, and make a solution that is about 1 part paint, 4 parts thinner (experiment with the mix).

Then apply with a brush. It gets in all the grooves and cracks and makes it look old. But this will also damage any paint you have previously applied.

If you use to much, then just wait till it's mostly dry and rub some off.

The effect looks like this - the emitter on this saber I'm selling on fx-sabers.com
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb98/rpetkau/Custom%20Saber%20BR/th_IMG_1965.jpg (http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb98/rpetkau/Custom%20Saber%20BR/IMG_1965.jpg)


MC

Ghostbat
03-18-2008, 09:27 AM
When it comes to "working props" like a saber I have always been a big fan of weathering through actual use rather than through weathering technique. Just use it, carry it around in your bag loose with all the other crap in there (which for me often includes a lot of tools) etc.

Of course that being said a really good weathering job on a prop is a thing of beauty and the skills involved are to be admired. I'm no master at this but have weathered some quick and dirty props for events and have been painting miniatures and models for years so here's my technique.

On models/miniatures my two stroke technique is wash then drybrush, it translates pretty well to larger projects. First I thin out a black, about half and half paint to water/thinner (depending on the paints base) then slather it on. Wipe that off while still wet and it clings into the low places and streaks over the higher places. When that dries I will follow with a much thinner mix of a brown to give a dirty and rusty look. Once both of those are done I'll take a black or dark gray paint, dip a brush in it, then wipe the brush against a rag until no more paint is coming off on the rag. Give the prop a vigorous brushing and the remaining particles of paint will cling to the edges and high points.

Finally let the whole thing dry for a day or two so the paint is well and truly set and dump it in a bucket of dirt, fireplace ash, or just take it up to burning man and let the dust there do its fiendish work. It will look well used and that will only improve with actual use.

chase
03-18-2008, 09:40 AM
Mine got weathered by constantly trying to upgrade the hilt and fix solder joints, replace batteries and the threads getting stuck, thus having to use vice grips to get it to unscrew. I've got some nice gashes and scratches in my hilt. It also helps using the same hilt for 2 years and dueling at least twice a week. I like the idea of burying it too.

Dark Helmet
03-18-2008, 07:15 PM
i picked up some birchwood casey aluminum black metal finish today. it's working great so far, getting into the scratches and scrapes etc... this thing is starting to look like an ancient relic already! now when i get new scratches, it will show the fresh silver underneath. thanks for the suggestions guys!!!

B5813
03-19-2008, 12:32 PM
Please post a few pics along the process, Dark Helmet... if possible...

Dark Helmet
03-19-2008, 09:40 PM
as soon as i can get my hands on a camera, i will... the hilt is soaking in oil now, so the black will cure.... oddly enough, the sinktube will take the same black solution if you buff through the top coating of chrome, next step will be a coat of hand rubbed transparent brown laquer, just to give it the sheen of old gunmetal, and keep the black off of my hands. it's a good thing i'm beating this thing up too, i accidentely broke off my tap in the blade holder, so i dremeled it flush and blacked that too...

Corbin_Das
03-20-2008, 12:31 AM
Hi there
I happen to love weathered props. Probably the one I'm most known for is my Malius weathered saber, or perhaps my Malius Legacy saber (AKA the Killer Penny). You can see them both in my signature. The original one (on the right) is much more weathered than the other one. In fact, here's a shot of the weathering when it was first finished:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v345/corbin_das/collage.jpg

Granted, I changed a lot on the saber since then, but I wanted a really ancient looking relic. You can see by the picture in my signature that it didn't STAY as weathered once I kept handling it.


Here's the Killer Penny. I still need to do some small detail work though:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v345/corbin_das/KPweatheredlit.jpg



As far as tips go, I'd say to first determine exactly how old and weathered you actually want the piece to be. Ask yourself if you want dents, pitting, gouges and such or if you just want it to look handled and slightly battle worn. If it's the latter, just using the thing will likely add scratches and such, but there ARE ways to hurry things along:


As was mentioned, thinned out flat black paint will get down into all the cracks and give the piece some age. You can do the same thing with Aluminum (or Brass) Black. A trick I did on the Malius was to use a broken off mini drill bit (think dentist drill or smaller) and my dremil to make pits, rough areas and stuff like that. In particular, I do this near any cracks and crevices to help add to the dirty grime look. It helps the paint or aluminum black stay in place too compared to a smooth surface where it can rub off easier.

I even engraved a 2 inch long crack in the side of the saber and used the blackner to highlight it. Another trick is to mix some powdered chalk with the paint to add some grit. I used pale green for these sabers, since they're brass and corrosion would be green rather than red.

I actually burried that saber in a horse pasture for a while too. :)


I'm starting to get into weathering other props too, but sabers are my main focus. I'm experimenting with armor weathering right now. I'm wanting to do something like this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v345/corbin_das/chestplate.jpg

Corbin

Drichar Deis
03-20-2008, 05:34 AM
That armour is awesome!

Dark Helmet
03-20-2008, 06:26 PM
well, i finally got a camera, a junk one, but here goes...............I think I'll name her Threnody (a song of lament for the dead)




http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/darthdouchebag/saber008.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/darthdouchebag/saber009.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/darthdouchebag/saber010.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/darthdouchebag/saber006.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/darthdouchebag/saber001.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/darthdouchebag/saber005.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/darthdouchebag/saber003.jpg

Sethski
03-20-2008, 07:20 PM
That's definitely seen some action - great job! :mrgreen:

B5813
03-20-2008, 09:28 PM
That has a pretty bad ass look to it. The hilt design is cool too.