weathering mhs/sinktube

[Dark Helmet]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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



MC

[Ghostbat]

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]

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]

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!!!