Hairspray Chipping

[ElCapitan]

Does anyone have any experience with this technique?

I have a few questions about it that don't seem to be covered in videos etc. I guess we're expected to know these things already...

1) Can the hairspray be applied straight from the aerosol can, or does it need to be decanted and airbrushed?
2) Is it OK to apply the hairspray haphazardly over the whole model, or is it necessary to be a bit more selective? Or, do I control that with the wet brush?
3) On the areas that you leave unchipped, is it obvious that there is hairspray underneath the paint?

I think that's it...

[Stokesy44]

Does anyone have any experience with this technique?

I have a few questions about it that don't seem to be covered in videos etc. I guess we're expected to know these things already...

1) Can the hairspray be applied straight from the aerosol can, or does it need to be decanted and airbrushed?
2) Is it OK to apply the hairspray haphazardly over the whole model, or is it necessary to be a bit more selective? Or, do I control that with the wet brush?
3) On the areas that you leave unchipped, is it obvious that there is hairspray underneath the paint?

I think that's it...

I haven't tried it mate but I'm looking forward to seeing the comments from people who have

One thing I would say is don't use mousse, the results are catastrophic!

[Gary30]

I've done it......

Once. Managed to achieve surprisingly good results though.

I decanted it and sprayed it with the AB. Get nice thin controlled coats then, rather than straight from the can. Not saying it can't be done though.

I applied it only to the parts I wanted to chip, as I had a lot of weathering to do afterwards it wasn't necessary to get a uniform finish over the entire model.

Not obvious on the unchipped areas, the paint applies as normal, it's just the hairspray makes it easier to remove (chip)

Give a it a go, if I can do it, then TRUST ME anyone can do it!

On my next attempt I'm going to leave the paint to dry longer before chipping. I use thin coats so it came off quite easily (read TOO easily!)

[Jens]

I've had my fair share of failures with hairspray chipping - and commercial "chipping" medium, and the solution to my troubles were "more is key"!
I used too little hairspray/medium on my first attempts so when I accidentally sploshed on almost a spoonful into the cockpit I was building and decided to go ahead anyway made a huge difference!

Also don't wait too long to paint it, just long enough for the hairspray to dry, which is ~5 minutes.

I've had the best chipping results with Tamiya + IPA as thinner.

[chops1sc]

I've been wanting to try this as well. I might give it a go and try building a rat rod!

[Stokesy44]

How long after applying the top coat do you start the chipping?

[Jens]

How long after applying the top coat do you start the chipping?

As soon as it's dried. Best results if done within 30 minutes depending on hairspray/chipping medium. Some dry out quickly.

Also worth mentioning that hairspray technique doesn't work so well if you've thinned your paint with water for obvious reasons...
Lacquer paints can also be really hard to chip since water doesn't penetrate the paint down to the hairspray.

This means "pure acrylics" like Ammo by Mig and Vallejo isn't always suitable for chipping due to its long drying time, but if you live in a warmer climate or you have other means to dry it then you should be ok. Tamiya is what works best imho.

[Stokesy44]

How long after applying the top coat do you start the chipping?

As soon as it's dried. Best results if done within 30 minutes depending on hairspray/chipping medium. Some dry out quickly.

Also worth mentioning that hairspray technique doesn't work so well if you've thinned your paint with water for obvious reasons...
Lacquer paints can also be really hard to chip since water doesn't penetrate the paint down to the hairspray.

This means "pure acrylics" like Ammo by Mig and Vallejo isn't always suitable for chipping due to its long drying time, but if you live in a warmer climate or you have other means to dry it then you should be ok. Tamiya is what works best imho.

Cool. Great answer Jens. Thanks mate

[ElCapitan]

All good advice, thanks! Can't wait to try it, but I'll keep an open mind about what the outcome might be!

[Jens]

Hairspray chipping require a bit of practice, both getting it to work and how to control it.
Too much hairspray and it comes off in large flakes, not enough and the underlying paint & primer can lift. (because you start to scrub in frustration! ask me how I know... )
If you have to scrub then it's basically gone wrong!

First slightly wet the area you want to chip and leave it for 5-10 seconds, then carefully use a medium brush to begin chipping the paint.
With practice you learn to control the size of the chips/flakes.

One can also layer chipping to create awesome rust effects so it's got more uses than just a whitewash!

[aur0ra145]

1. You can apply either from a decanted source or straight out of the can.

2. I did it most all over the model. However, I would pay special attention to places you knew you wanted to weather. Like on a certain panel or something.

3. Yes and No. I tried it and the first layer was awesome. Looked really good. Second layer it didn't look as hot. Though, I think that was due to me not letting the undercoats dry overnight.

Link to my hairspray weathering test thread: viewtopic.php?f=34&t=19981

End results thread: viewtopic.php?f=45&t=20157

[OneSmallStep1966]

I suggest you pickup one of Michael Rinaldi’s books (Tank Art or Single Model (SM). He’s without doubt one of the best when it comes to painting/chipping/weathering and his books cover hairspray chipping techniques in depth (including multi-level chipping).
He is currently doing weekly Facebook Q&A on techniques and below is a link to a recent one specifically on Hairspray Chipping, it’s well worth reading.
https://www.facebook.com/RinaldiStudio/ ... 5078327834

In summary, he advocates the use of hairspray straight from the can, putting down two smooth coats (allow to dry between coats).
His preferred paint is Tamiya acrylic thinned 50:50 with water, a mix that allows more control when re-activating the hairspray because you use less water to do it.