# "real" gunmetal?



## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

does anyone make a real gunmetal finish paint? By "real", I mean, not a very dark gray or black with a slight metallic sheen, I'm talking a slightly darkened metal with bright sheen. If you take the Testors and Tamiya gunmetal in the jar, you'd see they're almost black but you can make out a little silver or aluminum mixed in - maybe 20:1 and it's semi-gloss or satin.


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

sorry, I meant to put this in the modeling section.


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## jimkirk (May 27, 2010)

If you are doing metal parts then you could try Birchwood Super Blue.
I use it on bolts for Arcade cabinets.
It takes a couple applications and looks like a blued gun barrel.
I will not work on Stainless,aluminum or non-ferrous metals though.
You could leave it black or run steel wool over it to bring out the silver of the bolt underneath.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

The problem is the term gunmetal is used like the names Kleenex or Q-Tips. It's become a generic name for something. When refering to gunmetal most think of a handgun, which is actually a dark multi hued blue. Most people think of the "color" though as dark metalic silver or grey. Decide what color and shade you want then find a paint that matches or custom mix your own. 

What are you going to use it on?


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

nothing specific. just wondering.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

I think what you described might be ModelMaster Burnt Metal Metalizer.
I used it on the afterburner petals and refueling door here:


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Gunmetal is a catch all name. I think Vallejo makes at least three! Floquil had an old one that was like a metallic medium blue. The Testors stuff is a dark metallic blue. Tamiya makes Gunmetal in a jar and its a dark metallic grey. They have two different spray Gunmetals, the lighter one is what I would call "steel".

Oddly all the guns I own are not finished in any of those "gunmetal" colors. They are either polished metal (silver), parkerized (greenish grey), or lacquered (black).


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

No blued ones?


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## TAY666 (Jan 8, 2000)

Delta/Ceramacote has a nice gunmetal gray.


It's the darker metal seen on the axle and the skulls on this kit.


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## Rattrap (Feb 23, 1999)

Sadly the best gunmetal I ever used was the Pactra from the 1960s-1970s. Unfortunately, from what I've heard, they achieved the effect with a lot of lead in the mix, so it had to be discontinued.


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## Darkhunter (Dec 17, 2003)

John P said:


> I think what you described might be ModelMaster Burnt Metal Metalizer.
> I used it on the afterburner petals and refueling door here:


That is a great looking jet. What is it?


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## idMonster (Jun 18, 2003)

Darkhunter said:


> That is a great looking jet. What is it?


It's the F-16XL. Two prototypes were built, a single-seat and two-seater, and entered into the Air Force's Enhanced Tactical Fighter competition. It lost out to the F-15E Strike Eagle mostly because the Strike Eagle was basically an F-15D with some relatively minor structural and avionic changes whereas the XL, with its stretched fuselage and cranked arrow wing would have meant much higher production costs. The prototypes were eventually acquired by NASA.

At the end of NASA's F-16XL test program in 1999 the 2 prototypes were mothballed but a few years ago there were studies being done by NASA to potentially update their systems and return them to operational status.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-16XL
http://img.blog.yahoo.co.kr/ybi/1/24/56/shinecommerce/folder/49/img_49_16132_6?1199168189.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Twin_F-16XL_duo.jpg

John P's excellent model (Ace or Cutting Eddge conversion?) seems to represents a single-seat F-16XL as it might have looked operationally as a fighter. Had the XL won out over the F-15E it would have been a two-seat "ground pounder" (it had 17 hard points!) and might very possibly have been painted in the same overall Gunship Grey paint scheme used on the Strike Eagle.

Gordon


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## Ace Airspeed (May 16, 2010)

The Testors Model Master Metalizer buffing Gun Metal finishes to what you are seeking................just buff it out to an obvious metallic sheen without being too light. I've used Metalizers for years with good results. If you're looking for a richly blued finished ala top end rifles and such, perhaps a thin wash of Tamiya clear blue over the Metalizer gun metal? 

Al Clad might offer something along the same lines................and I much prefer this product to Metalizer...............you can handle it without sealer.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Idmonster, it's the 1/32 scale Wild Hare conversion on a 1/32 scale Tamiya Thunderbird F-16C. Yeah, you're lookin' at about $500 worth of plastic and resin there:
http://www.inpayne.com/models/f16xli32a.html


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## idMonster (Jun 18, 2003)

John P said:


> Idmonster, it's the 1/32 scale Wild Hare conversion on a 1/32 scale Tamiya Thunderbird F-16C. Yeah, you're lookin' at about $500 worth of plastic and resin there:
> http://www.inpayne.com/models/f16xli32a.html


Well, John, considering what I've heard about that conversion set you really did it proud - I mean were talking serious silk purse from a sow's ear here!

Plus, I prefer a CAP bird to a Mud Mover 24/7/365!

Of course, I'd be more impressed if you'd started with the Ace kit


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Is the Ace kit the same as the old Kangnam (sp?) kit? I had that one 20-some years ago and didn't even bother building it, it was so bad.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Yes the Ace/TCI/Kangam kits are all a big POS... its the same kit. The 1/72 Monogram kit is just as bad. The real plane is NOT just a regular F-16 with Delta Wings, as the kits portray (not that it is their only issue...)


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## spideydroogy (Oct 15, 2010)

I know this thread is a little old but, I just watched a video over at the Michigan Toy Soldier channel on youtube about how to paint metal surfaces. Dave shows a few different kind of paints from Humbrol and Vallejo. Here is a link to the video http://www.youtube.com/user/MichToyCo#p/u/21/cI0636tX8TU.


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

that's cool! Thanks!


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## veedubb67 (Jul 11, 2003)

Why not rub a #2 pencil on the part?

Rob
Iwata Padawan


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## Magesblood (May 12, 2008)

actually, that's not a bad idea. Will clear coat adhere to it?


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

YOu can seal pencil graphite with a clear coat but it kills the shine and finish. MIG makes some nice metallic pigments that you can rub on. tamiya has silver and gunmetal in their Weathering Master self-adhesive pigment kits too.


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