Painting laminated props?

[uncletony]

Any tricks out there?

[bobs_buckles]

Yep... Don't paint them! Pencil them 

BVB

[GAJouette]

  Bob,
Do you pencil the entire prop or paint your base coat then pencil in the laminations?
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette

[Chris Johnson]

I give the prop a base coat of Tamiya Deck Tan and seal it with Dullcote. Then I use the coloured pencil to lay in the dark lamination. I follow that with some Tamiya Clear Yellow and seal again with a Satin clear coat.

Just make sure that you get artist's oil based or watercolour coloured pencils rather than the waxy school pencils we all have laying around the house. You'll save yourself considerable aggravation.

Cheers,

Chris

[Des]

Here are two photos of my first attempt at doing a laminated propeller. I firstly sprayed a base coat of Gunze acrylic then like what Chris has said, I used a coloured pencil to apply the lamination, I finished off with two coats of Humbrol clear. Next time I will use a better quality colour pencil.

Des.

[pepperman42]

Hmmm. Used pencils for weathering, chipping etc but not to this extent. Looks good.

Steve

[ALBATROS1234]

the hardest part is getting the laminations symetrical.

[gcn]

I tend to draw my props too



Apply base coat of acrylic.
Draw laminations of the darker wood, I tend to outline in black and fill in with dark browns
draw wood graining on lighter wood
seal with clear orange / yellow and gloss up.

I would be tempted to add in an oil based wood graining at some stage as well but the above prop didn't have that.

[Ian from Doncaster]

Here are 2 of mine, the first is the WNW LVG with the prop base sprayed in a sand colour, masked carefully then oversprayed in earth brown.  Then coated with a thin brushing of oil paints to give depth to the laminations and wood grain effect.

The second is from the Revell 1:72 E.III, again base sprayed then watercolour pencil application for the darker laminates, then covered with oil paints.

[bobs_buckles]

  Bob,
Do you pencil the entire prop or paint your base coat then pencil in the laminations?
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette

All the above... lol
That saved me some time.. 

Von Buckle

[Piltdown Man]

So what range of pencils are we looking at then? I have some Derwent watercolour pencils but, as they are water soluble, I can't see these things appreciating a coating of Klear to seal them.

Trevor

[gcn]

That's the pencils I use

[Whiteknuckles]

Very good effects with the pencil technique gents, thanks for the pic's.
Most of the props seem to be about six layers of lamination - is this personal preference or does it reflect the actual construction of the props by the relevant manufacturer and the types of wood they used?

Andrew

[Chris Johnson]

So what range of pencils are we looking at then? I have some Derwent watercolour pencils but, as they are water soluble, I can't see these things appreciating a coating of Klear to seal them.

Trevor

Those are the ones I use too. I've never experienced any issue with sealing them and I just use a rattle can Satin clear coat.

Cheers,

Chris

[uncletony]

KM's Oeffag D.III, Austro Daimler motor, not sure of prop type -- 8 laminations by my count


heine prop and repro (KM) for Eindecker


Axial props under construction (KM) for Dr1s