Milo

No, sorry, ran out of paint and then ran out of time 😪

It was Tamiya masking tape

I've sanded and polished, the surface is definitely smother; however, there are visible scratches from sanding, and it isn't as shiny as it was before. Any suggestions?

Which polishes do you use? I thought I bought everything but then I realized there was a coarse polish, turns out I only have the fine and finish polish.

Can I reuse the micro mesh indefinitely, or how often should I replace them?

Oki, I think I'll give that a try. I've always been a little bit avoidant about polishing because I never found any instructions put so straightforwardly. Thanks!

Thanks! I started with a base matte black--you can do whatever brands you want, it's fairly forgiving. After that I used a (cheap) paintbrush and destroyed the brussels so that they frayed in every direction, and then I trimmed that. I used some flat grey paint (acrylic, but again it doesn't matter) and dipped the brush into that, wiping the excess off on the bottle. From there, I dabbed the botched paintbrush onto a piece of paper until I could barely see paint coming off. Then I just dabbed dabbed dabbed onto the black surface at different angles until I was satisfied with the coverage. Once that is almost dry, go over it again and lightly smear the paint in every which direction, not too much smearing or it looks bad. Once that's all dry and set, I clear coated with Mr. Super Gloss with 3 coats. Your favorite gloss coat will work, but controversially 2k clear would be best. Once the technique is down, the gloss coat really makes the piece look convincing. This is only my first attempt, so I'll keep practicing and varying everything I do. To get a more realistic look I think picking multiple different shades of grey would be nice, layering them from lightest to darkest on top. Alternatively, maybe an aluminum color or metallic would be cool. I just wish I knew how to make a perfectly good gloss coat.

I found a nice 3D piece to practice and here's my take on how to replicate forged carbon fiber: Don't judge my clear coat--that's been the hardest part for me since I started modeling (and this might be the best clear coat I've ever done so far).

you underestimate me, which makes me sad. I’ve made many kits using spray cans, and until now have had good enough results from airbrush until summer. I was fine in the winter and even early spring.

everyone says skim milk, and nobody has ever even seen skim milk other than at the hotel breakfasts

I also have the problem of trying to be as bare minimum as possible, and most cost effect. I’ve been using those giant tubs of lacquer thinner you see at Walmart, and I’ve been avoiding all the expensive model brands when I can.

I haven’t gotten the hang of thinning yet… could it be too thin or too thick? Plus, I live in central texas and I work in the garage, it’s consistently mid 90 F

It’s kind of textured and when I rub my finger it comes off noticeably. Tamiya lacquer on Tamiya lacquer primer airbrushed

I love the embroideries present on some Ferrari floor matts, and I'd love to recreate that on my model. Any ideas?

the undercoat is chrome, seems that my paint over it didn’t want to stay