Rusty areas using superglue

[Brandon Miller]

Some time back someone posted about using superglue and possibly micro balloons for creating rust areas under paint. I cannot find that anywhere now. Anyone have any ideas?

[Skip]

Maybe one of the dedicated "searchers" or "Googlers" can come up with your old thread. I'm pretty much the same as you, if I can't find it, I ask, that's what forums are for sharing knowledge not memorizing where to find everything.

I'm not a patina kind of modeler, however. I think your micro ballons and CA glue idea has lots of potential.  For a more irregular grained effect, why not try the thin CA glue and baking soda. The reaction between the baking soda and the CA glue almost always produces a rough raised texture which can then be knocked down to whatever height of paint defects or rust bubbles that you are going after.

To do the CA glue and Baking Soda technique - First, using thin CA / Super Glue and regular old (Arm & Hammer) baking soda. Next - Place a thin layer of the thin CA glue. While it is still wet, dust a fine layer of baking soda over the wet CA glue. The reaction between the two will produce a hard granulated effect, resembling heavy surface rust. Next - Work the grainy surface by sanding to the level of surface defect you are after.  Then - Wash the part(s) with warm soapy water and dry and paint using paint distressing methods that will produce a peeling or chipped effect, such as salt, rubber cement... Keep working the areas until you have achieved the level of distress you are after. This CA glue technique stops way short of using CA & Soda as a body filler by building the CA & Soda up in thin layers then covering it with a medium or thick layer of CA glue and spraying an accelerator onto the wet glue to produce a smooth almost plastic surface. 

The rest is opinion - I know there are several on this forum who either don't like or else have had poor results with CA glues and baking soda in the past. I wouldn't shy away from using it either, for what you are going after. I've used CA and baking soda for probably 25+ years, with models in other peoples and my own collections exhibiting no adverse effects. The trick I think is to build it up in small layers then encapsulate with either a medium or thick CA glue to soften the grainy texture. Figure modelers and those who build the Roth Monsters, Weird Oh's, and other old (not so well designed and molded) monster kits have been using CA & soda since at least the '80s, when I first saw it used. Which is where I picked up the technique, then again, I also go back to the "Plastic Wood" days of model building! Incidentally many of those who do not like CA & soda as fillers also do not like using lacquer based automotive and hobby spot putty as filler, their preferred filler being the two-part Bondo type fillers.  Each filler has their own unique properties or uses, which in the hands of an experienced user can and usually does produce great results time after time.

[Ace-Garageguy]

My guess is that the CA/micro technique is very similar to the CA/cinnamon technique, as neither additive has much (if any) effect on the set-time of the CA.