Forged Carbon Fiber (practice piece)

[Milo]

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).

[Beans]

Cool!  How did you do it?

[Ace-Garageguy]

Great effect.  

[Milo]

9 hours ago, Beans said:

Cool!  How did you do it?

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.

[Mattilacken]

Looks good! About the clear coat, just polish it, if you don’t have a kit buy a micro mesh or some thing similar, I start out with 3600 go only in one direction per instruction and when all the bumps are flat I go with the next in the other direction which is 6000. And do that until 12000 and then I go over with Tamiya polish in minimum two stepps.

 

thanks for the tip and idea!

[Milo]

14 minutes ago, Mattilacken said:

Looks good! About the clear coat, just polish it, if you don’t have a kit buy a micro mesh or some thing similar, I start out with 3600 go only in one direction per instruction and when all the bumps are flat I go with the next in the other direction which is 6000. And do that until 12000 and then I go over with Tamiya polish in minimum two stepps.

 

thanks for the tip and idea!

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!

[Mattilacken]

21 minutes ago, Milo said:

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!

Here is a black paint I used that method on. Only thing I miss is first stage polish compound on this one.

 

Edited March 1 by Mattilacken

[Milo]

On 2/28/2025 at 5:34 PM, Mattilacken said:

Looks good! About the clear coat, just polish it, if you don’t have a kit buy a micro mesh or some thing similar, I start out with 3600 go only in one direction per instruction and when all the bumps are flat I go with the next in the other direction which is 6000. And do that until 12000 and then I go over with Tamiya polish in minimum two stepps.

 

thanks for the tip and idea!

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

[Mattilacken]

4 hours ago, Milo said:

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

As long as you use plenty of water when sanding paint does not stick in the micro mesh so you can use it for a lifetime I guess. I have had mine for 20 years.

[Milo]

On 2/28/2025 at 5:34 PM, Mattilacken said:

Looks good! About the clear coat, just polish it, if you don’t have a kit buy a micro mesh or some thing similar, I start out with 3600 go only in one direction per instruction and when all the bumps are flat I go with the next in the other direction which is 6000. And do that until 12000 and then I go over with Tamiya polish in minimum two stepps.

 

thanks for the tip and idea!

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.

[Mattilacken]

13 minutes ago, Milo said:

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.

I have been using fine and finnishing from Tamiya. But bought the coarse now when resuplying.

[Milo]

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?

[Mattilacken]

I would work more with the polishing compounds and make sure to use a good microfiber cloth, I have found the truetlwax orange one with long “fur” to be the best. I usually cut pieces of it so I have good sizes to work with. And when you are done  wash it with a good automotive carwash and Finnish with a detailer spray from your local auto store they you use with the good long haired microfiber cloth. I can take a picture later of the products I use.

Edited March 4 by Mattilacken

[Mattilacken]

The cloth I use,

and a similar detailer which really brings the shine back. And I think you can skip wax with that one.

 

[Mattilacken]

11 hours ago, Milo said:

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?

Looks flat and nice now. Se my posts above

[johnyrotten]

Always make sure you've eliminated all the previous grits scratches with the next. The point is to "level out" your surface. GOOD lighting is important. I like to wet sand, rinse it off and study the surface, the water will mimic the shine and you can pick up spots you may have missed. And don't go crazy, you can sand through the clear. Especially near edges and details. It takes practice,  looks like your on your way.👍

Edited March 4 by johnyrotten
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[Mattilacken]

@Milo have you made some progress? 

[Milo]

On 3/14/2025 at 6:20 PM, Mattilacken said:

@Milo have you made some progress? 

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