Hey All,

Does anyone have experience with relatively long delays between coating a model with hairspray/chipping fluid followed by the next paint layer? That is, how long can you wait, from the time you complete the spraying of the hairspray/chipping fluid, until you spray the paint color coat, and still have a successful chipping experience? I've read that you can spray the color coat as soon as the hairspray/chipping fluid later is dry to the touch, but how LONG can you go before you spray the color coat and still have the chipping coat be effective? Is there a 'shelf life' for the hairspray/chipping fluid layer?

On a related note, does anyone have experience in how long you can wait to begin the chipping process? Again, I've read that chipping can begin as soon as the paint layer is dry to the touch, but how LONG can you wait to begin chipping, and still have the hairspray/chipping fluid be effective?

Any thoughts or actual experience would be greatly appreciated.

Watch this Mike Rinaldi video...it should help with your questions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCHVn47E6LA

I've gone as long as a week using Tamiya acrylics; but I don't recommend it. Most of the time I just start chipping after 24 hours.

According to Rinaldi it can be months. Also he sprays with Tamiya mixed with water rather than thinner as it doesn't bind to the surface as strongly.

Thank you, sir. I actually had an e-mail from Mike Rinaldi on this subject quite some time ago, and I searched for it but could not find it. He suggests, in the video, that you could go 3 weeks or so, or maybe even a month, IF the hairspray area has been covered over with a paint layer, such that the hairspray/chipping fluid is covered/protected by the paint layer. Makes sense to me. I guess that also answers my question about whether I could spray the hairspray or chipping fluid layer, then let it sit before getting to the paint layer. I gather that the answer is no, and I'll proceed accordingly. I was mostly concerned about this because I plan to be adding painted markings (turret numbers, German crosses) to the paint layer, and I'd like to do that before I begin chipping, so the markings chip along with the paint. I am trying to duplicate Mike's Tankart 1 book, the Panther tank project, which is a double chipping project, chipping dunkelgelb paint to the red oxide primer, and a second chipping after a whitewash layer over the dunkelgleb. In both cases, markings will be painted on, and I am not the fastest when trying to apply markings with templates and paint.

Thanks for pointing out this info!

Hi Curt, I have waited up to 9 days and could still easily chip the top coat if I mixed the topcoat with water.Another product I have used with great success is True Earth white wash chipping or scraping paint. The number is TECP 02, there is also TECP 01 Red oxide primer scraping paint. They have a very good selection of paint and chipping effects, weathering products, and I love using them and I have never had any bad results. Best regards........Dale

Thanks, Dale. My guess is that my current Panther and M1A1 Abrams builds are going to take on the order of weeks to complete the chipping I have planned for both, so this really helps my confidence level. I did a test over this past weekend, using real hairspray for the very first time (I've used Chipping Fluid up until this point), and the chips of a Tamiya CARC Sand mix, thinned about 50:50 with water resulted in perfect chipping, ideal 'hold' for the paint that remains, and chipping and scratching with toothpicks and sort, stiff bristled brush hairs.

I'm really looking forward to chipping my M1A1, which is going to duplicate the M1A1 'Answer to This' tank that I donated to the Ft. Stewart Thunder Run exhibit. I really wanted that tank in my own collection, and I'm guessing that with the improvements I've seen in my technique, plus, now, a bit more confidence in the hairspray chipping methods should result in a superior 'Answer to This'!