Improving the Look?

bullets

Has anyone tried or does anyone have any suggestions on improving
the look of their AEG's ?

I am finding when looking at pics and from handling my own AEG's that
they can look too plastic. And also the Look too New looking.

Silver Paint mixed with black is great for adding wear to raised edges
where metal would wear and it makes things a little bit more realistic or
adds character to an AEG.

Main thing I dont like is that ABS looks thin/cheap/shiny.
Stocks look plastic when they should look Rubberised.
Handguards look light and shiny when they should be dull, and thick
and solid looking.
Butt plates are plastic when they should be rubber.

I would love a way of Matting Down some of the shiny plastic that
just looks wrong. Maybe some Matt spray varnish may work but may
need to be re-applyied every so often.

Was wondering if rubber car tyre paint would work if painted onto the
stock to give it a rubberised look but it may be too easy to rub off.

Basically add some "artificial" wear and tear look to the AEG to make
it look like its well used.

~B

o1s1n

Could always just buy a full metal AEG?

Or even a full metal kit.

NakedDex

You could go with that "back to black" stuff if you want a spray. Or you could disassemble the aeg and flagilate the handgrips etc. (ie the non mechanical parts) for that worn look.
Personally I don't get the whole "make it look worn" idea. Not saying theres anything wrong with it, it is personal choice after all, but I wouldn't consider it improving the look. I've never met a soldier who does not keep their weapon in the best condition possible with wear to a minimum. I know one guy who's known to all as Trigger. Not because he's trigger happy, but because despite regarding himself as only having one weapon ever issued to him, but because (like Triggers brush in Only Fools...) every part has been replaced at some stage to keep it as close to a new condition as is feasible.

But again, it's personal choice, and my thoughts would be to get yourself a wire brush and maybe a light chain. Sounds silly but it works wonders.

o1s1n

I like the worn look to a certain extent myself. Mags with chipped paint look great

Although, I wouldn't purposely chip them now. Battle scars only.

NakedDex

Thought of something else actually. Put down a lair of silver paint on the places you want to look worn, then krylon it the colour of your gun over it. Chip that paint and you'll expose the silver underneath. It'd need to be a good few lairs of the top coat though

bullets

NakedDex wrote:

I've never met a soldier who does not keep their weapon in the best condition possible with wear to a minimum.

In an ideal world most if not everyone would keep them perfect.
(I would if I could) so I am not knocking either look.

If their weapon is a specific weapon issued to them and only them
then there is a better chance of keeping it in good nick so
Agree with you there but....... realistically if you have ever seen the
state of the stuff issued to a standard soldier that may be a few years
old used in training, fired over and over again in all weather conditions,
got some bumps and scratches and general wear and tear as time goes

If I was to to do a mil-sim and wanted everything to look like the real deal
it would just look plain Odd if your were running around the place with
gear that looked 100% perfect and brand spanking new.
for myself personally I would prefer to get the haggered battle worn veteren/experianced look and feel
to things just to give it that extra tiny little bit of realism.

NakedDex what area of Limerick you working in?
Am working out in Raheen Business Part myself.
I have a cunning plan of over a long period of time to
just buy loads of AEG's and safty masks and eventually convincing workmates
to try skirmishes someplace/anyplace suitable for fun,
Have no experiances yet it going anything tactical
but maybe in the distant future.
~B

Shiva

My favourite AEG at the moment is my M15A4 and m203, and it looks a little battered. I think it adds to the overall look if it looks like its been used a little.

But the best way to get that look is to skirmish it I think. I'd imagine it would be pretty hard to artifically create that look and make it look authentic ?

NakedDex

I agree, natural ageing (sounds like an ad for beauty cream) does look pretty good. But getting that to look right artificially could prove very tricky. Short of actually abusing your gun.

Hivemind187

At a stretch (and if you can stand the stigma) you could always pop into games workshop. Those guys know how to create weird details and are always looking for wacky projects. Something like that would be right up their ally.

bullets

Hivemind187 wrote:

At a stretch (and if you can stand the stigma) you could always pop into games workshop. Those guys know how to create weird details and are always looking for wacky projects. Something like that would be right up their ally.

Some of they stuff they do is great. I was actually using a tiny tiny tiny
wee bit of boltgun metal from GW to add a bit of wear to the plastic flash eliminator
on the mp5 I have to make the plastic look like metal.
Would not want the AEG to look over done either with regards to weathering.

With regards to GW. veering away off topic for just a second
I got an entire room dedicated to Lord of the rings Models
and scenery and have all the bits and bobs like paint and materials etc
I could not stop buying the things!!! Now I reckon I am hooked on collecting
AEG's.

~B

Hivemind187

bullets wrote:

Some of they stuff they do is great. I was actually using a tiny tiny tiny
wee bit of boltgun metal from GW to add a bit of wear to the plastic flash eliminator
on the mp5 I have to make the plastic look like metal.
Would not want the AEG to look over done either with regards to weathering.

With regards to GW. veering away off topic for just a second
I got an entire room dedicated to Lord of the rings Models
and scenery and have all the bits and bobs like paint and materials etc
I could not stop buying the things!!! Now I reckon I am hooked on collecting
AEG's.

~B

Traded one vice for another eh?;)

Fallschirmjager

you need to look up an old modeller tip called dry brushing. basically get a brush and a tiny amount of silver paint, and rub it on a cloth until it is almost dry. then you brush corners, edges, anywhere that wears. the brush should be so dry of paint that you have to keep brushing back and forth until a tiny layer of paint is laid down. trust me the less silver paint and the longer you have to rub it on the aeg, the more realistic the look.

so first krylon paint it black, then highlight with drybrushing. there is also another thing called washing...where you thin out black paint and let it seep into corners and dry...

remember less is more...with drybrushing..

alternatively, get a metal one, run thru some brushes for a couple of hours and it will be better then anything...

padmundo

Can't wait for my FN to wear a bit. I noticed the top cover is actually got a rusty tarnish coming through it and I haven't skirmished the thing once!

Also my KJW 1911 is far too black and new looking and has no markings. It needs some wear and tear and some engraving. I don't think an engraver would be too happy about engraving it though...

I've never met a soldier who does not keep their weapon in the best condition possible with wear to a minimum.

I've never seen a soldier that hasn't had a gun with chipped, scraped and worn paint. They may keep the internals fine but when your using the thing day in day out it will look worn

liamo333

You could do something like put it in a bucket coverd in rocks and shake it around a bit to wear down and scratch it...

o1s1n

padmundo wrote:

Also my KJW 1911 is far too black and new looking

I noticed this with JKW guns. The black finish is just too new looking. Needs a good bashing around.

padmundo

Every time I pick it up I rub it off the most rough material I have to hand... I just want to accelerate the process.

The finish on the KJW guns is fantastic alright, I have Sig 226 from them and it looks fine because it suits it but the 1911 just looks wrong.

bullets

Fallschirmjager wrote:

you need to look up an old modeller tip called dry brushing.
remember less is more...with drybrushing..

Yep one of the first things I learned a few years back.
I use it when building castles to get a concrete look,
great on cloth to get a dusty look, Brilliant for armor.
Best of all when applied to something black ever so gently
it looks VERY realistic wear on metal. Ideal for Gun like things.

~B

Hagakure_irl

bullets wrote:

Yep one of the first things I learned a few years back.
I use it when building castles to get a concrete look,
great on cloth to get a dusty look, Brilliant for armor.
Best of all when applied to something black ever so gently
it looks VERY realistic wear on metal. Ideal for Gun like things.

~B

Oh nice, i must try that out, got a busted MK23 so it shall prove its worth now