Salt weathering help/advice please.

[Woody V]

My first attempt at salt weathering did not go well.

Paint is Mr. Color, pre-mottled with black on a paint mule.

 

I wet the surface with water/detergent mix, sprinkled on coarse ground salt, let that dry, sprayed a watery thin coat of white and when I cleaned the salt off I got this mess. The salt crystals came off no problem, but I had to use water to completely remove the remaining residue. 

 

What you see here is not simply discoloration, but the paint is actually etched by the salt that was dissolved sitting in water.

What am I doing wrong? 

[thierry laurent]

Hi Woody,

 

It looks the salt reacted chemically with the paint. Was the paint coat dry and hard enough?

There are now paper, photoetched, vinyl and other plastic templates allowing you to get the same results with far more control as you can play with the distance between the surface and the template. Another technique (more similar to the salt one) relies on liquid mask added with a piece of sponge. Again this gives more control.

 

Hth

 

Thierry

[Woody V]

1 hour ago, thierry laurent said:

It looks the salt reacted chemically with the paint. Was the paint coat dry and hard enough?

There are now paper, photoetched, vinyl and other plastic templates allowing you to get the same results with far more control

 

Yea, definitely a reaction of some sort and it's possible the paint was only dry to the touch. Oddly enough it doesn't look that bad today, but it still looks like a bunch of dots which is probably due to my technique... not clustering the salt or some secret ritual. All in all I found the whole experience aggravating with all that water and salt crystals bouncing off, and then having to clean up the mess. I'm too old and lazy to be dealing with all that rigamarole. 

So I ordered a set of stencils that should be here tomorrow. 

[Bob MDC]

Not used salt, hairspray or chipping fluid yet but still use Maskol the original I get great results, brush or sponge to apply let it harden paint them masking tape or finger to remove.

 

Bob

[Thunnus]

I just use water and salt, no detergent. I have experienced other issues with the salt weathering technique (frosting from leftover salt deposits, inconsistency with results) but never that type of reaction.

[Woody V]

44 minutes ago, Thunnus said:

I just use water and salt, no detergent

 

Thanks, John
I added the detergent so the water wouldn't bead up. I expect to make a few more tests so I'll try another with plain water. 

[Hardcore]

I suppose lacquer is too hard, impermeable, to use chipping fluid.

 

[chukw]

Lacquer can be chipped- here's how I did it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Woody V]

22 hours ago, Hardcore said:

I suppose lacquer is too hard, impermeable, to use chipping fluid.

 

This thread is about salt fading, not chipping. The chipping thread is on the tips and techniques forum. 

[Woody V]

35 minutes ago, chukw said:

Lacquer can be chipped- here's how I did it:

 

 

This thread is about salt fading. The chipping thread is over on the tips and techniques forum. 

[Woody V]

On 5/21/2023 at 3:18 AM, Thunnus said:

I just use water and salt, no detergent. I have experienced other issues with the salt weathering technique (frosting from leftover salt deposits, inconsistency with results) but never that type of reaction.

Figured it out. The etching is a result of my VERY thin mix of leveling thinner and a few drops of color. Mixed like this softens the underlying paint and the salt sinks into it. Regardless I’m passing on the salt fading. Too much work and too little experience. It’s the old dog and new tricks thing so I decided to do things I can do. 

[chukw]

Guess I was just answering Hardcore!   I'm absolutely unfamiliar with salt fading, just salt chipping.

[Woody V]

34 minutes ago, chukw said:

Guess I was just answering Hardcore!   I'm absolutely unfamiliar with salt fading, just salt chipping.

 

Don't give it a second thought, we good. 
Off topic sub discussions sometimes take on a life of their own and I just didn't want that to happen.