How does it comes out? Working on painting my first one (a Liberty for a friend), and I'm getting close to the point where I want to wash it. I'm worried the rough texture is going to drink up the oil and make it dark and splotchy instead of the nice wash you get on the FFG models.

Anybody have any advice?

It depends exactly what type of material you got, but with the 'frosted' stuff, it works just like nuln oil would on any model. That said, Nuln Oil is typically blotchy unless you cut it with lahmia medium or some other glaze medium as that's just what it tends to do. If you can stomach twirling the model some, it can pool better, but I tend to get nervous about that sort of stuff.

For the record, I only tend to use washes over a base layer as a shade, then layer up, or use it to blend, but even then it doesn't seem to cause any additional problems on shapeway resin models.

Sorry for the Ghostbusters-esque image on the right. Made as a coverage and detail map on a painting tutorial and I didn't exactly want to cut it and reupload it when I can't even find the original file.

Thanks Vykes. I tend to wash after I layer, but maybe I should try just layering over it like you. Might mitigate the concern here too.

Definitely need the frosted finish...

Without the frosted finish.... You're in some bad-mojo, because it will matter on which way the actual striations are oriented... But usually, there will be a small texture there on at least one side that just LOVES it some wash, so you end up with a muddy mess on something that is supposed to be flat and clean...

I found with the one shapeways thing I had, I actually had to prep and prime with a filling primer and then sand it back with emery boards to maintain the flat finish... (it was BSF material)

But if you've had paint go on nicely, and the texture hasn't messed up too badly, you should be okay...

Yeah, not sure what the material is. Not my model, and I haven't touched any other Shapeways models.

Physically feel the surface... If its fairly smooth, you're probably okay...

But if you can feel the bumps and ridges, then you'll have to target a wash to specific areas, rather than relying on an all-over.

Same with most models

What color is the material? White, translucent, black or something else?

The translucent material is the most forgiving, but also the most expensive. Be careful, because it is also the most brittle. Dont drop it!

If white, lightly sand flat surfaces, and gently score trenches and panel grooves with a dental pick. This should give you enough flat to keep the nuln oil from finding big rough areas to puddle in.

Ah... Yeah, it's the white, rougher surface, which is why I was concerned with washing in the first place. Guess I probably should've sanded it down before I painted, didn't really think to do that. I might just strip it and start over, that rough finish is kind of... eugh...

Thanks for the input!

I've heard that a few coats of future floor polish or some other thick, self-settling glosscoat can really help those types of models. I haven't tried it myself, I went the long route and used a liquified putty to coat one ship I was provided as an experiment, the concept should be about the same.

Future floor polish or a coat of Testors Gloss spray will do the trick. In future to avoid issues use Frosted Ultra Detail for your prints. Also makes for better detail as well.

I also use the same method as Vykes. Base color with ink/medium mix applied in multiple layers where desired then highlight up from there. Then the ink splotching means nothing.