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Tool Review
Dust and Rust Diorama Acrylics
Dust and Rust Diorama Set High coverage - Matt finish for your armor and rail dioramas
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by: Frederick Boucher [ JPTRR ]

Dust and Rust Diorama Set
Mfg. ID: CS 10
Contents: 6 x 22ml paint bottles


Introduction
Lifecolor, a division of Astromodel of Italy, continues to expand their huge selection of acrylic paints with Dust and Rust Diorama Set. This set of six colors features colors to dirty up ferrous oxidation and decay for all countries and eras.

Dust and Rust Diorama Set
Set CS 10 arrives in an attractive flip-top cardboard box with the six 22ml plastic bottles held in individual compartments. The bottle caps were molded with an internal rim which both provides a small palette cup as well as inhibits paint fouling the bottle cap thread.

These paints are made with very fine ground pigments. They have no noticeable odor. I find them to be thinner than other brands I am used to, almost like a heavy wash. These paints do not seem to be formulated for one-pass brushing, rather for multiple passes and airbrushing.

There are no instructions other than as printed on the back of the box, plus six printed color chips. Lifecolor reminds us that these can be mixed with Tensocrom Medium to create washes and glazes.

This set includes:

UA 701 Rust dark shadow
UA 702 Rust base color
UA 703 Rust light shadow 1
UA 704 Rust light shadow 2
UA 705 Dust type 1
UA 706 Dust type 2

What are those colors based upon? Dust is a very subjective concept as it should be based upon the soil and particulate environment the subject occupies. The four rusts can be used separately or combined to create any degree of ferrous oxidation you can imagine.

Rust dark shadow is a dark mature rust. However, I read in an Afrika Korps book that a sand storm would scour paint from the armor which almost immediately developed 'a fine powdery dark brown rust
which could be wiped away with the hand.'

Rust base color is the ubiquitous color of rust over many metals.

Rust light shadow 1 is a fresh rust hue.

Rust light shadow 2 is a fresher color. I photographed this on locomotive driver steel rims where water dripped following application of the brakes.

Dust type 1 & 2 can mist over a dry subject in a light soil environment. Dust is a curious subject for a paint; I would prefer that Lifecolor had developed the iridescent bluish stains one can see streaking off of neglected black-painted objects, or even a patina of blue-green for brass and copper. Those, after all, are a type of 'rust.'

Application
These paints were both airbrushed and hand brushed onto models of primed resin, styrene, brass, and electric train metal and plastic tracks.

Airbrushing
Lifecolor instructs that for airbrushing, use low pressure. Not surprising they also recommend using their own thinner but state water will suffice. I sprayed them with my Aztec airbrush with a acrylic general purpose (black) nozzle. Air was supplied from both my 35 year-old Thomas diaphragm compressor (no excess pressure here!), as well as a reservoir with a regulator from which I used 12-15 psi. Each paint was shot straight from the bottle onto a smooth unprimed white card sample swatch.

Airbrushed coverage is excellent. All six paints covered with complete opacity. None of the colors ran nor puddled straight from the bottle. Then I 'stretched' the paint by cutting it with both water and with Lifecolor's own thinner. That diluted liquid was sprayed as a base onto the abandoned locomotive model: the photos titled Rinse-spray. Both worked to my satisfaction and regardless of which was used, the thinned paint continued to cover well. The paint dries flat.

Bristle brushing
Bristle brushing was fair to great depending on the color and surface; UA 702 Rust base color, UA 701 Rust dark shadow and UA 705 Dust type 1 covered with one stroke. As noted above I find them to be thinner than other brands I am used to, almost like a heavy wash. None of the colors left brushstrokes. None of the colors ran nor puddled.

To paint the derelict steam locomotive and the metal access panel I employed my technique "flick-brushing.' You will see in one photograph that the original dark gray paint is still damp; I flicked Lifecolor rusts over it, both straight from the bottle as well as diluted.

Take note that none of the models shown have been overcoated with any matte finish. That's how flat these paints dry naturally.

adhesion
Excellent! Due to the subjects I painted it is not practical to test it with tape. Instead I simply looked for nicks and scratches after normal handling. Results - no nicks or scratches.

Conclusion
Adhesion is awesome! The bottle design is great, as is the packaging. These paints cleaned easily with Lifecolor Cleaner and water.

The paints performed exceptionally well via airbrush. Lifecolor states they should be thinned with the brand thinner, which I also tested. Brushing is different from my experience with other acrylics because they are so thin out of the bottle. Yet I believe that these paints perform well with multiple coats.

Four rust colors are very common to any oxidized ferrous metal. You can see several images of live rust as described above. Each dust paint is useful although I would prefer that Lifecolor developed the iridescent bluish stains one can see streaking off of neglected black-painted objects, or even a patina of blue-green for brass and copper. Those, after all, are a type of 'rust.'

One concern I have noticed in previous Lifecolor reviews is that these neat sets cost more than if one were to buy each bottle separately. A recent review stated that the price difference seems to have been addressed. I did not calculate the cost of this set verses buying each color individually.

These are quality paints and I certainly recommend them.

Please tell retailers and vendors that you saw this review here - on KitMaker Network.
SUMMARY
Highs: Adhesion is awesome, as is coverage by airbrushing. Bottle design is great, as is the packaging. These paints cleaned easily with water.
Lows: "Dust" is an odd concept for paint and perhaps Lifecolor should have developed the iridescent bluish stains one can see streaking off of neglected black-painted objects, or even a patina of blue-green for brass and copper. Bristle brush needs multi coats
Verdict: Armor guys, auto guys, train guys - these are quality paints that are an excellent basic set for oxidizing any ferrous subject.
Percentage Rating
88%
  Scale: N/A
  Mfg. ID: CS 10
  Suggested Retail: £16.99, $26.00
  PUBLISHED: Sep 02, 2013
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 87.04%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 89.44%

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About Frederick Boucher (JPTRR)
FROM: TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES

I'm a professional pilot with a degree in art. My first model was an AMT semi dump truck. Then Monogram's Lunar Lander right after the lunar landing. Next, Revell's 1/32 Bf-109G...cried havoc and released the dogs of modeling! My interests--if built before 1900, or after 1955, then I proba...

Copyright ©2021 text by Frederick Boucher [ JPTRR ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

Good job Frederick ;-) Thx
SEP 05, 2013 - 01:13 AM
   
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