Steel

What the color is for

Steel is a steel shade. It suits every place where bare metal is meant to show on a model: gun barrels, steel tracks and their guide horns, chains, pioneer tools on the sides of vehicles, worn hatch edges or walkways from which the paint has been scuffed away. Other metallic shades sit in the same part of the range, so they can be graded: lighter aluminum tones for aircraft panels and darker steel for weapons and running gear.

How to work with the paint

Of all paints, metallic shades are the most demanding on the surface beneath them. Every scratch, coarse grain and fingerprint is emphasized under them, so smooth the surface first and let it dry evenly. Apply several thin coats rather than one heavy one and give the surface time in between. The thinner and the thinning ratio follow the manufacturer's instructions on the packaging; the wrong thinner is the most common cause of a grainy or uneven result with metallic shades. Stir the paint thoroughly before every use, because the metallic particles settle to the bottom and a thin coat taken off the top has a different shade from the stirred contents.

What to watch out for

Let a painted metal surface cure for a good while before you lay further coats or varnish over it. If you only plan local scuffing, apply the shade to the edges with a dry brush or a piece of sponge in a really small amount, so that the effect reads as abraded metal and not as a second coat.

• a steel shade for imitating bare metal
• suited to gun barrels, tracks and worn edges
• applied in several thin coats
• the contents have to be stirred thoroughly before use
• thinner and thinning ratio according to the manufacturer's instructions on the packaging

Terms of supply

Thinner, brushes and an airbrush are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise. The volume of the package is given in the manufacturer's description.