In order to create the desired two-toned, steel effect for both of our Buster Swords, we set out on an extensive testing period to cover all our bases. Experimenting upon familiar and unfamiliar materials, we were not only able to refine the "chroming" process we commonly use on our projects, but we also created a nuanced reference library of test pieces to go to for upcoming projects, saving us a lot of time for future work.
Prep Work
As mentioned, we decided to use the same kit and process Sarah used last year on her suit of armor, for it was the most familiar to us, the least time consuming, and the least expensive option for our time frame and budget. For more information on the specifics of that process, click here.
Keep in mind, this process yields an effect that is more akin to "silver" than "chrome," especially in terms of achieving a mirrored finish. We like using this process because of these results.
In a nutshell, the process is a 4 step spray painting procedure: colored base coat, urethane gloss adherent, aluminum dust (which gives the metallic finish), and another urethane gloss layer as a topcoat. This project gave us the opportunity to play more with the different tones of grey we could achieve from simply changing that base coat color (which ended up being a happy accident when working on Sarah's pieces last year).
Test Cards
At this point in the project, we were unsure about what materials we were planning to print in, so we decided to test on the top three we were considering:
ProJet 7000 SLA (laser sintered liquid): A glossy polypropylene-like ivory plastic
(Printed via the LaGuardia Studio)
Polished and Unpolished Nylon SLS (laser sintered powder, either polished in a machine or left :raw"):
A photo-polymer plastic with (Printed via Shapeways)
Our testers were 3 X 5 X .125 inch "cards," each labeled with a number and a letter that corresponded with the material it was printed in (U for Unpolished Nylon, P for Polished Nylon, and 7K for SLA). We printed 10 of each card for safe measure.
Reference images in hand, the next step was to get some paint for our first base layer. We tested on the following (we added notes where we felt necessary):
Alsa Corp Killer Can in Jet Black: A "retro matte" black base coat that comes with the spray chrome kit.
Mountain GOLD Series in G7090 Coke: A less pigmented ("natural black"), but heavily textured black
Montana MTN 94 Series in RV119 London Grey: A soft dove grey with an olive undertone
Montana MTN BLK in 9001 Black: A rich black paint semi matte paint
Liquitex Professional Spray Paint in Neutral Grey 5: We found that all the Liquitex paints definitely had the look of acrylic paint, especially the white.
Liquitex Professional Spray Paint in Iridescent Rich Silver: Neutral metallic silver paint
Liquitex Professional Spray Paint in Neutral Grey 3: ultra matte finish
Liquitex Professional Spray Paint in Titanium White: matte finish
Liquitex Professional Spray Paint in White Paint (Gloss and Matte) On the cool side of white
Krylon Metallic Spray Paint in Silver: Your standard silver spray paint
Krylon Color Master in Gloss White: Your standard High Gloss spray paint
Base Coat: First Impressions
** Image Gallery: Click on one image to enter the gallery ,and scroll through the images
Overall, we had a solid line-up of tests, but we definitely had some standouts, for good and bad reasons:
Alsa Corp Killer Can in Jet Black: looked great on all 3 materials, and did a great job of diminishing the texture of the SLS prints. We liked the automotive feel it gave the SLA prints and the velvety feel it gave to the SLS.
Montana MTN 94 Series in RV119 London Grey: Loved the shade, disliked the spurting spray that was difficult to finagle- easily solved through replacing the cap.
Mountain GOLD Series in G7090 Coke:: Preferred the Alsa Black due to its ultra matte finish and lack of texture- this paint was significantly textured in comparison; not great for imitating metal, but ended up being perfect for Sarah's Fenrir Pauldron.
Liquitex Professional Spray Paint in White Paint (Gloss and Matte): Looked good on all 3 materials and also helped with the surface texture; however, it did appear more like acrylic paint and less like spray paint.
All Chromed Up: First Impressions
** Image Gallery: Click on one image to enter the gallery ,and scroll through the images
Luckily, we had no surprises after chroming!
We found that the SLA coat was much smoother than the SLS, but the Polished turned out a lot better than expected; the material has a good tooth for spray paint, which made every coat fall evenly across the tests. We also did not experience any flaking on the SLS compared to the SLA. Further sanding the Polished with fine-grit (400+ grit) sandpaper yielded an even smoother and more reflective result- the same goes for the SLA.
The Unpolished was heavily textured but still felt quite smooth, had strong reflectivity, and took paint effortlessly.
In terms of color changes, the grey paints yielded the most steel-like effect compared to the other colors, and the white yielded a finished closer to sterling silver.
If you have scrolled through the gallery above and found that every test looked quite similar, there are several reasons for that: firstly, the high reflectivity made the tests very difficult to photograph, and we did our best to capture the essence of each material. Secondly, there were very subtle differences in each test in terms of tones and how the colors flashed and changed in different lighting. This was something that we only really realized after completing our testing.
Conclusions and Decisions
Shot of the Alsa Black test card on the SLA material
After some deliberation, we ultimately decided that the Alsa Black and London Grey would suit both of our swords perfectly; they worked beautifully as a pair, especially in their nuances- they truly captured that steel feel.
Material wise, we did choose the SLA material not only due to our familiarity with it, but also due to its ultra smooth, high definition surface that would cut down on work time, as well as give us a crispness necessary for a blade.
The Polished and Unpolished SLS, while yielding great results in reflectivity, pigmentation, and coverage, just did not have the surface quality we were looking for in this project. We felt that for our vision that it did not mimic steel in terms of finish and in "weight," not necessarily in terms of physical grams or pounds, but in in look and feel; it had a lightness to it that we felt was opposite to that of a heavy, steel blade. If you are going for a more hammered appearance or an aluminum finish, these materials work very well in achieving that, both from a cosmetic and physicality sense.
Some Takeaways:
It comes in a kit for a reason: We found that at the end of the day, the paint that came with the kit worked best with the chrome process- they were designed to work together after all. That may sound obvious, but this is why testing is so important; there are exceptions, and you will not know if you try.
Do the prep work: Sanded surfaces worked much better in terms of reflectivity across all the materials we tested.
Polished Preferred (at least in our opinion!): In their pure forms, we found that the Polished SLS prints worked better than the Unpolished prints for the look we were going for (see above).
Regarding the Alsa Killer Chrome Kit: Buffing and hand polishing after the chrome process actually lowers the reflectivity and shine of the prints. Using any other glossy spray paint as a topcoat in lieu of the kit's topcoat also matte-ifies the surface.
For the in-a-nutshell step by step process on how we painted our swords, check out the Process Gallery below! And stay tuned for our final Comic Con Chronicles content soon!
Process Gallery
