Rogue Studios
Active Hunter
*03/12/08 UPDATE..I will be going through the text and editing some things as well.
*update 5/7/06- On the paint master of the MR I used an all topical method and here's the interesting part I think. I used a complete masking method on the 2nd helmet which should be on display at comic con. Also the color updates below are what I found out while under the gun trying to get it for everyone who may want an MR helmet. One last thing the MR helmet is outrageously accurate for not being a direct casting and unless you have an uber sized head it'll be just fine for all sizes.
Also some of these methods are intermixed between topical and scratch methods so if you see the word "seal" that applies to topical. I highly recommend using all Floquil ENAMELS and do a scratch method laying all of the scratches and peeling off. The original was done this way and enamel paints allow accuracy when peeling. If you seee topical on an original helmet that means it was done as a repait or after the fact.
On the paint master of the MR proto #1 I used an all topical method and here's the interesting part I think. I used a complete masking method on the 2nd helmet. Also the color updates below are what I found out while under the gun trying to get it for everyone who may want an MR helmet. One last thing the MR helmet is outrageously accurate for not being a direct casting and unless you have an uber sized head it'll be just fine for all sizes.
This is where I have it now and unless labeled 'unsure' I'm fairly confident it is the correct color based on input research and opinions of actual obeservations made by people who have seen the helmet and suit. All colors are Floquil or Polly Scale paints it really doesn't matter which you purchase as long as the color is the same they are the same paints for the most part. If you have questions please let me know or post them here and I'll help you out.
Lee
*Update*
I almost forgot. You have to tone down the helmet with an acrylic wash in a few cases depends on how the helmet looks after painting. Basically get some of that blue window wash you use for the car 95 cents a gallon at your local store. put in a cup but keep it away from children it's poisonous believe it or not. Add a few drops of black acylic paint thus making a dirty cloudy water type mixture(not very much paint is used in this). Get a mister bottle and put the blue window cleaner in it so you can mist down dark spots and even out the finish. Don't go too heavy and using your mixture in the cup brush it on and if it's too dark just mist it and dabb with a paper towel. Do a little bit at a time and I would suggest not to do it all in one sitting or it will come out too dark. This blends the helmet and reduces the contrast of some colors I'm fairly confident this was done on the original.
Helmet (Empire version)
* German Field Gray or Panzer Olive Green (Cheeks and dome) court is out on this one but GFG is a very old Floquil and was produced back in the day but not now so you'll have to buy it from Tamiya.
* Caboose (not caboose red) (mandibles) * Reefer Yellow Vertical stripes (update) also the look of this strictly dependent on heavily applied it is and don't apply heavily on frontal stripes
* Reefer Gray update (Gray around scratches)
* Rust (various locations)
* Chrome (scratches) I think this was actually a color called bright silver but this works best.
* Main color back of helmet- RLM73
* Back of helmet scratches- Concrete
* Earth Enamel(Rangefinder ear) I hate this paint.
* POG Green Update!(Left ear)
* PRR Green(I like weathered black better) (Inside cheeks) this is practically black.
* Caboose (Red scratches on left ear).
* Light Gray (on left ear) any light gray will do.
* PRR Maroon for the dark color on mands may need to darken this color with a touch of black. I know the original color but Floquil hasn't made the color for almost 20 years so it's very very hard to find and this will do trust me.
Jet Pack (AOSW version)
* Light Blue
* Chrome
* Grimey black (weathering for exhausts etc.)
* Boxcar Red
* UP armor Yellow
* White
Armor (AOSW version)
* Reefer Yellow (Shoulders and knees put on heavier on knees but not much this color gets darker the more you throw down).
* ATSF Catwhisker Yellow (Shoulders and knees the trim around the scratches).
* UP Armor Yellow (Shoulders and knees to highlight darker spots).
* US Med. Green (Chest, cod, back, buttplate).
* Yellow Zinc Chromate (I could not locate in floquil so I used testors for trim around scratches)
* Black (For speckles and weahtering)
* Chrome
Guants (AOSW)
* Wisconson Central Maroon
* Weathered Black (weathering and highlights creates that purplish look you see)
* Chrome
* Rock Island Maroon (calc buttons)
Ok, Using the dome as an example first and then we'll move onto the mandible.
Primer coat your helmet if you choose. Grab a can of chrome spray paint whatever works best for you but make sure the surface is free of dust and it's not real humid outside this paint can get real tricky. Spray it on if it looks crappy let it dry and put on another coat or sand it down and start over (I hate that part) *NOTE let this dry for a few days. Apply the POG(Panzer olive green). Ok there is a real trick here make sure you get it on good otherwise the chrome shows through and it also lightens up the green a lot.
Mandibles are the toughest. After chrome has dried apply the Caboose and it let dry. Then apply the Gray areas and then the PRR maroon (Dark over the light color thinking) that's it on that as well.
There will be issues with masking off with tape for example the cheek area. This is a toughie for me but use your best judgement but I hand painted the inside cheek so no masking issue there and I airbrushed on the green cheek so basically airbrush the cheek green and then hand paint the inside cheek. If you have to mask with tape seal the paint with a coat dulcoat or semi gloss(yes semi-gloss(Testors) it creates a hardcoat which prevents future scratches and you can dulcoat the helmet later).
When masking for the verticle stripes you can seal the green and then paint the stripes and then scratche helmet it will just take more than a tooth pick but it's not a worry. After all is said and done apply the acylic coat and a little scotchbrite to smooth it out.
*Note also if the Lark gray doesn't look dark enough try Euro Dark gray instead it's a matter of choice but I felt the gray had bluish tones to it so I used the lark. Also your colors are going to look funky until you apply the acrylic coat so don't worry. You see evidence of this on the real stuff.
I hope this helps and I did not hold back this is how I did it.
Lee
*update 5/7/06- On the paint master of the MR I used an all topical method and here's the interesting part I think. I used a complete masking method on the 2nd helmet which should be on display at comic con. Also the color updates below are what I found out while under the gun trying to get it for everyone who may want an MR helmet. One last thing the MR helmet is outrageously accurate for not being a direct casting and unless you have an uber sized head it'll be just fine for all sizes.
Also some of these methods are intermixed between topical and scratch methods so if you see the word "seal" that applies to topical. I highly recommend using all Floquil ENAMELS and do a scratch method laying all of the scratches and peeling off. The original was done this way and enamel paints allow accuracy when peeling. If you seee topical on an original helmet that means it was done as a repait or after the fact.
On the paint master of the MR proto #1 I used an all topical method and here's the interesting part I think. I used a complete masking method on the 2nd helmet. Also the color updates below are what I found out while under the gun trying to get it for everyone who may want an MR helmet. One last thing the MR helmet is outrageously accurate for not being a direct casting and unless you have an uber sized head it'll be just fine for all sizes.
This is where I have it now and unless labeled 'unsure' I'm fairly confident it is the correct color based on input research and opinions of actual obeservations made by people who have seen the helmet and suit. All colors are Floquil or Polly Scale paints it really doesn't matter which you purchase as long as the color is the same they are the same paints for the most part. If you have questions please let me know or post them here and I'll help you out.
Lee
*Update*
I almost forgot. You have to tone down the helmet with an acrylic wash in a few cases depends on how the helmet looks after painting. Basically get some of that blue window wash you use for the car 95 cents a gallon at your local store. put in a cup but keep it away from children it's poisonous believe it or not. Add a few drops of black acylic paint thus making a dirty cloudy water type mixture(not very much paint is used in this). Get a mister bottle and put the blue window cleaner in it so you can mist down dark spots and even out the finish. Don't go too heavy and using your mixture in the cup brush it on and if it's too dark just mist it and dabb with a paper towel. Do a little bit at a time and I would suggest not to do it all in one sitting or it will come out too dark. This blends the helmet and reduces the contrast of some colors I'm fairly confident this was done on the original.
Helmet (Empire version)
* German Field Gray or Panzer Olive Green (Cheeks and dome) court is out on this one but GFG is a very old Floquil and was produced back in the day but not now so you'll have to buy it from Tamiya.
* Caboose (not caboose red) (mandibles) * Reefer Yellow Vertical stripes (update) also the look of this strictly dependent on heavily applied it is and don't apply heavily on frontal stripes
* Reefer Gray update (Gray around scratches)
* Rust (various locations)
* Chrome (scratches) I think this was actually a color called bright silver but this works best.
* Main color back of helmet- RLM73
* Back of helmet scratches- Concrete
* Earth Enamel(Rangefinder ear) I hate this paint.
* POG Green Update!(Left ear)
* PRR Green(I like weathered black better) (Inside cheeks) this is practically black.
* Caboose (Red scratches on left ear).
* Light Gray (on left ear) any light gray will do.
* PRR Maroon for the dark color on mands may need to darken this color with a touch of black. I know the original color but Floquil hasn't made the color for almost 20 years so it's very very hard to find and this will do trust me.
Jet Pack (AOSW version)
* Light Blue
* Chrome
* Grimey black (weathering for exhausts etc.)
* Boxcar Red
* UP armor Yellow
* White
Armor (AOSW version)
* Reefer Yellow (Shoulders and knees put on heavier on knees but not much this color gets darker the more you throw down).
* ATSF Catwhisker Yellow (Shoulders and knees the trim around the scratches).
* UP Armor Yellow (Shoulders and knees to highlight darker spots).
* US Med. Green (Chest, cod, back, buttplate).
* Yellow Zinc Chromate (I could not locate in floquil so I used testors for trim around scratches)
* Black (For speckles and weahtering)
* Chrome
Guants (AOSW)
* Wisconson Central Maroon
* Weathered Black (weathering and highlights creates that purplish look you see)
* Chrome
* Rock Island Maroon (calc buttons)
Ok, Using the dome as an example first and then we'll move onto the mandible.
Primer coat your helmet if you choose. Grab a can of chrome spray paint whatever works best for you but make sure the surface is free of dust and it's not real humid outside this paint can get real tricky. Spray it on if it looks crappy let it dry and put on another coat or sand it down and start over (I hate that part) *NOTE let this dry for a few days. Apply the POG(Panzer olive green). Ok there is a real trick here make sure you get it on good otherwise the chrome shows through and it also lightens up the green a lot.
Mandibles are the toughest. After chrome has dried apply the Caboose and it let dry. Then apply the Gray areas and then the PRR maroon (Dark over the light color thinking) that's it on that as well.
There will be issues with masking off with tape for example the cheek area. This is a toughie for me but use your best judgement but I hand painted the inside cheek so no masking issue there and I airbrushed on the green cheek so basically airbrush the cheek green and then hand paint the inside cheek. If you have to mask with tape seal the paint with a coat dulcoat or semi gloss(yes semi-gloss(Testors) it creates a hardcoat which prevents future scratches and you can dulcoat the helmet later).
When masking for the verticle stripes you can seal the green and then paint the stripes and then scratche helmet it will just take more than a tooth pick but it's not a worry. After all is said and done apply the acylic coat and a little scotchbrite to smooth it out.
*Note also if the Lark gray doesn't look dark enough try Euro Dark gray instead it's a matter of choice but I felt the gray had bluish tones to it so I used the lark. Also your colors are going to look funky until you apply the acrylic coat so don't worry. You see evidence of this on the real stuff.
I hope this helps and I did not hold back this is how I did it.
Lee
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