ESB MoJo sidearm

I just got my sidearm and man is that a piece of art....I don't have that much skill in painting (thats why I got Wicked Beard and GCNgamer commissioned) and was wondering if any one has the color scheme (exact color) and tips on weathering. SEEKERs weathering job is fantastic and that is the look I'm going for. Any help, tips, suggestions, techniques to get the weathered look would be helpful. I want to do this blaster justice and want to feel like I did something for my ESB suit.... I wanted to move away from his thread and give his blaster a new thread on how to make it look sharp.....thanks in advance


1 more thing...how/what did you use to drill out the hole for the alum to screw in. A drill bit?

I am sure others will have suggestions on colors and weathering, but for my gun I painted it with the redish brown colored primer. I will then weather it with silver paint or rub n buff as needed followed up with some black acrylic paint to dirty it up.

I assume the hole you are talking about is the one at the butt of the gun were the end cap screws into the barrell assembly. I used a tungsten carbide cutter (not my name that is what it is called) on my dremel but you could use a drill bit without any problem.

I looked all over TDH for weathering a blaster....There really is no detailed information on how to weather a blaster. A step-by-step.....I never weathered anything so I need new-bee instructions. Hopefully SEEKER will post some insight on his weathered masterpiece. Can I get a little love on the boards...I know someone has the skills they can share with a novice

I am not SEEKER, but hopefully these will help.

There are two ways to weather something. You can put the weathering on topically such as adding silver over the base color, or you can paint in layers with silver being layed down first followed by the brown color. You would then sand through to reveal the silver in the desired areas.

If you do the topical method and use a flat base paint I would suggest sealing it with some clear coat so that the weathering doesn't just really bite into the paint. If the base color has some sheen you don't have to worry about this as much. You just want to be able to streak the weathering on so that it looks natural and not globbed on.

Next I would plan out the areas that you think need to be weathered. Find the areas that look like they would get worn with natural use. When I look at it I see the handle being worn from being in a gloved had and I see the sides being worn from sliding in and out of the holster.

If you use silver spray paint spray some in a cup or on cardboard or wherever you want. You will want to have a rag or brush ready because it will dry very fast. Streak it on in the areas and wipe off any excess or areas where you put on too much. This is where having the sealer coat keeps you a little safer. If you use some silver paint in a bottle just streak it on as you would with the spray paint. You can choose to seal this step or move on to the next step.

The next step for me is adding the dirt and grime that a well worn blaster should have. I use acrylic paints that you can buy at any store like Michaels or Hobby Lobby. It will be back in the painting section. I don't have a favorite brand. Just make sure it is acrylic. I would look for a dirt colored paint and a deep black paint. I mix these up in a little spray bottle with water to dilute it down. You can also just wipe it on straight from the bottle, but it will just be a little thicker. I would put the brown in the areas where dirt would accumulate like on the handle and around the barrell where it fits in the body. Move on to the black color wash. I tend to spray this all over the piece and wipe off what I don't need or like. Again this is why it helps to have that clear coat layer. Keep adding these paints till it looks good. Remember you are the one who decides how it should look. If you like it really weathered cool. If you like it a little cleaner looking cool.

The last step is to seal all your hard work with a clear coat layer to protect it from being rubbed off as easily.

If you do the layered method paint the silver first then paint the brown layer. Using a fine grit sandpaper sand through to the silver in the areas mentioned above. Weather it with the acrylic washes as above. Then seal it with a clear coat.

This is what I do. That doesn't mean it is the right way or the best way. I am sure there are many other talented artists who could explain it better than I could. Just have fun with it and remember it is just paint. You can always strip it down and start over.

one of the easiest things I've found to do is get one of those scrubby sponges and wet it down, spray the scrubby side lightly with the paint color you're using (flat black or silver usually depending on what I am weathering) and kind of randomly rub it lightly on. The wet sponge keeps it from both drying to fast and getting to much on.

thanks guys....good stuff