Can anyone help me rescue my rust bucket please?

[SatchboogieUK]

Hi Guys,

A while ago I started on Tamiya's 1/25th T-34 with the intention of graffiti-ing it up with some of my favourite things(inspired by the Mandela Way T-34). Anyway, I gave her a rust undercoat and then went in with the salt for chipping. After I got the base coat on and removed the salt I was really happy with the result (especially considering this is the first time I've ever attempted salt chipping) and so I was ready to start with the graffiti.

Again, I've never made stencils or masks for spraying so I was really pleased with how it was going.

Here are some of the pics I took along the way -




(My girlfriend always teases me telling me to paint one of my tanks pink so I did this one as a little nod to her lol)

and here are a few more of the stencils I planned to add -


After I'd done this I planned on making some worn graffiti which had been on the tank for years and was wearing off. This is when it all went wrong :'(

I carelessly applied some hairspray to sections of the model where I wanted to add the worn graffiti without first spraying on a coat of varnish and then, this happened...


The hairspray reacted in some way with the salt residue mixed with my basecoat and the whole thing turned white! when I wet the white surface it dissapears but as soon as it dries it returns to the white.

Ive tried submerging the tank in water (for 5 hours) and I've tried applying white spirit... with no luck


(I imagine this is what bathing my firstborn will feel like)

For what its worth I still think She's looking good as long as the white surface is wet -


Down to the big question now... Has anyone experienced this before and figured out how to tackle the problem?

Any help would be much appreciated because as I'm sure you all understand... I don't want to have to start this project again from scratch

Cheers for looking,
Jonny.

 

[Glorfindel]

Hey John I had something similar happen to me with the salt technique too and the paint reacted by turning kind of whitish in some areas. I shrugged it off and chalked it up to beginners bad luck. Later when I completed all of my weathering I sprayed on my top coat of flat clear to lock it all in then the real luck began. When the flat coat went down wet, like when your model is wet with water, the white marks appeared to have vanished and remained transparent once the flat coat dried. Now unlike you I didn't put down a layer of hairspray but I'm guessing you might have the same "happy accident" by the white clearing up once your clear coat goes on. Might happen....you never know.

 

[Ialarmu]

I second that, A flat clear should remedy your problem nicely

 

[SatchboogieUK]

Cheers guys! I hope it works lol.

Jonny.