Break Discs

[ore]

Really feel like a beginner when entering this forum.

After looking at the awsome pictures in the gallery I just must know how I can make the brake discs look as realistic as possible. (Didn't find any tips on the Tutorial, FAQ)

Is there a technique like black wash or do I have to purchase a kit from studio27 (or others)?

Has just started with a Tamiya Impreza WRC 2001.

[sjelic]

black wash is good, PE even better, wash on PE is the best

[MPWR]

Nah, turned aluminum is best!

If I remember correctly, the brake discs on the WRC Impreza, as for all WRC cars, are carbon fibre, not steel. Therefore, PE overlays would do nothing for you- even if they looked good, they'd be incorrect. Airbrush the disk a metallic grey/gunmetal color, carefully mask and airbrush the rotor, and then apply a wash of thinned black to both. For a more heavily used look (appropriate for a rally car), grind a bit of black pastel chalk on a piece if fine grit sandpaper, and apply this with an old brush to the caliper, the hub, and the inside of the wheel- but not to the disk itself. The pastel dust simulates brake pad dust, but this gets swept off of the discs by the pads.

To my eyes (having used both), PE overlays for brake discs look kinda gimicky and not very real- they'd be great if discs were really only 1/8" thick, but I think it's hard to get them to look like something other than a thin piece of metal overlaying a piece of plastic, instead of a one piece brake disc. The kit parts for the brakes in the WRC kits are very well molded- it only takes a decent paint job to make them look spectacular.

[freakray]

Originally Posted by MPWR

Nah, turned aluminum is best!

If I remember correctly, the brake discs on the WRC Impreza, as for all WRC cars, are carbon fibre, not steel.

Where did you get this info?
WRC cars don't use C/F discs, they use steel discs.

Here's a photo of a WRC cars brake discs:



Also, the race cars that don't use steel discs actually use carbon discs, it's not C/F.

[labandabonnot]

Yes, but appart from that, MPWR is right: paint your discs with a good metalizer, and add an acrylic or water based paint wash - and why not a little rusty one... - and you'll have surely a wonderfull result. My point of view is that it's worth trying a polished steel or gunmetal metalizer instead of the usual aluminium one... (Humbrol paints, for example)

Oh! And welcome!!!

[Bas Carwash]

Originally Posted by MPWR

If I remember correctly, the brake discs on the WRC Impreza, as for all WRC cars, are carbon fibre, not steel.

CF brake discs??? Aren't the brake discs an alloy of ceramic and steel??? Just like F1 disc brakes???

[freakray]

Originally Posted by Bas Carwash

CF brake discs??? Aren't the brake discs an alloy of ceramic and steel??? Just like F1 disc brakes???

F1 disc brakes are actually carbon.

[willimo]

I don't agree with MPWR about the PE overlays. Not that he's wrong... It's just preference. If you've got the money to try PE overlays, try them once and see how you like them. Personally, I love them. Nothing I know of makes a better looking brake surface. They do end up looking out of scale, but under wheels you can't really tell. Not to kiss butt, but for non racecars, SAS brakes are both scale thickness and PE, those are my favorite aftermarket product to date.

[will69camaro]

Some high end supercars use the "carbon mettalic" discs on their cars (like the enzo). I have pics but no host for some enzo pics with the carbon metallic brakes if anyone would like to see.

William

[MPWR]

Ya, ya, I know, carbon brakes. I just so rarely type 'carbon' without immediately adding the word 'fiber' on this forum, I added the 'fiber' out of habit.

By the way, welcome to AF, ore!

[ore]

Really thanks a lot for the hints

Still need to ask, what is meant with PE overlay?
What do I need for this?

[labandabonnot]

PE overlay just means Photo-Etched overlay: the action of puting a piece of photo etched brake disc upon the original plastic brake discs.
It's something like this: (parts 11 12 13 14)

[drunken monkey]

carbon?
i thought they were a ceramic composite....