(1) Get an Old Lantern..The Kerosine Kind.
Get the Lantern Light and good and Hot.
When the Paint is still Wet / Tacky, you can Turn the Lantern
Down so that it is actually Set wrong and it Smokes a Lot!!!!
Woft the Lantern Smoke around the Bike Frame
( this procedure I usually do on a Ceiling of an Old Home
to make it look Smoked and yellowed...giving it the appearance of age )
Try it a Few times to get different levels of Smoking / aging.
It's tricky because you can't TOUCH it after it's Smoked.
Then when it's Dry Clear Coat it all in with a GOOD Mat / Satin Clear.
(2) you can take some Oil Based whiping Stain and Thin it out with the Proper Solvent required to Reduce that Product ( it will say on the can...
probably Paint Thinner ) and Rub it on the Frame to make it look
thin and weathered.
(3) usually the Best and easiest....a Tea bag!
yes...that's right a Tea Bag.
Boil a Few bags of Black Tea good and Hot in a Pot on the Stove..
Give one to your Girlfriend.... :lol:
THEN...
let the Tea stay in the Pot until it becomes Cold on it's own at Room Temp. VERY IMPORTANT!
Take a Tea Bag and squeeze a Little Bit out( Just a little )
and then Rub the Frame and slide the Tea Bag around on it.
The Tea Bag Trick is how I make a Piece of Paper
look like it's Old and Yellowed.
The True Trick to a good Tromploy...or Faux Finish is
The Application of The Third Color or the third
procedure.
The Third Procedure is what Brings the surface to LIFE!
2 Coats will usually never give the desired look.
Remember this......you have to think like Time.
What would Time / weather / product failure / wear / stress
do to The Surface.
What areas of The Surface will get Natural Wearing over time..
Like the Top Tube of the Bike...
it will wear Naturally over time from behind Brushed over with the
Body as we Ride the Bike.
all Joints / Dropouts / Behind Cranks / back of headset will NOT wear as fast,
so you would leave them so they are NOT looking worn out.
To get a great Third Color on The Frame you are doing you can,
Paint a Base coat in a Darker Color than your Top Coat will be.
then apply your Top Coat and sand it a Bit ( IN THE AREAS THAT WILL NATURALLY WEAR OUT )..
Our Brains will Naturally associate Red Oxide Primer as a Primer..
so Prime it with The Red Oxide and Top coat..
Then Sand so The Red Oxide Shows through in Worn Natural Areas...
Faux Finish in English means "False Finish"
Tromploy in English means "To Trick The Eye"
then top caot with a Tea Bag...in the areas more that won't get worn...
and a bit in the areas that do get worn out naturally.
Then seal it all in with a GOOD Satin / Flat Clear coat to protect all your hard work.
Amber Shelac is a Great Top Coat.
It is a Yellowed Clear coat with an Amber tone to it....
It Looks Great when it used as a Top coat because it's naturally Amber / Yellow when used...
here's a Link to Some Forks I did...
Click here to see how I Antiqued / Aged my Forks
and good Luck Bro,
I am Still Learning and I have been doing it as a Pro for 18 Years.
peace,
Kev.