Whats a good paint or combo to achive a well used line that has brake dust on the rails and ties? I was thinking something like a ultra flat rust color. Also, when you use the liquid for ballast and paint the rails, you have to make sure they are well cleaned for the engine correct?
Isn’t brake dust gray allmost black? I use red oxide primer and and black wash of india ink until I like the results. Yes you you need to use a track eraser or super fine sand paper.
How do you “wash”? Can you please explain the process. Do you spray a little in a cup and use the india ink to mix a little in then paint the ties and rails?
Actually, a wash is a medium that’s mixed at about a 10:90 ratio, with the 10 being the pigment and the 90 being the carrier. For example, to make an india ink wash, you’d mix 1 part india ink to 9 parts rubbing alcohol. 1 drop of india ink to 9 drops alcohol. In the case of India ink, however, because the ink is so strong, you may want to dilute it even further. Then, you apply this liberally to whatever you want to color, literally “washing” the item with color. I prefer alcohol to water, because it flows into the nooks and crannies better than water.
A wash is what medina1128 said. I go over an area several times to get the right look. It is better to use a light wa***hen to have the mix too dark. Easier to fix if you don’t like the result.