I’ve alway built all my structures from kits so I thought I’d try a built-up. I bought the Model Power RR Hotel and it doesn’t look too bad. I knew a lot of it would need painting because the 4 color scheme really limits realism. The main problem is the glossy look of the structure. I told the LHS guy I was going to repaint the whole thing to eliminate the shine. He suggested I paint only what was really necessary and use Testors Dull Cote to give it a flat paint appearance.
I’ve never used T DC before and was wondering if there was anything I should know before hand like unwanted reaction, etc. Have any of you worked with this stuff and, if so, with what results?
Dullcote reacts with anything alcohol-based or cyanoacrylate glue by creating a white hazy film. So, once you Dullcote the structure, don’t use the old alcohol/india ink wash trick to weather it or use super glue on it.
Aha! I have a similar problem with Walthers Gold Ribbon (or something) structures, where the frames are attached to the glazing by glue and aren’t coming off - how do you spray something like that without fartzin’ around with dozens of fiddly pieces of masking tape or messy liquid mask or whatever?
I undestand your problem because I’ve experienced the same thing. Rather than spraying with Dull-Coat, maybe you could just brush matte finish on the areas you want to tone down. I use Delta Ceramcoat “interior matte finish”. It brushes on easily and brushes clean up with soap and water.
By the way, I don’t use Dull-Coat. For a nice matte finish, I spray stuff like my rolling stock with Krylon matte finish. In fact, I just finished spraying 12 boxcars tonight and a large can of Krylon is around $3.00 at Wal-Mart. Krylon is cheaper than Dull-Cote and somebody on this forum mentioned last year that Krylon’s matte finish is better than Dull-Cote (which is why I tried it). I’ve weathered dozens of cars by first spraying with Krylon and then using Bragden Enterprises weathering powders.
Yes, Yes!! To all the above mentioned.
If you want to use T-DC on assembled structures, try masking the window glazing with masking tape…a tedious project…but, if you want shinny windows, a must.
On the other hand, if a dirty, opaque (not cleaned in years warehouse window) is what you’re looking for…spray the Dullcoat!
The Krylon mat works well, but it’s not as “flat” as T-DC. On the other hand, I’m OK with that. Additional weathering (the Bragdon stuff is wonderful) is something I want to do anyway, adding to the dullness / dirtiness, so the Krylon matt is my product of choice these days! Unless I’m trying for that hazy look, which has it’s place in weathering.
I did find out one thing (accidently, of course), a light inside the structure will shine more brightly through a fogged window than it will through a clear one. I can use this to save on bulbs. 2 small bulbs will light an entire business building if the windows have been sprayed with matte finish.
Are they generally thick-walled enough that you don’t get glow-through from the interior lighting? I always spray the insides of my buildings flat black to cut down on the Chernobyl Valley Railroad look from interior lights. That’s kind of hard to do with a built-up, though.
One other comment on Testors Dull Cote. Some cans have a tendency to spit out little blobs instead of a nice even spray, leaving ugly spots all over your piece. As Dave said, test first.
I just read on some website (forgot where) that sitting the spray can in hot tap water (not boiling) for 10 minutes before spraying solves this. By the way, I have not had that problem with Wal-Marts Krylon.
FWIW, I’d go with your first instinct and paint the whole thing. Plastic justs looks wrong, and painting it will give it its own character. Then you can give it washes of alcohol/india ink, some tan/browns along the bottom to show rain/mud splashes etc.
Craft paints are cheap, and you’ll have a more unique built-up.
From what I’ve read, he best way is to spray with a matte finish, then weather with chalks or powders and then spray again with the matte finish to protect the weathered look.