As suggested by forum members, I am looking for chalks to weather locos, rolling stock, etc… Is this what I am looking for ?
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The darker colors should be good for weathering. There’s usually little difference between chalks – chalk is chalk, and there’s not much difference except perhaps the coloring agent used in the different brands.
Actually some of the light colored chalks are very useful for highlighting details, and things like the mud that is thrown up on the ends of box cars by the wheels. Probably any art craft type chalk is fine. The thing is they have to be sealed in place by something like dullcoat and what you find it, the first application of dullcoat tends to wash away your carefully done weathering effect. It has to be a process involving multiple applications. Carefully done it can be very effective. Another thing is, chalk does not adhere well to smooth shiny plastic surfaces which is another reason why repeated applications of dullcoat are needed (and by the way let the dullcoat DRY thoroughly between steps).
Dave Nelson
Those aren’t chalks. they’re artist pastels. That is exactly what I use. Chalks will ‘dust off’ but these are more permanent. I scrape them off into a powder and apply them with a bru***o get better control. You can wipe them off to a degree, but wiping will also work them into the paint which I also do to get the effect that I want. 
Happy weathering.
Thanks guys ! Roger, do you grind them with say, sandpaper ?
Also, do you seal the pastels with dullcoat ?
I use a penknife and scrape the sticks. You’ll leave too much in the sandpaper unless it is very coarse. However, my wife walked in the other day with an open grid thing that is used to scrape calluses (on feet) that would be great like a cheese grater, but easier to clean out. I have a series of small bottles/jars that holiday jelies came in to store the colors.
Yes, I dullcoat lightly. Too close a spray will blow some of the weathering away.
Thanks Roger ! [bow]
I found some specialty sandpaper designed for sanding plaster at the hardware store that’s an open grid (kind of like window screen with rough sandy edges). Took some 1x2s, made a small frame, and stapled a piece to it – makes a perfect “sander” for artist chalks/pastels. Just put the sanding frame on a sheet of paper (or as I do, a plastic watercolor pallet-type thing with low compartments), rub the chalk/pastel stick across the sanding grid, and stop when you have a pile big enough.
I always use artist pastels. To grind them I use something that at least over here is used by tea drinkers who prefer tealeaves instead of teabags. It is made of two half spheres of very fine mehat clamp together. I use the meo scrape the pastel and it gives a very fine powder. I also found out that this extremel;y fine pastel powder doesn’t need Dullcote protection. It sticks to the surface provided this surface has been dulled. Moreover I always put on a pair of cotton gloves when handling my rolling stock so as to avoid finger marks.
*** an extra precaution I only handle my cars and loco’s with coton gloves so as to avoid leaving finger marks.
I use Bragdon Enterprises (www.bragdonent.com) weathering powders. I bought a eight color set 2 years ago at a train show and am still using it. It adheres to the slippery plastic that truck sideframes are made of better than regular chalks. They say it has an adhesive added in. It comes in a plastic case already ground up ready to use. For coal soot I actually use finely ground coal which I have to seal with dullcote to keep it adhered.
There is an old MR article that describes building a small “sander” out of a piece of old window screen, stapled to a square made of scrap wood–this allows one to grind up artist’s chalks into a powder on the screen and collect it in a container underneath. Drywall sanding screen would be excellent for this task, too.
I here you talking about dullcoat, I could’nt find it, I did buy some Clear Matte
Coating spray, hope it works Ill let you know, unless you know something I dont?
Danny,
Hold off on the matte coating, it may work, however dullcoat is proven, and you do not want to mess around experimenting just yet. Just about any hobby shop will carry dullcoat. It will be in the Testors paint section in a small aerosol can. As for others that I know will work, Krylon makes a crystal clear matte fini***hat works, however it has been hard for me to find.
I have been using soft pastels marketed by Mungyo. They come in assorted colors, but the one I have is an assortment of 12 Earth tones. That will take care of just about any ageing, weathering colors you could want, except white/gray. I have not had to scrape, just apply the pastels directly to the object and brush or blow off excess. Sometimes I blend and soften with my fingertip.
I have not had to apply any kind of fixative. I have used it for roofs, building sides and rolling stock. I don’t know if you could use that method for a completely smooth surface, I mean completely smooth. There you might have to resort to scraping the pastel to get a loose powder. I believe you can find these at any larger hobby supply, e.g., Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc. Good luck and have fun![2c]