My cornerstone “reliable warehouse” is finally complete. I will put on some decals and Bragdon powders prior to the final spray of dull coat.
Any hints of how and where to apply the powders will be most welcome.
If you have not put on a coat of dull-cote, I recommend it. Brandon powders stick better with a dull-cote layer applied first, then sealed after with another layer.
Apply them with a stiff brush, or, a make-up sponge.
I’d suggest a bit of experimentation before going to town on a finished model.
Use small amounts of the powders, a little goes a long way. Use a light hand with the brush and sneak up on the effects you’re after, it’s easy to over do. Same as with other weathering mediums, easier to add more than take off too much.
A bit of powder moved around with a soft brush can work too, again, sneak up with layers and different, but similar colors. A little rubbing here and there with a nitrile gloved finger can be an effective technique.
Have fun and regards, Peter
I would dull coat the decaled model before applying the powders. Keep in mind that dull coat will make most of the weathering powders disappear if sprayed over the powder application. This is fine if you are building layers on a model that will be handled frequently. Because the layering process can take some time, I generally leave the powder unsprayed and haven’t had problems with the powder rubbing off…
Make sure the powder application is even. Don’t leave any “weathering shadows” around details and recessed corners. Fill in the blotches… This doesn’t mean that the coat should be heavy, just even.
Your mileage may vary,
Guy
Bruce.
There are some very good You-Tube videos on using powders. A couple of the best ones were with British modelers where one of them would mix powders with paint and get some impressive results.
For those of us who live in a cave, and for the benefit of many of the readers who also live in a cave, what is a Bragdon powerer? Is it named after Mr. Bragdon?
It’s the power unit you plug Mr. Bragdon into so the wife will get some work out of him.[swg]
Batman’s response is clever but, of course, does not answer your question.
Bragdon powders are weathering powders with a bit of dry adhesive in them to help adhere to surfaces. They are made and distributed by Bragdon Enterprises, owned by Joel Bragdon.
The bragdon powders will stick to most anything and can be very intense. I would start with the dust color use it like you would be dry brushing. Be careful with the rust .
By the way bragdon makes excellent molds as well.
Bragdon powders are great, and there are powders put out by many other firms too.
One thing I’ve learned is to put some paper under the model while applying the powder, to collect stuff that falls off. Best way to keep your work area clean, as trying to brush or wipe it off will only result in it sticking to your workbench. Also you can re-use the fallen powder on your model.
Go easy on it tok. It is easy to over do it. When you get to the point where one more pass will do it, that is where you stop. There are placrs where weatjerinnis heavy. But mostly. It is lighter and more suttle. Place in layers. And study pics of similar buildings inthe same era you model. Steam.era had more grime than modern. 30s is more run down looking. Dont forget that chaulks can be used too. As they can be used for more suddle effects. It does take practice and is more art. Butt do study pics so you can get the run marks better placed and represented. The run marks are what make or breaka finish more than any other weathering
Here is one of my weathered locomotives. I know it’s a bit heavy, but I’m trying to model the final years of steam, and the Pennsy locomotives were pretty grimy at the end. I broad brush soot black with a makeup brush which has very soft bristles. For details, I mix a little dullcote with the powder to make a pasty paint. You can thin it with more dullcote. You just have to experiment to get the results right for you.
Yes its VERY MESSY! Its sticks to everything. Use medical gloves! And use it outside if you can. Its almost impossible to clean if you get any on your funature, carpet, etc.
Thanks for clarifying about Bragdon powders. I also haven’t heard of them.
I also use powders, but make them by scrapping artist chalks w/ a knife into a small tupaware container. I use a stiff brush to put the powders on freight cars after they are sprayed w/ dull coat. Dull coat helps the powders stay on the cars. Doing that ouside is critical since the product requires ventilation.