I saw some powders on Ebay and wonder how good hey are or if anybody has used anything like that. It says just to use a brush and wipe downwards and no need to spary a sealer on it. Is it worth it? How good would it look as well.
They are great! Powders made by Bragdon and Bar Mills (maybe others) have built in adhesive that is activated by vigorous brushing. They do not recommend overcoating them with Dullcoat or other sprays. They will come off a bit on your hands, but not like chalks do.
You can get them through your LHS or the above firms direct, maybe at better prices than on eBay.
I especially like the results I get with Bragdon powders on my wooden structures. No sealer necessary and a little goes a long way, but you should handle them sparingly. I’m a little reluctant to use them on rolling stock for fear they might deposit too much gunk on the rails and wheels. Maybe more experienced modelers can comment.
I think they make all the difference
Jon
The powders will work best on a flat finish. Some of the newer paint, even with very little sheen, does not take and hold the powder.
I am happy with the results from Bragdon weathering powders.
Bragdon is by far the best weathering powders out there. You can’t go wrong with this stuff. Below is the link to Bragdon.
I’m echoing the good word about Bragdon Powders. I started out with the small four colour set, since then I invested in the large 12 colour set. In N scale that should do me for the next fifty years or so.
Some Before and After Bragdon powders. I just brush it on with a medium stiff short bristle brush. Capture the excess (I have an wee plastic box that sits under the work in progress). Even if you just dump it all into an old pill bottle or some other clear plastic container. The random blended mix of colours can be used to do other projects.
I am not cheap - just very frugile.
There’s nothing wrong with sealing the powders (or chalks for that matter) with a clear coat, just know that any clear coat will lesson the effect and might require additional applications to get the desired effect. If the model is going to be handeled a lot, I would seal it, if not weather away and stick it on the layout. The bragdon powders won’t cause any problems with the tracks, as mentioned above, there’s an advesive mixed in with powders to prevent the powders from coming off. I’ve been using powders and chalks for 30+ years with no ill effects to the tracks, the dust in the air is a far far far greater contributor to dirty track.
Hi Folks,
I like Bragdon powders also. Before I use the powders to weather my rolling stock, I usually spray a coat of “Krylon’s Matte Finish” onto the cars. To avoid the spray going where I don’t want it, I cover the couplers with a small piece of scotch tape and I remove the wheels from the trucks. Then, I squirt a little dab of “Alene’s Tacky Glue” in the journals of the trucks. It only takes a couple of seconds and keeps the spray from getting into the journals. What’s nice about Tacky Glue is that it doesn’t attack any plastic and when it’s dry, it just pops out of the journal with a pointed tweezer. I don’t even wait for the Tacky Glue to dry before I spray the cars sometimes.
The matte finish gives the Bragdon powders a nice surface to grab on to. I don’t spray a fixative over the powders because I like the look without the spray. Overspraying not only reduces the dusty look of the powders but I think it gives the model a “waxy” appearance.
The trick is to handle all rolling stock from underneath…just like we do when we’re placing the cars on the track. And, I try to make sure my hands are clean and dry before picking up a car.
Hope this helps.
Mondo
Mondo,
Is Krylon Matte Finish the same as Testors Dullcote?