Recently I pulled out a vintage Gingerbread Stop CNJ plywood caboose model and it’s now “resplendant” in it’s vermillion paint. After painting I cut and installed some very thin, clear plastic window glazing secured with canopy glue.
But I don’t like the shiny clear window look. Searching the MRR database I found a couple of articles saying to apply white glue to dull the windows. On some test material, it just made it white and nearly opaque…not what the brass hat safety team would ever allow!
Diluted white glue doesn’t adhere and actually micro-puddles looking like someone painted a white spot in the middle of the window pane.
I guess I could start over and lightly sand the sheet of acetate (or whatever my glazing material is), remove all the glued in windows and recut and reinstall sanded material, but I was wondering if anyone had any neat tricks to dirty the windows already installed.
I built a really old P2K caboose I’ve had for years. Back then they came partially assembled, not RTR. But anyway, the whole thing looked too shiny, especially the molded plastic grabirons. I gave the whole thing a light coat of clear flat Krylon spray. Not only did it provide some tooth to weather the plasticky looking parts, but it gave a nice, flat, dusty looking apperance to the windows.
Years ago I built a string of ATSF (Athearn sourced) cabooses as inspired by the Andy Sperandeo article in MR. After the windows were secured with the clear testors adhesive, I “painted” them with a wash of thinner and flat black, let it set a bit and wiped off the excess with a paper towel. IMO, they turned out great.
Have to say, they all sold on Ebay easily at really nice prices!
Here in the UK we have dirty/dusty parcel vehicles. To make mine dusty, my wife Dawn gave me some old make-up powders of different browns she no longer wanted. I just dusted the powders on the vehicles; no glue or anything else. Simple, cheap and effective (imo)
I did that on January 4th 2021 and the vehicle still looks the same.
I have not (yet) tried it, but Tamaya makes a “Smoke Tint” clear paint. Dry brushed inside should give a tinted/grundgy look.
(I have purchased it, but have not yet done anything with it. They make a “clear line” in multiple colors. Maybe if they have a brown it would work even better?)
I’ve seen where the Tamaya clear tint line has been used to tint tail lights, etc… and they do appear tinted but still mostly see-through, like tinted glass/plastic would look.
Very interesting. I thought that maybe powders would be good to try. Incidentally, I used to commute on the Jersey Central back in the day when they were always either skirting or officially in bankruptcy. The prototypes I traveled in looked exactly like that picture you attached! Ed
Ricky – I have the Tamiya catalog and that Smoke (PS-31) is one of their polycarbonate RC car body spray paints. Although they do not list it as a translucent paint. According to the catalog description the translucent sprays are, "designed to achieve a frosted glass look on polycarbonate bodies. In any case, might be worth a try. Thanks!
I think at one time at least Testor’s made a transparent window-weathering paint similar to Tamiyas. Tamiya and others made clear transparent paint, just using black clear paint would work.
Just be sure you only paint the inside of the windows, so the outside remains shiny like glass.
I believe it is the highly-reflective look of the shiny glazing that CNJman is trying to eliminate.
I recently weathered a couple cabooses and “head-end” cars. I start with an overall light coat of Dullcote using an airbrush, then mask the windows (removable Avery stickers are good for this, the fit doesn’t have to be “perfect”).
Then continue with another coat or two of the Dullcote. I have found the bottle Dullcote to be superior to what Rustoleum/Testors?RPM puts in the rattlecans.
You can also blend the Dullcote/Glosscote to achieve the degree of matte finish you desire.
A little masking, a light spritz of airbrushed Dullcoat or other matte finish and you get a neat looking windshield with a clean(er) area where the viper vipes.
