A while back, a fellow model railroader wrote about using Rustoleum textured paints on structures.
At the time, I was starting what has become a long-term structure building binge, in preparation for laying additional track and completing the first phase of my HO layout. Many of mine are service structures and must be properly located (and therefore built) first before going on.
I have tried a number of Rustoleum’s TEXTURED and MULTI-TEXTURED spray paints this past several months and I can highly recommend them to everyone. The textured black looks great for giving the appearance of black ductile pipe iron- for such surfaces as oil tanks; the aged iron multitextured makes a great roofing material shingle coloration; the autumn brown gives brick patterned styrene depth and realistic rough texture, etc. These are available at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. For the approximately $6. can, you get a lot of value. I am sure that there are also uses for a number of these colors on the railcar-building side of the hobby as well.
I took screen shots of the colors available in both types of paints and saved them on my computer for reference. Just FYI
I too have used the Rustoleum paints, They’re inexpensive (actully, you can get these paints for about
$4.00-5.00/can at the big-box home improvement stores) and the earth tones have many uses besides just structures as you have said. I have used the textured beige for many “concrete” jobs. These textured paints also add “tooth” for weathering with washes, powders and chalks as they have a somewhat rough, rather than a gloss or smooth surface.
Thanks for the tip… I used some grey primer on a forsale sign to make a parking lot/ drop yard for semi trailers but was looking for something a little more real looking so I will have to give it a try.
Depending on the plastic, there is always a slight risk a petroleum-based solvent will harm the surface. If concerned, test the paint on a sprue, a scrap piece, or the inside surface. There is less risk in spraying as opposed to brush painting, but avoid a “heavy finger” when spraying. I’ve never had a problem.
They have “Rust” and “Old Brick” in the single-color textured paint, and a few browns in the multi-colored textured paint.
I really like the textured black for rooftops. It gives an even-colored rough surface that looks like asphalt. It takes weathering powder very well, so it’s easy to add highlights or rusty spots.
There is a TEXTURED Rustoleum spray called “Old Brick”, but no others that would be “red”, other than another TEXTURED one called “Rust”- which appears to be somewhat darker.
You know, these guys own Testors product line as well- I wonder if they realize the market segment they could work into with additional colors in both multi- and textured sprays? They are a good old name, with a new-fashioned product for those of us that like old-fashioned things- like railroads!
I tend to primer spray for the most part- a la’ Jeff Wilson’s recommendations in his modeling books. I use the Walmart gray primer- places a thin coat to cover, then I spray the Rustoleum paint of choice on top of that.
The texture character in either the multi- or regular textured paint type also affords you the benefit of covering otherwise- visible slight surface irregularities, either product-manufactured in origin or hobbyist-induced sanding blemishes.
