I was trying the method described on the Pacific Coast Liner site to get a realistic looking wood effect. I didn’t have the exact materials they recommended but I don’t think the look turned out too bad. What do you think? The dull coat reacted with the alcohol wash in a less than desirable way, but I finished it anyhow.
I think it looks great !
[bow]
I wouldn’t be able to tell it was plastic unless i smelled it
Cute building by the way what’s it supposed to be ?
I also think it looks great - it shows to me that I have still a long way to go… Do you have a link to that site at hand?
Thanks,
Harry
[#ditto]
Great job Lothar!![:)]
Here’s the link you want:
Looks good to me, I have trouble with getting styrene to look like wood. Guess I’ll have to check them out. They do have clever ideas.
I recently read where a scale modeler deliberately sprayed alcohol after two applications of dull coate to create a weathered effect. Haven’t tried it myself but after seeing this nice looking building I might give it a try.
Wayne
Thanks all! They recommend using Rit fabric dye which is water based. I didn’t have any so I tried India ink/alcohol. Not a good idea is your going to dull coat. The dull coat reacted with alcohol and crazed the finish and turned it a little white. It looked a lot better before the dull coat. (live and learn).
When they say rough up the plastic, REALLY rough it up!
That’s just an old Plasticville depot building. I think I’m going to use it as a gate house for my lumber yard.(or office)
Loathar-Nice job[tup]
I remember reading an article on weathering with alcohol washes.It said that to make sure that the wash was really dry was that you didn’t smell the alcohol anymore.That may you would avoid any possible reactions when you spray on dull coat.
Again real nice job. Bob
FoulRift-Thanks for that tip. Maybe that was the problem. I know many folks use alcohol washes to weather, but i just can’t seem to get the hang of it. Most of that building was done with artist acrylic washes over the ink/alcohol base. (raw umber/raw sienna)
I have been using the Dull Cote/ alcohol weathering technique for some time now and I like it. The only problem is that you do not have complete control over the results. (Similar to real weathering) However, you can erase most mistakes by re-spraying with Dull Cote. I first learned of this technique from an article by George Sellios.
The best results I ever got were based on an article in the July/August 1982 Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette entitled “Painting and Weathering Styrene Freight Cars” but it involves using four over sprays of various colored stains and distressing them between coats which is effective but time consuming. I like the simplicity of Harold Minkwitz’s method mentioned in this thread ( along with about everything else he does) but although I have long had his web site book marked, have never tried it.
One other comment. I am convinced that styrene when properly weathered and distressed looks more like wood than wood does in HO scale. It may be just an illusion ( Or delusion) on my part but it may be the same illusion that makes properly stained plaster rocks look far more realistic in scale than using real rocks. The same is true for Envirotex vs real water in scale.
Peter Smith, M
Loathar, I think that turned out very well, indeed! Nice job. [:D]
If I could fly an idea past your front…the window sills would, over the time that the structure had ostensibly aged to its present condition, have imparted some detritus (dust, pollen, dead bug carcasses, etc, organic material) and washings of their own down the first scale foot or so below them, and I would guess that there would be a resultant stain just below those sills…would you agree?
Just a thought to put one of the possible stunner details on this model.
-Crandell
Looks like wood to me…Good job!..Cox 47
Thanks! That’s a great idea and still do-able.[tup] This was kind of a test building to try out the technique. I recently got some cheaper kits that are (plastic) wooden structures. I wanted to get a handle on things so I didn’t ruin a larger building. You never stop learning in this hobby.[:)]
Loathar, that looks pretty good. It’s much better than the boards I tried using gray primer, ink wash, white dry brushing. I should have just used white primer in the first place.
loathar, nice job on that building [tup] I think the best part is how you took an inexpensive structure and made it look great instead of paying $50 for a kit with directions that look like blueprints for the space shuttle [(-D]
Really good job, Loathar. I didn’t even recognize it. Where did you find such a unique kit in the first place? [angel]
I got em from some guy in Joisey that’s a Freak about Steam…[:D]
Really? Sounds like a nice guy. Who? [swg]
Seriously, I didn’t recognize it. Here’s the picture from the box so everyone will know what you had to work with.
I think I want it back…
Looks Good!!