I want to do some weathering to my box cars and hoppers but I’m not sure what paint to use like what’s best for rust etc, I don’t have a air brush so I’ll be doing it all with brushes or what ever you all sujest.
Gas Man,
I’m pretty much a weathering rookie myself. Got an airbrush, but I don’t feel I have enough control to use it for most weathering. About the easiest way into gaining some experience looked to me like the Tamiya weathering kits. There are at least four 3-powder kits available, which come with an applicator and brush. Then stick pretty well without an overcoat. Here’s a pic of one of my first efforts, never mind those crazy chrome wheels, which is about the only thing the Tamiya powders didn’t stick to. I’ll tone them down later when I add some more weathering to finish it.
my suggested sequence – use rattle can DullCoat then apply weathering powders with a mascara brush. You may want to seal them with a further coat of DullCoat but that often makes the weathering powders seem to disappear
Dave Nelson
Recently I have been playing with Pan Pastels and am impressed with this product!
Heard good things about them, too. I had the impression the Pan Pastels and Tamiya’s were similar in being tacky so not requiring a fixative (although as Dave mentioned above that may be a good idea anyway in many cases.) Anyone who’s used both able to give a comparison and contrast?
I also vote for Dull-Coat, powders, Dull-Coat. I use AIM powders.
Yes, applying the Dull-Coat does reduce the effect of the powders, but once you’re used to it you can just overdo it a bit. I think that the reduced weathering effect gives a more subtle and realistic look, anyway.
For the very rusty look on the bridge at the top of this picture, I used a product called Instant Rust.
Instant Rust is a 2-part product. First, you paint on “Instant Iron,” which is a suspension of very fine iron particles. Once that dries (a few hours) you apply the oxidant which turns the iron to rust.
For this carfloat deck, I started with a reddish-brown base coat from rattle can primer. I applied both the Instant Rust and the oxidant, but not uniformly.
You can see the gray iron, some rusty sections and some primer showing through.
This site should give you some inspiration…
(click on a name, and then on the Models link.)
http://theweatheringshop.com/jump_off.html
These guys don’t limit themselves to one technique. They usually start with washes (a white one to fade the original color, and then a dark one for grime.) Then some dry brushing or sponging for rust. Cosmetic sponges work well for dabbing on rust. I think most of them use artist oils, largely burnt umber and burnt sienna.
Steve S
WOW!! Thanks for sharing the link. Amazing work…
I’m in the brush crowd using acrylics. Some I “wash” with paints thinned with water, some gets dry brushed. My most used colors: Light Chocolate (for dust & mud), Iron Oxide (an overcoat wash over box car red to tone it down, wheels, trucks, couplers, older rust), Raw Sienna (newer rust), Flat Black (roofs, soot grime), and a light grey (lettering paint “run”, oxidization and fade for roofs). I do use dull coat when done, and as previously stated it does tone things down and you learn to adjust to it to end with the result you’re after.
Happy Weathering!
Duane
I lean more towards “dry” weathering, that is, not using paint. My basic weathering is to put a fairly heavy coating of powdered charcoal on the car, then use a soft kitchen paper towel to remove a lot of it, so it’s mainly in the area around rivets, or between boards of a woodsided car. Then it can be sprayed with flat finish from a spray can; unlike chalk powders, the charcoal doesn’t dissolve. Then I may add some rust or other powder weathering.
I stick with the easy to do stuff. First kill that black plastic glossiness of the trucks or sideframes. Wash them in hot soapy water to get rid of fingerprints and mold parting compound. Dry well, and mask off the axle bearing holes with tape. I paint with rattle cans, but brushes work too. Either red auto primer for a rust look, or dark gray auto primer for a grimey look. While you are at it, paint the faces of the wheels.
Then paint the underside of the car. Granted, it doesn’t show much, but the car looks more “real” if the few glimpses you do catch show flat dark gray, as opposed to glossy plastic.
If the car is too glossy for your taste, give it an overall coat of DullCote. This is especially effective on low end train set cars, which often have very glossy and bright paint jobs.
None of this requires any artistic talent, nor an airbrush.
If yu want to go farther, you can try weathering powders, or just powdered chalk. Art and stationery stores will have colored chalk in earth tones. Rub the chalk on a kitchen strainer and you have weathering powder. It’s not hard to do a very convincing job with powder. The trouble with powders is stick-to-it-tivness. Left by them selves, powders rub off on your hands when you handle the item. For structures that don’t get the handling that rolling stock does, no problem. But for rolling stock, each time you put it on the track you rub off some of the carefully applied weathering.
You can seal the powder in place with DullCote. Except that
Here’s some simple weathering on an Athearn car.
I painted the brakewheel to match the carbody, and added decals for the bearing repack stencil and ACI label. To give the weathering something to stck to, I sprayed the car with Treehouse Studio acrylic flat finish (available at Hobby Lobby in my area). Most of the weathering was done with powdered chalks; white for initial fading, plus some rust and dirt colors. The roof is faded more than the sides. Finer rust streaks were added with watercolor pencils.
This Walthers Airslide hopper was weathered using washes of thinned oil paints.
This Athearn car received acrylic washes in layers. I faded using white, then built up rust on top of that. Rust was added to the roof using makeup sponges and more chalk, and a pastel stick of a similar green to the carbody was rubbed on afterward to look like vestiges of paint. This car also got some paint on the black plastic brakewheel, and I added cushioned draft gear with Walthers parts. Again there are decals for a few things, added at different stages of weathering. The 1978-era yellow dot U1 stencil was added last so it wouldn’t get dirty.
Whateve technique you use, keep lots of photos handy. Don’t rely on memory to ell you how a car should look.
I use any rust tone on trucks, India Ink wash, Powders, dry brush on body of cars.
Don’t be afraid to use anything that will give you the effect that you’re after. I’ve used everything from paint, inks, cigar and cigarette ash, charcoal, and sometimes just plain dirt and dust. One thing that must be done is the sealing of the job.
I don’t care if the powders that many use have good adhesion on the sides and roof, everytime the car or loco is handled, there will be some removal of the powders. Handled enough, and certain ares will become glossy, and most of the colors will be gone.
For pastels and basically chalk, a very light misting of super hold hair spray will work to hold the chalks and powders in place without “washing” them out. After the hair spray is dry, which can take a day or so, them seal this with a light mist of dullcoat. Heavier coats can be applied afterwards for better protection.