OK…In the prior post of how to get back to my clean car I found that mop and Glo removed all india ink and paint…it left the factory detail in tact. So I tried to weather this thing again and still the same general idea was that it was too dirty. I am a armour modeler aswell asn I guess that Im missing something for weathering trains. I have looked at a bunch of websites mellow mikes and model trains weathered and the threads on the fourm… I still cant get it right. Looks like crap. So on to the whole Idea of this thread. Weatherng for dummies…can thoes out there whom are more versed in weathering give some surefire tips on how to get a simple weatheres look with BRUSHES not an air brush…the air brush that i have is crap… so if there are any tips that could work please put them here…if you all like the idea of this …thanks.
J.W…pirate trying to WEATHER this storm
Air brushes are nice for getting the basic color of your weathering down. But you should always use chalk or other paints on top. It looks MUCH better with the little bit of dry dusty texture you get, models that are only weathered with airbrush never look quite right to me. Too smooth and even… The only real reason for an airbrush is to save time assuming you have a good set of chalks, washes, etc. I was thinking about doing a basic weathering clinic soon, if I do I’m going to show simple methods using simple tools, no airbrush. Maybe just a boxcar, I have to find something suitable though.
jpm335…Im totally down with your basic clinic idea. Cant wait for it if you do do it.
ChessieFan13;
Several times in the last few months I have outlined in prior posts a procedure for weathering using a method taught me by a former acquaintance; it utilizes a mixture of tobacco ashes and alcohol. The procedure, admittedly, sounds just a little bit on the “strange” side but considering the price of tobacco products in the oversea’s commisaries at that time (less than $2.00 a carton) it was extremely cheap; when finished, the effect was profound to say the least. It is not my intention to regurgitate my previous posts in this one beyond saying that my prior endeavors in weathering more closely resembled disaster areas; this individual did, however, impart to me three profound tidbits of wisdom which I have never forgotten: 1) WEATHERING A CAR IS LIKE MAKING LOVE (my words, not his); GO SLOW AND ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE!!! and 2) LIGHT IS RIGHT!!! THIN IS IN!!! THICK IS SICK!!! and, when weathering, 3) STAY AWAY FROM THE STUPID AIRBRUSH!!!
Disregarding rust, “weathering” is basically a formula of D.I.R.T. plus H.2.O. combined to make M.U.D. What we are trying to do is copycat Ma Nature and make our “indoor” rolling stock look like it has spent months in the outdoors. To do this we need to do what Ma Nature does, one “thin” step at a time. Some cars are, due to different times of exposure to the elements, going to be muddier than others. This is why LIGHT IS RIGHT!!! Several shallow coats of weathering will allow us to:
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vary the degree of weathering on individual cars; unless you are weathering unit-trains rolling out of the Powder River Basin which always go to - and come from - the same place, railroad cars (and motive power) are likely to spend considerable times in different locals; and
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it will help us avoid the good ol’ I-Should-Have-Stopped-Five-Minutes-Ago syndrome.
Chalk is my material of choice but there are two circumstances whe
Here’s a nice tutorial on weathering rolling stock:
http://www.nmra.org/beginner/weathering.html
and here is a good site for all sorts of tips and examples on the subject:
http://www.modeltrainsweathered.com/gallery.htm
Hope this helps.