Weathering with Wheels on

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hello All

In the weathering techniques article the author shows a car being air-brushed with the trucks and wheels on. Is this the correct way to do this? Shouldn’t the wheels be removed and shaft holes masked? I would imagine at a minimum that the wheels could get paint on them which could transfer to the tracks.

Thanks

2

I do the weathering with the trucks on too. I just mask off what I don’t want paint getting onto.

3

I take my wheels off. I do the trucks seperate. I don’t see how you would get a decent looking weathered wheel with the truck in the way.

I don’t use paint to weather my wheels so I dont need to worry about that [8D]

4

What is the best thing to use for weathering the wheels if removed during spraying? I’m assuming a thin brush with black or gray paint

5

Sometimes I use a thin Testor’s paint brush with some acrylic rust colored paint, other times I use a black sharp point permanent marker. It depends on what effect I want.

6

I weather only with acrylic washes, including heavy washes and a dry-brush method. I only mask the windows when I am spraying dullcoat…otherwise everything stays as one model. When I am done the weathering, and especially if I have sprayed the weathering with dullcoat, I pretty much have to invert the engine and wipe off the tire surfaces on all wheels/drivers with Goof-Off if I want the engine to move more than about three inches next time I power up.

-Crandell

7

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8

Thanks All. The wheels will come off [tup]

9

As a “Spray Can Rembrandt” Arn’t you breaking your own rules? ha ha.

10

Yep.

11

I do not take my trucks or wheels off. I do weather the wheels separately before weathering the entire car. I find that leaving them on help blend the entire weathering effect together much better, especially on cars where it really shows like cement cars with the streaks down the sides and onto the trucks. I haven’t had any operational problems with this method.

Rick

12

Okay, here’s my $0.02: on the prototype it is forbidden to paint wheels or couplers, much the same as in the days of wooden ladders, many trades discouraged painting said wooden ladders. Reason: paint covers up cracks that can eventually fracture. That being said, however, I point out that I’m as guilty as the next when it comes to painting wheels, as there’s nothing to ruin an image like shiny black Delrin trucks—and wheels----under a carefully painted and weathered car! Hint: it would certainly make our modeling lives a little easier if the paint manufacturers would sell us “Old Rust” paint, similar to the situation where Floquil, for one, sells “Weathered Concrete” because the regular shades are a match to fresh concrete. The available “Rust” or “Oxide Red” shades are too bright, like fresh rust. Lacking that pre-prepared color, I suggest a shade of Boxcar Red/brown for wheels.