I want to start weathering my locos, and rolling stock, etc… myself. This will be a new deal for me. I need to know where to begin. What equipment do I need to get started ? Also, what is a good training aid, ie, video, book, etc. with good demos of how to weather properly [?]
as far as weathering goes I would reccommend a few things .
- a can of testors dullcote - dulls the shiny finish
- a box of colored chalks from michels or any other craft/hobby store- grind the chalks on sandpaper and paint them on with a paintbruch.
- some craft paints ( Apple Barrell ) from Michels they run about a buck a bottle.
- Airbrush ( if finances permit)
the thing with weathering there is no right or wrong way, every car/ loco is different in the way nature has taken its toll on it. I have weathered some cars that other modelers thougth were wonderful and I looked at them like they were nuts.
As far as books or videos checkout the modelrailroader links section on here. I’m sure Kamblach has written a book on it.
Don’t forget a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a bottle of India ink, to make ink washes (1 drop of ink per 60 drops of alcohol.) Used sparingly, ink washes can be a great way to really scunge up anything that needs weathering!
You can also make some very effective washes by thinning Polly Scale or the craft paints with automotive windshield washer fluid (I use the blue stuff). Different materials and mediums will all give you different but useful results. The best thing to do is just to practice with the various materials on some older models.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins
Thanks for the advice guys !
You’ll need a 12 pack of Bragdon Enterprise weathering powders. They are incredible. Especially in combo with an alcohol wash and dullcoting. I find medium rust, dust bowl brown, and soot to be the most useful colors.
I recomend the 99% iso alcohol and India Ink solution. It evaporates faster then the less potent mixtures and this cuts down on the white “fog” effect. Remeber, after this grime wash, hit the model again with dull coat. This I have found to produce the best results.
I am still a novice at this weathering thing. For my first effort, I used artist chalks in red, black and grey hues, covered with Testor’s Dullcote. I haven’t tried the washes yet.
If you are interested, the results of my ‘experiment’ can be seen on my website. The link is in my signature. Once there, look for the photos of BRVRR #1116, a grey, red, black & white F7, on the Railroading and What’s New pages. Just pu***he buttons.
Allan,
I like the pastels as well. I have had luck with burnt sienna, raw sienna, burnt umber, raw umber and good old black. I often scrape several of these colors into a small tupperware container for custom color that I call dingy.
Here’s an example.
I first washed it in alcohol and black ink. When it was drying, I worked the surface between the rivit rows with a dry q-tip. Then I dullcoted it twice and rubed a little Bragdon Enterprise powder over the body, focusing on the lower edge.
Here in the U.K. we have a firm called Carrs who do lots of modelling aids i.e.Solders and fluxes and also do weathering powders that have a kind of oil base to them, they can be applied with a fine long haired brush,cotton bud, sponge, even with your finger but that gets a bit messy… and it stays put , you can seal it with a matt varnish if you handle you stock a lot but it will stay put without sealing and can be washed off with warm water if you want a change of finish. I have used it extensively and if I knew how to post a pic on this site I could show you an SD40-2 that I did recently. There is a host of shades of mud, grime, exhaust soot and sand deposits around the sand fillers etc., If you can get it in the U.S. remember the name … Carrs Weathering Powders.
CPPedler.
Tom Watkins mentioned using w/s washer solvent. Why? What does it do?