Trying to make a plastic kit look like wood

[robert sylvester]

I know some folks can really make a structure look like wood.  I just did this Life Like warehouse and I decided to try my hand at making it at least appear like wood.

I painted the walls separately then gave them a wash of India Ink and alcohol.  After the pieces dried I assembled the kit.

I then glued details and dock workers to complete the scene.

The box car is Athearn with a worker and barrels glued inside.

Anybody else try making plastic to look like wood?

Robert Sylvester, WTRR

[stebbycentral]

It's hard to say from a photograph, but it looks like you achieved your ends.  My approach to simulated wood on plastic is to use acrylic paint, thickly applied.  And what you want to do is just the opposite of normal paint technique, where they tell you not to keep going over it or you'll leave brushstrokes.  In this case fool with it all you want.  You want brushtrokes,to serve as simulated wood grain.

In this photo the coaling tower is plastic, the engine house is real wood.

[loathar]

Not too bad! Here's an article that might help in case you haven't seen this method yet.
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/weathered_plastic/

 

[E-L man tom]

I think it looks very good; the "good enough" approach works well with me. You will always find fault with what you've done yourself but if it looks good enough for you and your layout, that's all you need. And, does it convince others on first glance that it is a wooden structure? If so, that's all you need. I think you did a great job of conveying that here.

Not every structure (or piece of rolling stock, locomotive, etc.) has to be of museum or competition quality. 

I would post a picture of the grain elevator that I just finished scratch building if anyone could kindly tell me how to do that I would be glad to share it with y'all.

Thanks

[robert sylvester]

E-L man tom:

I just started posting pictures, maybe two months ago. so here goes.

  1. Up load your digital pictures to you computer and put them in "MY Pictures" or up load to a Lexar stick.

  2. Go on line and go the "Photobucket.com" Complete the registration.  You have to use this service, or ones like it (they're others), to post them on the forum.  Again, follow the instructions, once you have a user name and password log in.

  3.You will see and area in the middle of the screen where it says up load.  When you click on "choose files" your addresses will come on the screen.  Click on my pictures or Lexar stick  or where ever you stored you digital pictures and up load either as a single picture or bulk load.

  4. Once you have done this you will see your pictures below.  Reduce the "Photo Bucket web site down on the tool bar the call up the "Forum" and write a post just as you did. Click the enter button on your key board and the cursor will shift below your statement or sentenance.  Pull up the "Photobucket" web site and find a picture you want to post.

  5. Below each picture you will see, picture number, Email, Direct Link, HTML Code, then IMG Code.  Click IMG Code.

  6.  Now pull up the forum, go to Edit at the top of the screen, open it, and then click "Paste"

The picutures web address will appear where the cursor was placed.   Then write some more if you wish, then do the same thing as above if you want to post more pictures.

When you have finished your post then go below to "Preview" and it will demonstrate what you post will look like, if you need to change something click on "Edit"  Once you have completed the post with pictures and you're satisfied with the way it looks hit "Post"  It may take a little time but it will then appear on the post you.

Once you've done it a couple of times it becomes very easy.

Thanks

Robert Sylvester, WTRR

 

[E-L man tom]

Thanks, Robert,

I'll print these instructions off. I will post pictures of my latest "invention" (scratch-built grain elevator) in the near future.

[Capt. Grimek]

For a bare/weathered wood look:
I use a combination of almost dry brushing over several coats time, of tan-ish and gray-ish
acrylics. I try to use a coarse brush to leave brush marks to simulate grain (in the board's length/direction). With flat paints the effect can be pretty realistic. With water based paints of course, you can wash off most of your mistakes in the lst 5 or 10 minutes.

For painted buildings a little black or gray can help in cracks or where board ends butt up together to simulate wet wood/rotted wood. Just a tich though. I almost always brush paint buildings because that's what their real life owners would usually do and the brush strokes
look right. Just be sure your brush strokes are reasonably in scale.

I don't have a layout started quite yet, so all I do is build and paint buildings right now.
Local club members and operations sessions friends who have very nice layouts have
been complimentary so I must be good at this facet of the hobby anyway...
They've even asked me to do theirs, but I've told them, let me get my layout started lst, please.
Using a photograph of the wood/paint/effect you're looking for, cut from a magazine or your own prototype photos, make a huge difference in copying and getting
a realistic look when you lst start developing your techniques.
A little green here and there to suggest moss/staining can make the building look more wooden too.
If nothing else, avoid glossy or semi gloss paints unless the specific building calls for them. Gloss makes things look pretty plastic-y all over again.
Your ink/stain/alcohol looks great. I'll have to try that!

[tangerine-jack]

Very nice work!  Good job!

I've often wondered, in my travels around the country, exactly how many wood structures in the real world look in fact, like wood?  Except for the ones that haven't seen paint in 30 years, most are covered in a semi gloss or gloss exterior paint, making the building look very much like plastic, not wood. 

So do we now need to make our wood structures look like plastic?  Or is the "good enough" approach in fact, good enough?  If our 1920 general store is set on a layout in 1921, then the building will have fresh paint, tight trim and clean windows.  If that same building is set in 2008 (like many on the Eastern shore of VA), then we can see the underlying grey wood, peeling paint, crooked or mismatched trim etc.  The former will look like plastic, the latter clearly not.

New or old, you decide!