One thing that I notice, and it causes me to wonder if I have been thinking the wrong way about weathering, is the apparent absence of spraying weathering materials on structures, rolling stock and locomotives. I have always thought that a basic tool of weathering is the airbrush and heavily thinned paints. Is that not the case? Is it mostly chalks and India ink and whatever?
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrain One thing that I notice, and it causes me to wonder if I have been thinking the wrong way about weathering, is the apparent absence of spraying weathering materials on structures, rolling stock and locomotives. I have always thought that a basic tool of weathering is the airbrush and heavily thinned paints. Is that not the case? Is it mostly chalks and India ink and whatever? Rich
It all depends on the modeler. I use an airbrush for 99% of my weathering. I then use other tools to modify to the way I want the finished product to look.
I don't get carried away using ultra thinned paint. I use a dual action airbrush and a pressure regulator on my compressor. These make it easy to get the finish you want.
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge
trwroute richhotrain One thing that I notice, and it causes me to wonder if I have been thinking the wrong way about weathering, is the apparent absence of spraying weathering materials on structures, rolling stock and locomotives. I have always thought that a basic tool of weathering is the airbrush and heavily thinned paints. Is that not the case? Is it mostly chalks and India ink and whatever? Rich It all depends on the modeler. I use an airbrush for 99% of my weathering. I then use other tools to modify to the way I want the finished product to look. I don't get carried away using ultra thinned paint. I use a dual action airbrush and a pressure regulator on my compressor. These make it easy to get the finish you want.
Really nice weathering everyone!
SeeYou190 I have been trying out the rust decals with pretty good results. The rust scratches and patches on this car are decals: I put a lot of rust decals onto this car to see if I would like the effect. I still have not settled on whether or not I like it. I think it still needs powders or something to bring it all together. -Kevin
I have been trying out the rust decals with pretty good results.
The rust scratches and patches on this car are decals:
I put a lot of rust decals onto this car to see if I would like the effect. I still have not settled on whether or not I like it. I think it still needs powders or something to bring it all together.
-Kevin
I'd know that car anywhere! That's my friend Bill's FG&W! Nice work on both cars, and a D&H nod with that P&H logo.
My best (cringe) and only weathering so far is this ON tool car. You can read about how I did it here:
https://northcountrytrains.wordpress.com/2020/02/10/weathering-with-character-part-1/
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
richhotrain Rich
Rich, My go-to for a number of years has been Model Flex Rail Brown and Grimy Black. I don't thin them at all as they come airbrush ready and that makes them easy, and friendly, to use. I weathered the boxcar that I showed previously with just those two colors.
I typically stay away from from using any kind of rust. I find it way too easy to overdo it.
trwroute richhotrain Rich Rich, My go-to for a number of years has been Model Flex Rail Brown and Grimy Black. I don't thin them at all as they come airbrush ready and that makes them easy, and friendly, to use. I weathered the boxcar that I showed previously with just those two colors. I typically stay away from from using any kind of rust. I find it way too easy to overdo it.
richhotrainhow do you avoid spraying Rail Brown or Grimy Black all over, say, the boxcar and hiding all of the lettering?
You adjust both the paint mix (as little as one part paint 9 parts thinner) and the spray pattern of the airbrush, so you are putting paint in the diameter of a soda straw.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
With a dual action airbrush, it lets you regulate the amount of paint that comes out of the airbrush. Dual action is certainly the way to go, but it does take some time to learn how to use one.
I was given my first dual action airbrush direct from Badger when I was doing airbrush clinics for NMRA regional meets and for a few hobby shops. That was years ago!
HarrisonI'd know that car anywhere! That's my friend Bill's FG&W! Nice work on both cars, and a D&H nod with that P&H logo.
Yep, I kind of think of those two cars as the "Harrison" set. They go together.
richhotrain So, forgive me for this basic question, but how do you avoid spraying Rail Brown or Grimy Black all over, say, the boxcar and hiding all of the lettering?
Rich, when I weather with an airbrush, I use the "bounce" method that was described in a Model Railroader Paint Shop column decades ago.
Basically, you hold an index card next the the model and spray the airbrush at that. Some of the paint deflects off of the card onto the model, but most of it stays on the card.
This gives me really good control over how much paint goes on the model, and it does not hide anything.
It wastes a lot of paint, and needs to be built up in layers.
Living the dream.
Most of my weathering is done with a dual action airbrush, but I often use cardstock with cutouts to do things like wheelspray on the ends of rolling stock, or discolouration along strips of rivet detail. I also use pastels, applied with a brush, along with well-thinned washes of acrylic paint or India ink. Dry brushing is also useful in some instances.
In most cases, I don't do heavy weathering...just enough so that most things don't look brand new.
Wayne
What a Great Thread!
Some fine examples posted here I admire. Sound Advice from experience that goes with it that has helped me gain knowledge.
I found this Gem that was broken and unfinished at Eauclaire, Wisconsin helping my Model Railroad Club host Gary with his train show. This model spoke to me
I spent a lot of time on it. I fixed, finished and weathered it. Then I mailed it to Kevin
My scratch build.
I had a lot of fun with this one. It was a learning experience like everything is.
Isn't it something that you can take pride and be a proud of your accomplishment but then realize in the end how you can learn from yourself to do things better the next time.
It may be one of my defects of character but I pick apart everything I do when I'm done. But I guess it leaves room for improvement for the next time round
TF
doctorwayne Most of my weathering is done with a dual action airbrush, but I often use cardstock with cutouts to do things like wheelspray on the ends of rolling stock, or discolouration along strips of rivet detail. I also use pastels, applied with a brush, along with well-thinned washes of acrylic paint or India ink. Dry brushing is also useful in some instances. In most cases, I don't do heavy weathering...just enough so that most things don't look brand new. Wayne
In a dual action airbrush, when the trigger is pushed down, the air passes through the airbrush. When you pull the trigger backward, paint begins to flow out. The more you pull the trigger the more paint is delivered. This allows users to control the amount of paint coming out of the airbrush. The flow of paint can be adjusted even while painting.
SeeYou190 Rich, when I weather with an airbrush, I use the "bounce" method that was described in a Model Railroader Paint Shop column decades ago. Basically, you hold an index card next the the model and spray the airbrush at that. Some of the paint deflects off of the card onto the model, but most of it stays on the card. This gives me really good control over how much paint goes on the model, and it does not hide anything. It wastes a lot of paint, and needs to be built up in layers.
BigDaddy richhotrain how do you avoid spraying Rail Brown or Grimy Black all over, say, the boxcar and hiding all of the lettering? You adjust both the paint mix (as little as one part paint 9 parts thinner) and the spray pattern of the airbrush, so you are putting paint in the diameter of a soda straw.
richhotrain how do you avoid spraying Rail Brown or Grimy Black all over, say, the boxcar and hiding all of the lettering?
Here's some of my weathering efforts. I hope this works, as I haven't posted photos here in 4 years, so here goes!
airborne101I hope this works, as I haven't posted photos here in 4 years, so here goes!
If you do weathering like that, don't be a stranger.
This week's Ken Patterson Youtube featured some overhead pics he took of real trains to use as a guide to weathering. He also shows some roof top weathing decals FF to 6:00 minutes
Thanks BigDaddy! Not sure what I did wrong posting, now I can't see the photo. Everyone interested I guess can check out my weathering on my website, I have a weathered cars gallery on my one "weathering depot" page. Website:https://hitopbranchmodelrr.com/
airborne101Not sure what I did wrong posting, now I can't see the photo.
Neither can I, did you edit the link? I remember it was Flickr and I thought about posting how to get rid of the text they insert afterwards.
Copy the BBlink from the open bracket before img to the closed bracket after /img
To quote the famous model railroader Austin Powers "It's not mine" It's Airbornes' weathering.
I looked in my history found the address of your pic. I clicked on the arrow at the lower right and copied the BBlink, I then copied only this to the forum, where the ( ) are the square brackets in the copied link
(img)https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50814262843_cf7fa280c6_k.jpg(/img)
I don't model the modern era and I don't approve of graffitti, but how did you do it?
For those that want to see more real world examples, look up a guy named Shoestring on youtube. Again' the rules to discuss what he does too.
Many thanks Henry!
The era i model as well didn't yet have this kind of graffiti. I model 1968-75. The model shown I did for a friend. The graffiti are actually decals, but they laid down so well you'd think they were painted or drawn on the car...
Here's another car I did for my Hitop:
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One more, this one is a Walther's Mainline car:
I'm not sure if this is some of my best or my worst but here are some.
A very interesting thread indeed.
When I was still at school I was given a booklet telling of jobs working on the railways/railroads. The first job any apprentice did was cleaning the engines. Carriages were regularly cleaned. It seemed that only vehicles not involving the public were left dirty.
As for weathering anything on my layout I am not keen to do. Some items I have bought have been previously weathered and that has been it.
Recently I purchased some new rolling stock. The appearances are not like models of time passed. They are so plasticky looking. I had to do something to them.
Dawn gave me some old make-up powders she did not use. (Not that she needs them in the first place, you understand) By dabbing the powders in the corners and edges etc I managed to get this result.
A parcel/baggage van
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
NorthBrit A very interesting thread indeed. As for weathering anything on my layout I am not keen to do. Some items I have bought have been previously weathered and that has been it.
richhotrain David, I share your reluctance to weather stuff on my layout. That is probably the main reason that I started this thread - - - to see what others do. It has been an enlightening experience for me. Rich
David, I share your reluctance to weather stuff on my layout. That is probably the main reason that I started this thread - - - to see what others do. It has been an enlightening experience for me.
I wouldn't do any weathering if the manufacturers stopped making models so childlike and plastic looking. It isn't as if they are cheap; they are expensive.
On Kevin's pictures, I see a black box with "the image you are requesting does not excist or is no longer availiable. imgur.com"
I click on the box, and an imgur page opened, with the spinning circle.
Is it just me?
Nice weathering jobs. Airborne, great work!
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewi, I could not see the pictures either for a few day now. Still can not.
The site would not let me "quote" you and post a reply. I Could only make a reply.
These Pennsylvania E8s started out a ACL locomotives. I refinished and weathered them. The A-unit has an MRC sound decoder and Soundtraxx speaker. The B-unit has a Lenz decoder for speed control and lighting. Together they power my streamlined Pennsy passenger train.
Remember its your railroad
Allan
Track to the BRVRR Website: http://www.brvrr.com/