I remember seeing an article on painting plastic to simulate real wood, especially for flat cars. I have searched the MR web site and can not find the article. Can anyone help?
Thanks
Ray San Jose CA
I don't remember a specific article, but here is my technique--it is based on info included in the Gould/Tichy 40' flat car kit in HO Scale.
First, I paint the plastic with a wood-like tan. I prefer Floquil Foundation or PollyScale Aged Concrete. Then, I go over each board with a wash of suitable PollyScale diluted in 70% isopropol Alcohol--e.g., rubbing alcohol. I dilute about 80 drops (two eyedroppers full) of the paint into 1 ounce of alcohol. "Suitable" is probalby in the eye of the beholder, but some colors I like are roof brown, boxcar red, grimy black, reefer gray, mud, antique white, steam power black. As I say, I'll dip a fine brush into the stain, then paint it onto one board at a time, randomly selecting the boards to do. On some boards, I'll use more than one coat of the color, or more than one color, and I'll leave a board or two unstained.
Greg
You mean like this:
Visit:
Click here to make plastic look like weathered wood
Thank you if you visit
Harold
Thanks Harold, that is a very good tutorial!
Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:
My Railroad
My Youtube:
Graff´s channel
Very nice.
Thanks for sharing.
I have been using Dye-na-flow fabric paint now and have updated the webpages to reflect that. It is "black" with no blue or brown and works better than the Rit dye. I thought I updated the pages. Dye-na-flow is a thin fabric paint. It was used on the flatcar deck.
Where can we find Dye-na-flow? Would a place like Michaels have it?
I get my Dye-na-flow from:
Dharma Trading Company
or
Dick Blick
I discovered it for making faux fur grass:
It is the only thing that will color polyester faux fur. Visit:
Make Fur Grass
Michael's used to sell Jacquard's Dye-na-flow "Exciter Pack" but I haven't seen it lately. I found the Rit Dye wasn't a real black had a purple tint. It will work but sometimes fade:
The dye faded after five years in fluorescent lighting on the shed but a water tank done at the same time still looks the same. The shingle paper is from Evan Designs Model builder program. The tank shows no sign of fading:
An HO flatcar using the deck technique:
tczephyr I have searched the MR web site and can not find the article. Ray San Jose CA
The article was in RMC a couple of years ago; I am not home right now so will not be able to give you the details until later.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
G Paine tczephyr: I have searched the MR web site and can not find the article. Ray San Jose CA The article was in RMC a couple of years ago; I am not home right now so will not be able to give you the details until later.
tczephyr: I have searched the MR web site and can not find the article. Ray San Jose CA
The RMC article was authored by me. All that information and more is available on my website at:
Weathering wood and plastic
As referenced earlier.
hminky G Paine: tczephyr: I have searched the MR web site and can not find the article. Ray San Jose CA The article was in RMC a couple of years ago; I am not home right now so will not be able to give you the details until later. The RMC article was authored by me. All that information and more is available on my website at: Weathering wood and plastic As referenced earlier. Thank you if you visit Harold
Harold, the reference you gave looks great and is useful; however I was thinking of another article in RMC February 2006 "Painting Wooden Freight Car Floors". This process colors the plastic / wood floors with about 5 colors and washes of Model Master and Floquil paints.
i always found the zebra deck with multi-colors doesn't imitiate real wood weathering. Google weathered wood images and it never looks like most model depictions of weathered wood on a flat car deck.
Not saying my method is perfect.