I'm looking for suggestions for rattle can paint choices for weathering couplers and trucks. Looking for rust/dirty brown for couplers and grimy black/dirty brown for trucks. I've used Scalecoat grimy black for trucks but now that's no longer available. I looked at the Tamiya web site but didn't find anything, but of course looking at colors on line is iffy at best. For a different project I used Tamiya Matte Black TS6 and that might work for the trucks.
What experience can you all share? I appreciate your advise and suggestions.
Regards, Chris
I don't know about spray painting couplers, I'd brush paint a small item like that.
But for a lighter rusty brown color, I like Krylon Brown Boots. Rustoleum makes a dark brown with some gray tones in it that looks a lot like grimy black.
Satin or Matte finish of course. No need to have weathering colors start off shiny gloss, LOL.
Are you looking for hobby paint brands only? If I follow the course of the hobby paint industry correctly, the RR color names and brands are disappearing, but I think a lot of the actual colors still exist over in the military paint hobby section or under some other name....especially drab colors suitable for weathering.
- Douglas
Based on what I have read on the forum here I would prefer hobby paint, as it is supposed to spray finer. Not opposed to Krylon if it would spray nicely. Does Krylon in general work better for our hobby needs that Rustoleum? Thanks.
Tophias Based on what I have read on the forum here I would prefer hobby paint, as it is supposed to spray finer. Not opposed to Krylon if it would spray nicely. Does Krylon in general work better for our hobby needs that Rustoleum? Thanks. Regards, Chris
Yes, Krylon is the best non-hobby paint. Too many hobby paints have a glossy finish, which means they tend to go on thicker than their matte sheened brothers. I think military colors tend to have the proper sheen for weathering.
But like I said, I would try dry brushing. Several colors. Spray gives a thick monotone color when stuff tends to whether at different tones. I do most of my weathering by mixing colors on a pallette as I go so that not all of the color is exactly the same. Precise colors aren't really needed with weathering, IMO.
Rails weather pretty consistent though and work well for spraying. But there are sections that might have newer rust, which would be a lighter color, almost orange in places. Put streaks of dark orange on top of the rail brown to simulate where the rail got rubbed then is starting to re-rust. Stuff like that.
New rust is orangish. Old rust is darker. You can vary the look that way too for cars, representing newer cars/couplers when the next car might be older.
Accually the best I have found for things like red brick buildings and black undercoatings is the cheap stuff. Used to get it from Kmart and Orchard but places that are still in buisness have that type too.
Most rattle can paint is gloss. But they do make "auto primer" which is good and flat. Auto primer comes in dark gray (excellent for steam locomotives and trucks) light gray (good for covered hoppers) and red. Red looks very good for brick, for boxcars, and under a red top coat. I stick with Krylon or Rustoleum because they will be around in the future should I need more and want the more to match stuff from some years ago.
I have been painting B&M passenger cars with plain gloss red rattle cans. A top coat of DullCote softens the red a good bit. Down at the club a few of our old B&M hands allowed my passenger cars looked reasonably OK.
I don't paint couplers. The Kadee couplers come from the factory in a decent color. I fear that paint will gum up the coupler action.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Auto primer comes in red oxide and dark grey/black colors, which would work. I try to stay away from rattle cans for health and environmental reasons, but that's a personal choice.
I tend to paint couplers a few at a time, so the paint brush does the job for me. For grimy black, after years of searching, I recently found a very good match and replacement for the old Polly scale line. It's the Vallejo model air black grey number 71.055.
Otherwise, you can use craft paint. One color that is pretty close to grimy black is Graphite, under the Decoart americana craft paint line. Or you can mix 1 part black, 3 parts white, with a bit of red. For rust, I mix burnt sienna (or brick) with a bit of burnt umber (or charcoal grey). As mentioned by others, using various tones brings in more realism...
Simon
I mostly use Tamiya paint for smaller jobs and brush it on. But they also have spray cans which I have used. All of their flat matte finishes are XF in front of the number with the F meaning flat finish. Flat matte finish is what you want to use. I got a color chart of theirs at a hobby shop, or maybe a train show. I don't remember.
I believe that color chart is also available on-line and printable if you Google Tamiya Paints.
Most larger parts stores have touch up paint in smaller spray cans. Lots of color choices.
Jim
I use artist paint for the couplers and trucks applied with a toothpick. A little goes a long way. Fewer tend to notice the couplers than rust on cars and I put rust spots or streaks also using a toothpick.
TophiasI'm looking for suggestions for rattle can paint choices for weathering couplers and trucks.
My suggestion would be to not use them, especially on couplers. I wouldn't use them on anything...they usually seem to put out more paint than is necessary, then a few days later, aren't even capable of putting out any paint.
In my opinion, an airbrush will give you better results, with much less wastage of paint, and much better control over how much paint is needed for various projects. Another plus is that you can mix bottled paint to make almost any colour you wish, for use in an airbrush.
Another plus for airbrushing is that when you finish a project, any left-over paint can be dumped into a bottle (usually one that originally contained model paint), and, if kept capped, it will keep for ages, rather than solidifying in a rattlecan.I have a lot of model paints, and many of them are decades old and still useable.
Wayne
Krylon's Camo Brown has a dead flat finish and sticks well to plastic trucks that have been washed with alcohol or Dawn. They also have Oxide Red and Camo Black. Spray tips on Krylon are a little finer, and useful for a longer time than other big box and hardware store spray cans.
I've recently started weathering my rolling stock, with the bodies getting a treatment of Dullcoat and then Pan Pastels. I first used an airbrush (first time using any airbrush) on the couplers and trucks, followed with some Pan Pastels on the trucks. Good results (for my novice eye) but even when doing batches of 6 cars at a time, it was just a lot if time to set up the jigs for the couplers and trucks, set up the portable spray booth, etc. and then clean the airbrush equipment. So then I tried brush painting. Trucks turned out ok but the couplers received too much paint and fouled the coupling action. Eventually they worked free, but the overall results were far better when I airbrushed. So I'm just trying all possible procedures to figure out what is the best compromise of results, efficiency and effort. After trying a rattle can method I'll decide which is best method for me. I appreciate your comments.
So a quick follow up. Went to my LHS and spoke with a couple of guys who paint war game stuff. Won't bore you with the details but after 30 minutes left with the following: for trucks, bought a can of Revell Anthracite (who knew Revell makes paint?). The sample I just tried on cardboard leads me to think this will be a good choice. But I will need to try on actual trucks. Again, after painting I apply light highlights of Pan Pastels. For couplers, took home two choices. Revel Brown and Vallejo Beast Brown. I considered Tru Color Matte Aged Rust, but when looking at their bottled version it looked to red. The Revell was too orangey. The Vallejo Beasty Brown was pretty good, when the cardboard sample test was placed next to actual couplers airbrushed with Model Masters Rust. Again will have to spray actual couplers before deciding to make this final choice.