Truss Bridge Paint Detailing

[Anonymous]

Brand new to the hobby.  Am practicing with a diorama that includes an Atlas Warren Truss Bridge.  What is a good paint scheme to use for detailing?

[selector]

Polly Scale "Railroad Tie Brown" would probably do a decent enough job, but so would grimy black. Then, with a fine tip, make rust-coloured streaks from rows of rivets, or from individual ones, and certainly have some rust pooled on any level flanges...not necessarily along their entirel lenghts, but just some here and there.  A few rusty patches could appear on the surfaces of some frame members, too.

[jfugate]

Check out my post here on steel bridge weathering techniques.

[ft-fan]

Joe,

That is a great looking bridge. If it wasn't for the ceiling, I wouldn't have known it was a model. Great work. I have been watching some videos on weathering, and the cardinal rule is "a little bit at a time." It is easier to add more, than take off too much. Your mini-clinic emphasizes that point. Thanks for letting us see it.

FT 

[tomikawaTT]

Since you're building a diorama (which implies a higher level of close-up detail,) this is a place where you can tell a story.

Paint about 75% of the bridge with weathered, rust-shot paint.  Paint 22% with fresh primer color.  At the border between the two, have a couple of workers on scaffolding with paint chipping gear cleaning the old paint down to bare metal.  A little distance away, put a painter to work spreading primer on that bare metal.  Done well, this could be a contest winner.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[MisterBeasley]

I've been using a product called "Instant Rust" that I got at Michaels:

 

I used "moss green" spray paint "borrowed" from my wife's craft paint collection.  I think she got it a A.C. Moore, or maybe just a hardware store.

The little bit of bright silver paint in the upper right corner is the start of the fresh coat of paint being applied by Leo da Vinci and Sons, Painters.  Great minds think alike, Chuck.  I've already got the WS painters and scaffolds for the job, and just last night I printed the decals for their truck.