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Engine Black vs Black (and where to find grimy black?)

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  • Member since
    May 2014
  • From: Pennsylvania
  • 1,154 posts
Engine Black vs Black (and where to find grimy black?)
Posted by Trainman440 on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 12:36 PM

Hey all, Im in the process of buying more paint. 

With all my grimy black model master gone, I was wondering which brand of grimy black people now use? Or if you simply make your own batch? I know scalecoat has grimy black but havent heard any good (or bad) things about it.

Also, can anyone explain the difference between engine black and black?

Charles

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO

Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/@trainman440

Instagram (where I share projects!): https://www.instagram.com/trainman440

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Franconia, NH
  • 3,130 posts
Posted by dstarr on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 6:05 PM

Dark Gray auto primer in a rattle can, Krylon or Rustoleum is what I use to paint steam locomotives.  Goes on dead flat, sticks to metal. 

I never noticed much, if any, difference between Engine Black and just plain old Black. 

  • Member since
    January 2011
  • 893 posts
Posted by PennCentral99 on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 8:49 PM

According to sources, Vallejo Model Air 71.251 is a good match for engine black and Vallejo Model Air 71.055 is a good match for grimy black.

Terry

Inspired by Addiction

See more on my YouTube Channel

  • Member since
    May 2014
  • From: Pennsylvania
  • 1,154 posts
Posted by Trainman440 on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 10:33 PM

nvm the owner of minute man scale models responded, said engine black has a tad bit of white and oxide red pigment inside. 

Charles

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO

Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/@trainman440

Instagram (where I share projects!): https://www.instagram.com/trainman440

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 11:31 PM

Trainman440
the owner of minute man scale models responded, said engine black has a tad bit of white and oxide red pigment inside. 

Scalecoat also has "Detail Black" which is a very dark gray and lets more detail show up under normal lighting.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Canada, eh?
  • 13,375 posts
Posted by doctorwayne on Thursday, December 2, 2021 1:46 AM

You can easily make a version of grimey black by adding green paint to black paint...I often use it for the wheel faces on cars with solid bearings.


For painting steam locomotives, I use four or five versions of "black", the blackest being for the cab and sides of the tender.  The boiler gets a somewhat lightened black...some white or/and grey added, Smokeboxes and fireboxes, if not done in graphite, generally  get a coat of brownish-grey. The running gear is usually a dulled and lightened black, but all of the various colours will get oversprays of clear finish:  a fairly high gloss for cabs and sides of tenders, a lesser gloss on the boiler, and an even flatter clear coat on the deck of the tender.  The firebox and smokebox usually get a coat of clear flat, while the running gear, cylinders and front end get a coat of clear semi-gloss.

When all the painting and lettering is done, the loco and tender will get some airbrushed weathering, usually nothing too extreme.

...this one's just out of the shop...

Wayne

  • Member since
    May 2008
  • From: Miles City, Montana
  • 2,289 posts
Posted by FRRYKid on Thursday, December 2, 2021 2:25 AM

As I brush paint, my takes on colors might be a bit different than most other people. Airbrushing in Montana without a hood is not possible for a good chunk of the year.

My take on Engine Black is Humbrol 33 even before Model Master went out. As for Grimy black I currently use TCP (Tru-color Paint) 804. I still haven't quite gotten the hang of using non-water clean up paints for weathering by drybrushing. I have gotten pretty good at it and the TCP doesn't quite drybrush the same way that the old Polly S/Polly Scale and Model Master did at least IMHO.

"The only stupid question is the unasked question."
Brain waves can power an electric train. RealFact #832 from Snapple.
  • Member since
    May 2013
  • 152 posts
Posted by staybolt on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 7:00 PM

Hello Wayne,

Wanted to let you know that I like the result of your idea of mixing green with black to get a "grimy" effect.

I had finished my jar of commercial grimy black so I tried mixing a commercial "pavement" color (similar to an asphalt shade of black) with straight black.....wasn't quite what I wanted so I tried your idea.....good! I suppose the ratio depends on the shade of green used. In my case my green is a commercial "new shamrock". Anyway, I started small, about 1 to 4 green to black, then proceeded to 2 to 1 green to black....a little too much. Backed off to 1 to 1 and that seems just right. 

        -Chuck/St. Charles, IL

 

 

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