Weathering; how should I start?


ssw9662

ssw9662

Member
I'm kinda getting into the weathered freight car thing, what would be the best way to start weathering? I am assuming that it would be best to start on something other than a $30 Athearn Genesis model, any idea what would be best to start? I was thinking of buying a cheap car and practicing my techniques on that too.

Also, what do you think is the best weathering method to start with? (i.e. paint, chalk, airbrush)

Thanks in advance. :)
 
Austin, chalk and Dull Cote is quick and easy to do. It produces some nice results all things considered. I agree with Chip, check out the weathering thread and go with what seems most suited to your style. The main thing is, have fun!
 
ssw9662 said:
I'm kinda getting into the weathered freight car thing, what would be the best way to start weathering? I am assuming that it would be best to start on something other than a $30 Athearn Genesis model, any idea what would be best to start? I was thinking of buying a cheap car and practicing my techniques on that too.

Also, what do you think is the best weathering method to start with? (i.e. paint, chalk, airbrush)

Thanks in advance. :)
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Well, first off(As Chip said), "The Weathering Thread"(http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2339) is helpful. Second, I reccomend you visit Rich Divizio's site (http://www.modeltrainsweathered.com) and his weathering forums (http://www.modeltrainsweathered.com/forum). A TON of information is stowed away there.

I started weathering on an old Life-Like hopper, then an older Bachmann box car, and the last thing I weathered before I REALLY got into weathering was an Athearn SD40-2 shell, missing several pieces. Granted, my "weathered" pieces(Post-"practice") have not always turned out the best. I suggest that you comb through you LHS or eBay for the cheapest, yet still half-way realistic, car you can find. I'd suggest trying different techniques on a few "cheap" cars before trying anything else.

I'd say your best bet to start with would be paint, then chalks. I would only reccomend using airbrush for very subtle jobs, as it doesn't always leave realistic weathering.

Hope this helps!
 
One more thing: Before diving into this, post any more questions you have. Another thing is post progress shots!(If possible.) It would hard to help without seeing what you're having problems with.
 
OK, thanks guys! A few more questions:

Any particular brands of chalk that are good for weathering? Also, where can I obtain them?

What's a good type of brush for weathering?

And a couple Dullcote Q's:

Are there one or several versions of Dullcote? This is the part of painting/weathering I am unfarmiliar with so I thought I would ask.

Approx. how many car can I spray with one can of Dullcote?

Are there any safety risks using Dullcote? I don't have a ventilator so should I spray it outside?

Thanks in advance (again). :)
 
ssw9662 said:
OK, thanks guys! A few more questions:

Any particular brands of chalk that are good for weathering? Also, where can I obtain them?

What's a good type of brush for weathering?

And a couple Dullcote Q's:

Are there one or several versions of Dullcote? This is the part of painting/weathering I am unfarmiliar with so I thought I would ask.

Approx. how many car can I spray with one can of Dullcote?

Are there any safety risks using Dullcote? I don't have a ventilator so should I spray it outside?

Thanks in advance (again). :)
Click to expand...


You can get artists pastels at Hobby Lobby, if there's one in your area. You'll mainly need dirt, rust and black colors. I prefer an angled brush to cover large areas while still being able to get into the nooks and cranies.

I'd recommend the Testors brand "real deal" Dull Cote. We tried the Krylon matte finish and it's not as good. Spray the Dull Cote outside. A can is small but should cover quite a few N scale cars. Spray a thin, but fully covered coat.
 
Here ya go...

To make it easier, I will break up the quote into several pieces.

OK, thanks guys! A few more questions:

Any particular brands of chalk that are good for weathering? Also, where can I obtain them?
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I suggest Loew-Cornell's 12 pack of artist pastels. As seen here.
Try your local craft store, such as Hobby Lobby, or Michael's. You will need a knife to scrape them with. I suggest either a good pocket knife, or an Xacto.

What's a good type of brush for weathering?
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For chalks: Anything stiff.
For paint: Anything will do. You usually like to keep several shapes and sizes around, depending on the project and scale.

And a couple Dullcote Q's:

Are there one or several versions of Dullcote? This is the part of painting/weathering I am unfarmiliar with so I thought I would ask.
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As far as I know there are two: The stuff you thin down and spray via your local airbrush, and the type in the cheap spray-cans.

Approx. how many car can I spray with one can of Dullcote?
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This is hard to answer. If you do a one-layer job, it'll probably last you 10-15 cars. Maybe more, I'm not sure, as I haven't ran out yet. If you do layered weathering, it all depends on how many layers and how much you use.

Are there any safety risks using Dullcote? I don't have a ventilator so should I spray it outside?
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The same safety rules apply as spraying a can of spray-paint. If you use the airbrushed Dullcote, just use precautionary measures standard to airbrushing anything. And YES, by all means, spray outside if you do not have a ventilator.

Thanks in advance (again). :)
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Your welcome. :D;)
 
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grande man said:
I'd recommend the Testors brand "real deal" Dull Cote. We tried the Krylon matte finish and it's not as good. Spray the Dull Cote outside. A can is small but should cover quite a few N scale cars. Spray a thin, but fully covered coat.
Click to expand...
That Krylon stuff is crap. I used to use it, but it left a shiny finish(Go figure..)
Oh, and I forgot your in N Scale...so the Dullcote should last longer for you than for us HO Scale guys...:D
 
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Can I interject? If you have an airbrush, you will save a ton on a flat finish paint, Dullcote will cost way to much in the long run, once the bug bites you will end up weathering the familiy car ;)

I used pollyscale flat finish, the cup should hold 2 good coats at the least to flatten the finish. Also with chalks, you should but don't need to flatten the paint, in fact the first time you may not want too, that way if you are weathering with the chalk, you can wipe/rinse it off much easier then if the surface has a bite to it.
I just did my UP SD40-2 today with flat finish and chalks, came out great, but that's an N scale so we Normal guys can get by with a liitle more ;)
 
Hmmm! and the Half Ogre's get a little less bang for the buck :D

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Willis
 
OK, thanks!

uspscsx, I plan on doing N Scale cars for myself and HO ones for Ebay, so I will be doing both scales.

dthurman, I do have an airbrush, so I will have to look into that.

I think I am going to start with some chalks, a good brush, and some Dullcote. That should get me started.

BTW I already found the first two cars for my weathering project (A PBNE gon and a PRR boxcar, both Roundhouse). I'll post pics when I get them done. :)

And two more questions:

1: How can I tell when I am applying Dullcote which parts of the car have been "Dullcoted" and which part havve not?

2: What would be the best set of Loew-Cornell chalks to start with?

Thanks again guys. :)
 
.........

Best set of Loew-Cornell chalks would be these. It includes brown(rust), a lighter brown(more rust!), yellows(Railboxes), black(Grime, coal dust, etc.), and of course, your standard blues and reds.

Usually, an area that's been Dullcoted will turn a glossy-wet type sheen. Of course, it goes away.

Hope this helps.
 
Wow! A suggestion, if I may? I'm thinking brown chalk might leave the appearance you want. That and perhaps a light wash of grimy black beforehand. Perhaps...

It looks a lot like those CSX MOW gondolas. Hmm...speaking of which, I have a few downstairs that are awfully shiny... :rolleyes:
 
OK, thanks for the advice. I will probably use a different method to weather each side of the car, then I'll see which one works best. :)

BTW I don't know how the ends got fresh, probably through repairs.
 
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