Weathering Rolling Stock, a Continous thread

[TLOC]

howdi everyone

its time, to start! (for me)
So i bought this Walthers Box Car at the convention some weeks ago.

View attachment 244529

iam not 100% shure if its this one, but i know its a yellow one


so.
what i want to do, is give the whole car a light fade, after that some graffiti rust and dirt.
i have a question now, i first should wash the complete car right?
then ad a clear Matt coat? or just a normal clear coat?

after that i would try to add a fade in a lighter yellow with the airbrush, after that the dirt, rust and stuff i would add with brushes.

why am i asking this?
because i need a help for the absolute first step.

thank you

Cheers
marco

I usually clean freight car models before I weather them. Sometimes there is a mold residue or lubricant that was used in the process. If not that there usually are finger prints. Cleaning in warm water with a drop or 2 of liquid dish soap and a warm water rinse works for me. Rarely should you have to scrub the model.

I used to clean with a soaked sponge of Isopropyl Alcohol but the warm soapy water and rinse seems easier.

Not everyone in the weathering group I belong to clean the cars 1st. They go right to the fade 1st. That works for them

Marco like everything else try something and if it works easily enough for you continue to use that method

 

[traiNscale]

thnx again tom for your answers.
i will try it. i just have to do the first step.
and find a good working yellow, to fade it a bit.

will let you know when i started and how its going

Cheers
marco

 

[TLOC]

thnx again tom for your answers.
i will try it. i just have to do the first step.
and find a good working yellow, to fade it a bit.

will let you know when i started and how its going

Cheers
marco

The main thing is to just start. Positive attitude and Isopropyl Alcohol remove what you don’t like. Have fun

 

[diesel]

I think it happened to me last week - I was doing a water thinned roof wash and there were some areas that just refused to take paint. I have been always washing my hands before handling the models, but maybe in between coats I need to be even more careful. Once the last coat is on, fine, bring on the peanut butter sandwich hands.

 

[CambriaArea51]

Some Scale trains bulkhead flat cars weathered for sheet steel loads. Two different types of deck.

 

[TLOC]

Some Scale trains bulkhead flat cars weathered for sheet steel loads. Two different types of deck.View attachment 246808View attachment 246809View attachment 246810

Love them Tom

 

[CambriaArea51]

Love them Tom

Thank you. I was experimenting with some steel gray paint on the wood to give it that aged look. I think I'll add a tad bit of grimy black also. I was looking at some wood deck trailers at work and along with the dirt there was some gray and black in the wood from repeatedly getting wet.

 

[TLOC]

Thank you. I was experimenting with some steel gray paint on the wood to give it that aged look. I think I'll add a tad bit of grimy black also. I was looking at some wood deck trailers at work and along with the dirt there was some gray and black in the wood from repeatedly getting wet.

Good observation, my wood decks usually are too black

 

[CambriaArea51]

A few new projects, more in the Showing off/ Lets get loaded thread. These gons the ribs were hand painted rust. Inside was rust and light rust. Outer cat was light rust ,camouflage brown, and grimy black. Sorry I didn't get a closeup of the inside but you can the cars in the background.

 

[PaulieT]

Nice job of rusting the Gons. What brand of paint are you using?

Have a happy New Year.
Paul

 

[Toolbelt]

I've heard acrylic craft paint can be thinned with alcohol, however, I've also heard alcohol can cause dullcoat to haze, etc. If I dullcoat before weathering, is it safe to airbrush some alcohol-thinned acrylic craft paint over it?

 

[TLOC]

I've heard acrylic craft paint can be thinned with alcohol, however, I've also heard alcohol can cause dullcoat to haze, etc. If I dullcoat before weathering, is it safe to airbrush some alcohol-thinned acrylic craft paint over it?

I thin Tamiya Arcylics with Isopropyl Alcohol
I thin Vallejo Arcylics with tap water

I thin Tamiya flat clear with Tamiya thinner

Craft paints I thin with water

I add a matte (dull) coat before I weather before I use any type of medium

Testors dull cote may cause hazing but I don’t remember why. I have not been able to tolerate the Testor Dull Cote smell since right before COVID and have not used it. Never tried to thin the Testor’s dull cote

 

[CambriaArea51]

Nice job of rusting the Gons. What brand of paint are you using?

Have a happy New Year.
Paul

Vallejo.

I've heard acrylic craft paint can be thinned with alcohol, however, I've also heard alcohol can cause dullcoat to haze, etc. If I dullcoat before weathering, is it safe to airbrush some alcohol-thinned acrylic craft paint over it?

I never have thinned my paint. Comes out of the airbrush with no problems.

 

[Toolbelt]

I thin Tamiya Arcylics with Isopropyl Alcohol
I thin Vallejo Arcylics with tap water

I thin Tamiya flat clear with Tamiya thinner

Craft paints I thin with water

I add a matte (dull) coat before I weather before I use any type of medium

Testors dull cote may cause hazing but I don’t remember why. I have not been able to tolerate the Testor Dull Cote smell since right before COVID and have not used it. Never tried to thin the Testor’s dull cote

My understanding is that Dullcoat is a lacquer product, and alcohol can interact unfavorably with it. I have two other matt clear products to try out. One is acrylic-based, and I've heard to alcohol removes acrylic paint. The other is described as a varnish which they claim can later be removed using white/mineral spirit or turpentine. I would prefer to start my weathering process by applying a flat clear followed up with a thinned grime coat, preferably using a craft grade acrylic which will need thinning. Not sure to use alcohol or distilled water for thinning.

 

[Toolbelt]

Comes out of the airbrush with no problems.

Dedicated airbrush paints may not need thinning, but paints like Tamiya or craft-grade acrylics are much too thick, especially the craft paints. Craft-grades are hardly even pourable.

 

[CambriaArea51]

Dedicated airbrush paints may not need thinning, but paints like Tamiya or craft-grade acrylics are much too thick, especially the craft paints. Craft-grades are hardly even pourable.

I've tried craft paint, after thinning it I just didn't like how it covered.
Micromark makes a dull coat I've used before.
Model master to me was the best dull coat (clear flat), I still have 2 bottles left I only use on engines and boxcars. everything else get the Micromark Microlux brand.

 

[Toolbelt]

My main concern is that using alcohol as an acrylic craft paint thinner doesn't react with my matt clear finish. Is that just a general caution, or will it blow up my rolling stock on contact? lol

 

[diesel]

Spraying is much less aggressive than brushing. Alcohol does a quick melt job on most paint, but as a thinner it evaporates quickly enough to not damage a finish even if it partially dissolves it. Key is not spraying on gobs of it so it runs, or takes too long to dry. Yes there may be some finishes that are extra sensitive in that area so watch out. Keeping it light is the thing.

 

[AirbrushNo5]

Spraying is much less aggressive than brushing. Alcohol does a quick melt job on most paint, but as a thinner it evaporates quickly enough to not damage a finish even if it partially dissolves it. Key is not spraying on gobs of it so it runs, or takes too long to dry. Yes there may be some finishes that are extra sensitive in that area so watch out. Keeping it light is the thing.

All this above… and there are possible repairs for an alcohol crazed flat finish… if you have Future or Tamiya Clear Smoke, that can help clear up crazed areas… I have used these to recover when I spilled/splashed alcohol on finished flat surfaces…

 

[C&OMtnMan]

If I dullcoat before weathering, is it safe to airbrush some alcohol-thinned acrylic craft paint over it?

You can, provided you airbrush, as you said. Keep the coats thin.

Handbrushing would risk attacking the underneath coat(s).