Tales from The Room of Doom. Dipping a toe in various bucolic backwaters.
Herb Garden
Western Thunderer
Can I correct your typo.... I'm sure you meant GER van.....
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Well, it's been a month since my last post..Modellingwise, there has been no real activity to speak of. I have been on the lookout for some of the aforementioned SER and LC&DR wagons and as predicted, those that have come up have commanded silly prices, prices I'm not prepared to pay....and I've not been lucky.
On that basis, until I can acquire these half a dozen or so wagons, the SE&CR project is on hold, for now. Nothing is going anywhere though.
This little chap is however currently keeping me fully occupied.....
More anon.
Rob
cmax
Western Thunderer
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Hi Gary,
This is Cruz. He's been with us for a month now and will stay until he's 12 to 14 months. At that point, he will leave us to start his training to be a guide dog.
Our job is to raise him and prepare him for the next stage. He's an absolute star and a reat character.
Rob
cmax
Western Thunderer
Hi Rob, Thanks for the prompt reply, Cruz is absolutely beautiful.
A big thumbs up for what you are doing, being a puppy raiser for the Guide Dogs is a fantastic commitment from you and your family, for the welfare of the dog and enabling someone less fortunate to have the quality of life we take for granted.
Awesome.
Gary
oldravendale
Western Thunderer
I have enormous admiration for you, Rob. We've owned a few dogs in our time and it'd be impossible to think of handing any of them on after a year or more. A lady up the road here had a dog she fostered for "Hearing Dogs" - she thought it would be a nice thing to do in her retirement. She was so upset when the dog had to leave her that, sadly, she's not had another but I, personally, recognise the trauma that would bring to me.
Brian
Brian
simond
Western Thunderer
It clearly works, as the RNIB have done it for a very long time, but it does seem to me that if the human struggles with the separation (and I imagine I would), the dog (who is far more a pack animal, and far less able to see the “big picture” than us) must also.
Does it bother them for long or do they just get on with it?
Our cat (not even slightly a pack animal) was definitely spooked for the first few weeks with us following some days in the rescue centre. More environment than companions, in that case, I guess.
Does it bother them for long or do they just get on with it?
Our cat (not even slightly a pack animal) was definitely spooked for the first few weeks with us following some days in the rescue centre. More environment than companions, in that case, I guess.
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Morning all,
Thank you for your comments etc. I'm not sure how I'll be in 12months time. It won't be easy but he'll be going on to potentially change someone's life and that is all that matters here. We have our job to do and he has his and you don't enter into this and ignore him going at somepoint
He's a good lad, trys hard and is enthusiastic about anything and everything. I've not raised a pup since 1998 so he's teaching us as much as we're trying to teach him....and he is doing very well.
He is of course a puppy and there are "some developmental points" along the way. One of my walking boots disappeared at speed into the kitchen yesterday...........
As a result, and understandably, for now modelling time takes a back seat. He's not allowed out and about for another month or so until he's had his third jab but we have a decrnt garden so we can sort out a lot of basics between now and then.
Rob.
Thank you for your comments etc. I'm not sure how I'll be in 12months time. It won't be easy but he'll be going on to potentially change someone's life and that is all that matters here. We have our job to do and he has his and you don't enter into this and ignore him going at somepoint
He's a good lad, trys hard and is enthusiastic about anything and everything. I've not raised a pup since 1998 so he's teaching us as much as we're trying to teach him....and he is doing very well.
He is of course a puppy and there are "some developmental points" along the way. One of my walking boots disappeared at speed into the kitchen yesterday...........
As a result, and understandably, for now modelling time takes a back seat. He's not allowed out and about for another month or so until he's had his third jab but we have a decrnt garden so we can sort out a lot of basics between now and then.
Rob.
paratom
Western Thunderer
I saw your layout at a small model railway show in Cardiff and thought your painting and weathering was the best I have seen on a layout. Have your thought about giving a tutorial here on Westernthunder on your method.
Thomas
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Hi Thomas,
Thank you for those very kind comments. I'm a bit rubbish at describing how I do things. I have a thread somewhere here with examples of weathering on and I may have popped an explanation or two on there.
But, when things settle down a bit, I will put something together. Is there anything in particular ?
Rob
paratom
Western Thunderer
Hi Rob thanks for your reply. Would you be interested in doing a zoom talk for westernthunder members about your painting and weathering techniques. I could be the host and as I share the same passion for realism in model railways I think it could work quite well.
Thomas
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Hi Thomas,
Sadly ( and assuming anyone would be interested) that's not something I could manage at present, for a variety of reasons. This means that modelling wise, I'm at a standstill and this is unlikely to change for the foreseeable.
Annoyingly, I have things I need to do ahead of shows booked for July/August which I'm worried that I won't be able to attend to.
The fundamental issue my way of weathering presents is that of time. I've been asked to weather things for other people and also commercially. Due to the time I take, I'm just not commercially viable and that's key to how any explanation would come across in real time and why at present it couldn't be done.
However, I have a set of photos tucked away of a tinker I had with a 7mm wagon and I'll pop them up in the coming week with an explanation for each stage. I can break them down to a couple of groups and pause if any one wants to post any questions.
Rob.
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Evening all,
This then is what we started with...an Ex-GWR open from Minerva. I gather there were issues with the brake gear etc but that didn't, and still doesn't concern me.
I was quite taken with the colour of the interior and rather than repaint in various greys, white etc to simulate aged wood, I decided to leave as was and add a bit of contrast.
First job was a light blast over the underframe and body with Humbrol Dark Earth No.29, applied by aay of an aerosol. I don't possess an airbrush and this was the only paint applied to this wagon.
After this, all other weathering was using Humbrol weathering powders which were sealed with Humbrol matt acrylic varnish, No.49.
This is an example of my usual tool kit for this sort of job.
Note* This is a later image. I did not use the masking tape or the dark rust colour. Later photos will include the kit I actually used at the time.
I decided to start with the interior. As I say, I decided to leave the base colour rather than repaint.
I worked, plank by plank, initially using dark earth, sand, and white weatgering powders. The contrast between planks was gradually built up.
You can see the "tool kit" in this photo.
Also used was a bit of iron oxide then smoke which was applied over all the colours, picking out the gaps in the planks.
I just carried on until it looked okay.
Iron oxide and rust was added around the various bolt heads and streaked.
Once happy, the interior of the wagon sealed using a light dusting of the matt varnish.
I then created a bit more contrast by rubbing the individual planks with a 4mm fibre brush. A bit more powdering, a bit more varnish and a bit more fibre penning until it looked okay and it was left.
Next stage. The exterior.
I decided to distress the joints in the planks and a dental spikey probe was drawn along the moulded gaps in the planks. An occasional wiggle, as well as the odd...ahem..slip...gave a less uniform appearance.
After this, black weathering powder was dabbed into these gaps. I then added iron oxide powder to the iron work in a haphazard fashion. Wheels are tackled at the same time.
After this, I started adding smoke powder to the whole wagon.
This toned down the rust and lessened the effect of the black.
I also added iron oxide to the springs and underframe, dark earth applied over the top of this toned it down. Black on the axle boxes and "grease points" of the brake gear as well as smoke here and there. Basically working by eye.
Then, once happy the powders were sealed with a light dusting of matt varnish.
Once dry, I then took a fibre brush and removed the weathering in varying degrees, plank by plank. Vary the pressure and you'll provide a bit of contrast to the colour of each plank. If more contrast is required, add a small amount of white, streaked along a plank and work it in.
The fibre brush will also provide a grain effect as you go.
Further rust was added using iron oxide, rust and a tiny bit of sand was added to the iron work and bolt heads, streaking downwards where felt necessary. I also highlighted some of the boltheads and chains with a HB pencil.
Again, once happy, a light dusting of matt varnish seals things in.
The last stage is flicking a large make up brush over the iron work. This will apply a burnished effect to the plot and highlight the texture of the powders and varnish.
And that's that....
Rob
This then is what we started with...an Ex-GWR open from Minerva. I gather there were issues with the brake gear etc but that didn't, and still doesn't concern me.
I was quite taken with the colour of the interior and rather than repaint in various greys, white etc to simulate aged wood, I decided to leave as was and add a bit of contrast.
First job was a light blast over the underframe and body with Humbrol Dark Earth No.29, applied by aay of an aerosol. I don't possess an airbrush and this was the only paint applied to this wagon.
After this, all other weathering was using Humbrol weathering powders which were sealed with Humbrol matt acrylic varnish, No.49.
This is an example of my usual tool kit for this sort of job.
Note* This is a later image. I did not use the masking tape or the dark rust colour. Later photos will include the kit I actually used at the time.
I decided to start with the interior. As I say, I decided to leave the base colour rather than repaint.
I worked, plank by plank, initially using dark earth, sand, and white weatgering powders. The contrast between planks was gradually built up.
You can see the "tool kit" in this photo.
Also used was a bit of iron oxide then smoke which was applied over all the colours, picking out the gaps in the planks.
I just carried on until it looked okay.
Iron oxide and rust was added around the various bolt heads and streaked.
Once happy, the interior of the wagon sealed using a light dusting of the matt varnish.
I then created a bit more contrast by rubbing the individual planks with a 4mm fibre brush. A bit more powdering, a bit more varnish and a bit more fibre penning until it looked okay and it was left.
Next stage. The exterior.
I decided to distress the joints in the planks and a dental spikey probe was drawn along the moulded gaps in the planks. An occasional wiggle, as well as the odd...ahem..slip...gave a less uniform appearance.
After this, black weathering powder was dabbed into these gaps. I then added iron oxide powder to the iron work in a haphazard fashion. Wheels are tackled at the same time.
After this, I started adding smoke powder to the whole wagon.
This toned down the rust and lessened the effect of the black.
I also added iron oxide to the springs and underframe, dark earth applied over the top of this toned it down. Black on the axle boxes and "grease points" of the brake gear as well as smoke here and there. Basically working by eye.
Then, once happy the powders were sealed with a light dusting of matt varnish.
Once dry, I then took a fibre brush and removed the weathering in varying degrees, plank by plank. Vary the pressure and you'll provide a bit of contrast to the colour of each plank. If more contrast is required, add a small amount of white, streaked along a plank and work it in.
The fibre brush will also provide a grain effect as you go.
Further rust was added using iron oxide, rust and a tiny bit of sand was added to the iron work and bolt heads, streaking downwards where felt necessary. I also highlighted some of the boltheads and chains with a HB pencil.
Again, once happy, a light dusting of matt varnish seals things in.
The last stage is flicking a large make up brush over the iron work. This will apply a burnished effect to the plot and highlight the texture of the powders and varnish.
And that's that....
Rob
Last edited:
NHY 581
Western Thunderer
Hi Adrian,
This was my first and so far only 7mm wagon weathering exercise. Bought as a dabble so unable to confirm ease of conversion or option.
I'm sure an email to Chris Basten at Minerva will elicit a response......or possibly a more knowledgeable type than me will provide the answer on here.
Rob