Whether to Weather

[Mr Grumpy]

I tend to weather anything I get my hands on. Be it a brand new Heljan or a kit or something I have knocked together from lumps of styrene.
I don't profess to being all that good at it, in fact I usually go a tad too far!
I have tried the Martyn Welch techniques to varying degrees of success, but I fear some of the Humbrol paints have changed and now influence the outcome.
What are your thoughts...and if in favour how do you produce your results? Weathering paints or mix your own?
What's the thought on weathering powders? I used real cement on one of my presflos! I have added a few samples to set us off...

 

[Giles]

There's some stunning weathering on this forum -so I'm hesitant in replying. However, I always do - to a greater or lesser extent.
I tend to use a large variety of techniques - often using water-soluble oils as the bas layers for weathering, and then using a series of very thin 'washes' which may be water-soluble oil, enamel or acrylic. I might then finish with a very gentle dust from an air brush and a little powder. However, nowadays, I always flat the paintwork down (2000 grit) before I do anything, and gently buff it, or polish it to whatever base finish I want. I find this makes a lot of difference to the end product for me.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Giles,
Your loco looks stunning! Used not abused! I'm bringing my 47 round to your place!
Also loving the wild undergrowth!

 

[richard carr]

To me the key thing is to use good colour photos of your chosen prototype and try to reproduce the photo without over doing it. All too often I see over done weathering that ruins a good model fortunately none so far in this thread !

Richard

 

[Mr Grumpy]

All too often I see over done weathering that ruins a good model fortunately none so far in this thread !

Richard

Phew! That's a relief

 

[Eastsidepilot]

I almost only use enamels for weathering, a little acrylic, dry brushed, mainly for staining. The only powder I use is black for soot covered roofs
(or should that be the old term rooves ?) and chimneys.

I don't think you can generalize with weathering, different types of stock attain there own grimy features, steam loco's will have different characteristics to a diesel etc.

The one basic feature that affects all stock is the grime that is thrown up from the track, infrastructure and brake dust all combined especially in bad weather.
To represent this I use a 50/50 mix of Humbrol Dark Earth and Matt Black plus a couple of drops of Leather. Using an air brush this is first applied almost as a mist coat to the lower parts and sides of the stock, built up gradually until its at a degree of grime you'r looking for.

For a steam loco the upper surfaces need a different mix, I use the same basic colours as for the lower area but add a little more black plus some Metalcote Gunmetal about 10%. I don't usually measure it out as I've just got used to mixing it by eye as it were.
This again is layed on in very light coats giving a minute or two in between, again until you have the desired look.
Don't worry if it looks too heavy as this is going to be cut back anyway. Cutting back is done with cotton buds dipped in white spirit, the excess dabbed off on kitchen towel.
Start on the top and work round the bodywork, under handrails etc. working down the sides, leave the smoke box alone unless you want a cleaned loco, you will find gradually that the loco looks as if the cleaners have been at work but the grime is still in all the edges and corners that the rags don't reach, edges of boiler bands, around the flare on the dome or any boiler fittings etc.
How much you take off or leave on will depend on your photo reference, don't guess it.

Tops of chimneys and cab roofs, give them a nice wet coat of matt black enamel and while it's still wet dust it with the black powder, I use a fine tea strainer. It'll make a great mess, do it in a kit box lid then you can salvage the excess.
Let it dry and then blow off the loose.

Back to the airbrush with a thin mix of matt black, Metalcote Gunmetal and blow over the top sufaces again, how much you put on depends on the depth of soot you want.

This is only a rough guide to how I weather an engine, there's a lot more that I do to different parts of the model to get the desired effects but explaining it would take all night, a lot of it is suck it and see mode, laying more mist coats cutting back, adding staining and leaks, thinly covering and cutting back again, and then blowing over again...... you get the picture.
It can take two or three days before I'm happy with the finish.

Constant reference to colour photo's is essential to be honest. B/W photo's might give you a hint but really don't show it how it is.
Try and use a photo of the actual type of loco or stock that's being modelled, if not then something that is very similar.

If you care to have a look here Gallery you'll see some past examples.

Col.

 

[warren haywood]

One other point not mentioned
I think weathering looks better over a semi gloss finish, you can then achieve a shiny but dirty model.
I am yet to see a matt loco, even the dirtiest Aussies and 9Fs have some glint in places

 

[Eastsidepilot]

.............
I am yet to see a matt loco,.....

Agreed Warren, dirt and grime is not flat.

Col.

 

[SimonT]

1. Start reading The Weathering Magazine.
2. Using different media is the key. Enamel is SO last century.
3. Throw away the airbrush.
4. Try working wet in wet.
5. Start looking at anything around you to pick up tone, texture, sheen,
6. Tit about to learn new techniques.
7. Get some make up sponges. Honest.
Simon

 

[Mr Grumpy]

7. Get some make up sponges. Honest.
Simon

.....just rifling my wife's handbag as I type!

 

[Mr Grumpy]

One other point not mentioned
I think weathering looks better over a semi gloss finish, you can then achieve a shiny but dirty model.
I am yet to see a matt loco, even the dirtiest Aussies and 9Fs have some glint in places

I tend to finish my models with a satin finish. I'm experimenting with a very weak 'frame dirt' type mix and try to spray 'wet' and build up the layers if that makes sense, to try to keep the finish smooth rather than dusty. I will put some photos of the base coat on my 47s bogies, tanks etc later.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I now use Vallejo acrylics (after trying enamel and oil paints) for weathering whether it be dry brushing, washes and wet in wet. Most of my techniques were picked up from my local wargaming club and magazines, both model railway and wargaming.

The only time I use an airbrush is to undercoat and paint the vehicle with a satin finish which is my starting point for my British models.

I finish my US models in gloss a they require a multitude decals before applying satin/matt varnish and weathered as on my Cotton Belt insulated box car http://www.westernthunder.co.uk/index.php?attachments/ssw-insulated-19-jpg.48483/

All my weathering is done by brush.

1. Start reading The Weathering Magazine.

Just had a look and there's some good stuff in there.

 

[40126]

.....just rifling my wife's handbag as I type!

Hi Mr Grumpy

The Poundshop has a bag of different size sponges...... For a £1 !!

Steve

 

[Pugsley]

1. Start reading The Weathering Magazine.
2. Using different media is the key. Enamel is SO last century.
3. Throw away the airbrush.
4. Try working wet in wet.
5. Start looking at anything around you to pick up tone, texture, sheen,
6. Tit about to learn new techniques.
7. Get some make up sponges. Honest.
Simon

Couldn't have put it better myself

Only two things to add, if you want rust, particularly of the streaky variety, try gouache (it's also good for lime streaks on steam locos); and




try experimenting with more textured sponges as well:


Weathering a model is such a rewarding exercise!

 

[SimonT]

That Sealion hits the spot for me. Totally convincing. Martin, any more on these models ?
Simon

 

[Pugsley]

Thanks! Not much, they're just part of the back catalogue really. The Sealion is a Bachmann one, weathered with a mix of gouache and powders and the Seacow is a mixture of acrylics and weathering powders, mixed with non-aerosol hairspray. Both were photographed on my old EM layout, Chittle.

The 9F was Bachmann one that I weathered for my dad, I used more enamels than I normally would on that one, but wasn't sure where to start, so used a fair bit of Martyn Welch's techniques. I'd do it differently now, I've discovered more in the way of materials and techniques since I did that. I'd still do wagons in the same way, though.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Your weathering of the wagons is so very subtle. They look perfectly neglected, used and hard worked. I can just imagine a few of these parked up ready for a spot of over night ballasting.
To me, this is what weathering is all about, I think the phrase 'less is more' says it all!
I agree weathering is rewarding, it is definatley an art form. I have looked at a few military models, especially tanks, and as others have said, we can learn a lot from these guys!

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Just posted these pics on my DJH workbench thread.
I sprayed the 'grime' (rail match frame dirt and Humbrol leather) as a very weak mix, which took each coat a while to dry. I tried to make the finish vary in colour very slightly across the items.
The parts were then left on top of a radiator for most of the day.
Next, I dry brushed the axle boxes, springs and brake linkages with metalcote gun metal. When dry I gave it a good polish. I also dry brushed the tanks and polished them up, and this brought the detail out. I tried to keep it very subtle as the loco will be very lightly weathered. I will post some pics from my camera once everything is bolted to the loco next month.

 

[richard carr]

Just posted these pics on my DJH workbench thread.
I sprayed the 'grime' (rail match frame dirt and Humbrol leather) as a very weak mix, which took each coat a while to dry. I tried to make the finish vary in colour very slightly across the items.
The parts were then left on top of a radiator for most of the day.
Next, I dry brushed the axle boxes, springs and brake linkages with metalcote gun metal. When dry I gave it a good polish. I also dry brushed the tanks and polished them up, and this brought the detail out. I tried to keep it very subtle as the loco will be very lightly weathered. I will post some pics from my camera once everything is bolted to the loco next month.
View attachment 49924


View attachment 49925
View attachment 49926

To me the bogies and tanks both come across as being very uniform in colour, a dirty colour but its still very uniform to me. I think there is generally far more colour variation on a bogie and tanks. There would be bright areas of rust and dark almost black areas which are from oil stains, the same goes for the tanks there would almost certainly be some oil stains somewhere. Normally I would use at least 2 different "dirt" colours, some black/blue mix for oil stains and some silver for dry brushing the edges.

Now it could just be the photos and that they aren't conveying the detail.

Here is a photo of my JLTRT 40, 40138. If you look at the bogie you can see that the rear half is almost black from oil stains and the front is is bright rust.



And here is a picture of the real thing that this is based on, you can see the oil stains at the back of each bogie and rust and brake dust on the front.

Richard

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Hi Richard
Thanks for your feedback
I had wanted to go for a relatively clean loco, as it would not have been repainted in to blue too long ago. I based the water tanks, batteries and bogies on the loco below. I agree there is still more to add, specially at the ends of the bogus where oil and grease staining has spread from the brake linkages. Your locos look great! I really like the 40s, but can't justify one on the Western region! Perhaps I will go for the Heljan 45.