46444's Blog

Very good Mark.Do you think it would work the same with aerosols as I don't have an airbrush.

Nice one Mark. I've seen a number of people using this technique on aircraft while looking at Alclad stuff but it's good to see it on a railway vehicle.

 

I've not used Acrylic much yet myself. I'm curious what you use to clean the airbrush afterwards because I found that it left a nice tide mark in the cup that was hard to shift without resorting to some strong solvents... which rather negates one of the quoted advantages of acrylic.

 

Regards, Andy

Looks good. When you read the military modelling mags you come across a lot of interesting weathering techniques that have yet to translate over into model trains (oil dots and so on), so good to see this one being put to good effect. I've yet to try it on a plane, let alone a railway model.

Very good Mark.Do you think it would work the same with aerosols as I don't have an airbrush.

 

Thanks Robin,

 

Unforunately I think you'd be struggling with aerosols due to the lack of control of the paint flow.  One technique aircraft modellers use to simulate free hand feathered camoflage is when masking either don't seal the tape properly around the area your masking so as to get an overspray as such or use strips of Blutac which again will give controlled overspray. May be worth a go but I think you will struggle.

 

My airbrush is one of those

I've not used Acrylic much yet myself. I'm curious what you use to clean the airbrush afterwards because I found that it left a nice tide mark in the cup that was hard to shift without resorting to some strong solvents... which rather negates one of the quoted advantages of acrylic.

 

 

Thanks Andy,

 

Yes, a good point.  The great debate on acrylics clogging up airbrushes.

 

I do seem to have problems spraying Valejo acrylics which are diluted with water.  Cleaning the brush up afterwards usually involves using cellulose thinners but I use that after spraying acrylics or enamels-giving the brush a good blast of cellulose as well as putting a finger over the needle cowl to creat some back pressure. I always wear gloves when spraying though.

 

Tamiya acrylics are the nicest paints I use.  Tamiya would make you believe you need to usetheir thinners but car windscreen washer fluid is just as effective.  The paints mix well in the cup and clean up easily.  First by wiping the cup out with kitchen roll and cotton buds. I then blast some screen washer fluid through the brush, followed by celluose thinners.

 

I always remove the needle and make sure its clean and put a light coating of Vaseline on it to ensure a smooth action.

 

I've ever once had to thoroughly soak the brusk in cellulose to clean the channels following extensive acrylic use.

 

One thing I have found though are acrylics aren't as hard wearing as enamels and are porous-hence the coat of Klear.  After that you can apply washes effectively before applying a coat of varnish.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

Looks good. When you read the military modelling mags you come across a lot of interesting weathering techniques that have yet to translate over into model trains (oil dots and so on), so good to see this one being put to good effect. I've yet to try it on a plane, let alone a railway model.

 

Thanks Al.

 

Totally agree with you and military modellers have certainly got the art of weathering off to a 't'.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

Preshading looks very effective. I particularly like it on the panel lines.  Military modelling techniques are well worth looking at as there is a lot to learn.  I remember when they started using dry brushing about 20 years before it was mentioned in the model railway field.  Beware though the trap some modellers have fallen into of finishing models to comply with accepted techniques, which can produce a rather stylized result, rather than a realistic one.  I remember the experiences of one military modeller, who entered a model in a competition, realistically weathered. The judges ignored it, so he refinished it using the recognized techniques of the day, it looked less realistic, but it one more prizes because it was finished in a way the judges expected to see.

 

On the subject of airbrushes, I have found that some acrylics (not Tamiya) dry so fast that they can dry in the airbrush, causing it to clog up.  Dunking the whole thin in cellulose thinners unclogs it, but there is a gentler war, the use of an airbrush cleaner such as "Spray away", which can be found in some Model and Art shops.  Tamiya thinners are expensive and I have looked at alternatives. Isopropyl Alcohol (if you can get it from your chemist) works, mixed 50/50 with distilled water.  I'm experimenting with car window washer fluid, but experience suggests they may no all have the same chemical composition.. Halfords works, some of the others don't appear to.

Thanks Alex,

 

Totally agree with you though on the points you've made.

 

Always best to look at the prototype as opposed to going for that nice uniform approach.

 

I'll have to look out for that airbrush cleaner because cellulose thinners is pretty potent stuff.  Interesting point about thinning Tamiya acrylics with windscreen washer fluid.  Guess it must be due to the amount of alcohol in the mixture?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark