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About this blog

A record of weathering work, intended to show both good and bad results, including explanations of what is used and how.

Entries in this blog

Weathering

Oxford Diecast 1/76th Land Rover Series 1 - Introduction

Another Land Rover.   This time it's one that will ultimately appear somewhere in the scenery of Easton, Isle of Portland. The idea of this entry is to show what methods can be used to produce a facsimile of a working vehicle without covering up all the detail yet still make it look rather grubby. In keeping with previous examples there will not be very much used of any of the materials utilised.   Preparation consists of checking that the tyres are on the wheels concentricly
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick in Weathering

3
Weathering

Rails/Dapol SE&CR Diag 1424 Box Van

Attacking one end with my standard wash on a rigger method produced this:     Just as I expected, capillary action has taken the wash into wrong places as well as right ones. The striations are at right angles to the detail that I want to highlight, so all may not be lost. I may still be able to remove the unwanted material by dragging the wash downwards with a damp brush. I tried it but met with limited success:     The edge of the roof at this end has
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick in Weathering

3
Weathering

Rails/Dapol SE&CR Diag 1424 Box Van

This model will present several challenges to my approach to weathering. It is 3D printed, so there will be print layer striations to deal with, and the capillary action that I rely upon to highlight detail will, I am sure, not work very well if at all.   When Rails announced the first run of this type of model, I hummed and hahed for too long. They sold out before I decided to do anything positive about it and when the second run was announced I plumped for a pair of SR liveried ones.
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick in Weathering

3
Weathering

Bachmann C Class - Video Version

I have created a YouTube channel in an attempt to illustrate methods of weathering rolling stock and other model railway related items.   The first entry is available for viewing, created in the form of a playlist so that one step at a time can be selected.    
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick in Weathering

3
Weathering

Accurascale O Gauge HUO/HOP24 (Not HOP21) Variations

It occurred to me that I could do something about making initial airbrushing tasks a bit easier with these models. Most of the photographs that I have been working from show much corrosion on the strengthening ribs all around the hopper body, and for the first couple of examples I airbrushed these freehand and didn't worry too much about the slight overspray that got onto the panels. For the third example I cut out a piece of 2mm greyboard to use as a mask that would allow me to airbrush just th
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick in Weathering

3
Weathering

Dapol O Gauge 14xx No. 1444

Almost there now. Some MIG Dark Mud pigment has been used to indicate the beginnings of surface corrosion on the chimney, and some Gunmetal metallic pigment has been used to indicate the beginnings of shiny handrail portions in the most used areas. Small amounts are crucial to the success of this type of effect. All pigment applications were done with a filbert brush.   Only one more day to go.    
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick in Weathering

3
Weathering

Dapol O Gauge 14xx No. 1444

A dark mix of Railmatch Weathered Black and Frame Dirt has been airbrushed over the top of the boiler, the cab roof and the driving wheel centres. This is to represent the soot present on the former two and the oil on the latter. The photograph that I have been using as a reference shows a much more marked contrast between the wheel rims and the wheel centres, but it does not look quite right to my eye so I have reduced the contrast by using a slightly darker shade of brown.   Black Sm
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick in Weathering

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Bachmann VAA (Maroon) 200119. Step 4 - Pigment 1.

The underframe and lower bodyside edges are now attacked with Dark Earth pigment. Once again, only very small amounts are loaded onto the brush (a filbert) and dabbed in place, followed by a generous redistribution in the direction of dirt 'flow'. By using small amounts the effect can be controlled quite nicely, resulting in discolouration rather than in-your-face stains. The edges of the Dark Earth areas are then supplemented with Rubble, to ease the transition from heavy to light discolouratio
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

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Accurascale Cemflo. Step 2 - Oxidisation.

The bright shiny aluminium bodies of Cemflos soon turned dull through the oxidisation of the metal surface. My original plan was to represent this by using Testor's Dullcote, but a friend mentioned that he planned to apply a coat of Lifecolor Tensocrom White Oxide to his models, so I thought I'd unashamedly copy his idea. Very little of what weathering I do is my own idea, nearly everything is copied from somewhere or somebody else.   Tensocrom acrylic paints are semi-opaque colours th
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

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Accurascale Cemflo. Step 1 - Introduction.

This splendid model will be the next topic.   I have already tried to weather one of these but am not completely happy with the result, which can be seen below.    The next attempt will use the following products:   Testor's Dullcote Lifecolor N Europe Dust Ammo by Mig Light Dust Railmatch Frame Dirt Railmatch Weathered Black MIG Productions Black Smoke   The model will be depicted at a later stage in its life but still before TOPS
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

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Sunbeam Talbot 90 - Rather Rusty. Step 3 - Removing the Shine.

The application of rusty areas is now finished. Some of the more obvious blobs of wash have been either removed or significantly diminished in appearance. Simple wiping with a damp (white spirit) rigger brush, holding the bristles as flat to the surface as possible, will achieve this. The model was left to dry for an hour or so (measured in coffee consumption at the rate of one every 30 minutes) and then given a generous coat of Testor's Dullcote from an aerosol can. This part of the process ach
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

2

Sunbeam Talbot 90 - Rather Rusty. Step 1 - Wash.

This topic will use an AMMO by Mig wash, Africa Korps Wash A.MIG-1001. Why? Because I have some and it has a red tinge to it, which I thought would work on a green vehicle.   The jar needed a good shaking and mixing before being applied because the pigment had separated from the carrier and there was a ridge of hardened paint around the inside of the lid. I obviously didn't heed my own advice the last time I used it, and didn't clean the top and rim before replacing the lid.  
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

2

D3721. Step 3.

For this project I have chosen to use Railmatch Frame Dirt on the underparts. This is not my usual colour for working on underframes, but I had some available so thought I'd give it a go. The airbrush I am using in this case is an Iwata HP SB Plus, because it gives me a great deal of control over the area to be covered for each pass along the model.   When working on the whole length of a model, whether it is the chassis, bodysides or the roof, I like to have complete control over the
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

2

Bachmann COV AB / VDA van. Step 1. A Thin Wash.

The previously illustrated MIG Dark Wash has been applied from an airbrush as three VERY thin coats. This was achieved by thinning the already thin wash with white spirit and spraying from about 20cm away. The discolouration achieved each time was barely visible, but you should be able to see from this photograph that the wash has collected on the edges of moulded detail in much the same way as dirt would fall on the real thing.  
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

2

December - a statement of intent . . . . . . .

Modelling commitments for December are minimal (a bit of planning was involved), so there should be plenty of time to work on another subject. He said, confidently.   One suggestion received involved a modern image van, VDA or similar, so I've found one in a box and will now look out for some suitable photographs to work from. There will be hundreds, if not thousands, on the Internet for me to investigate, so I'll just have to knuckle down and get to work on the keyboard.   Just to add a lit
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

2

A Land Rover Series 1 of indeterminate length. Step 8. Wheels again.

The front wheel and wheel arch have been further treated to show the effects of recently collected mud. In the case of the wheel hub, a dry brush was used to pick off some of the white spirit-infused pigment before the mixture had dried. This excess was wiped off on a paper towel, and the remaining trace of pigment on the brush tip just gently touched onto the wing surface, leaving a trace of discolouration thereon. The rubbed appearance on the tyre sidewall was done by rubbing the thin layer of
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

2

A Land Rover Series 1 of indeterminate length. Step 1.

Diecast models have a high gloss finish when new, which is absolutely no use when you need to apply pigments (weathering powders). The solution is to apply a layer of something to present a matt finish for the pigment to 'stick' to. Why is the word 'stick' in quotation marks? Because the fine particles of powder fall into the valleys in the surface of the matt finish rather than stick to it. A gloss finish is smooth and reflects light, which is why it appears shiny, whereas a matt finish is roug
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

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Peckett W4 No. 883. Step 4.

With the model still in its foam cradle I have airbrushed some more Sleeper Grime onto the buffer beams. I left it to dry for 15-20 minutes (time for a coffee) and then started to remove the paint with a damp brush. The brush is not dampened by dipping it into thinners, but by placing a couple of drops of thinners onto the bristles with a disposable pipette. The combination of not-quite-dry paint and slightly damp brush gives a lot of control over how much paint is removed. With the use of light
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

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Peckett W4 No. 883. Preparation.

The whistle on the cab roof is very fragile and particularly vulnerable. There will be a lot of work to be done with the locomotive upside down, so some sort of protection is going to be needed. I just happened to have some blue coloured sticky stuff available, so I've used that to provide some protection.     Something that must be done before any weathering is started is to remove all excess grease and oil from the motor and drive mechanism. If this is not done then at som
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

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Peckett W4 No. 883. Research.

Before starting on any weathering task, I look for photographs of the intended subject so that I can determine what needs to be done. It's not always possible to find the right condition at the right time in the subject's life, but a combination can usually be found that gives enough information.   Three opinions have been given on how this model should look when weathered. so this being a democratic society, we will go with the majority vote and make it well used but looked after. I h
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

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Set 732. Introduction.

Set 732 is to be depicted as a BR(S) liveried pull-push pair fairly late in the life of its green livery. An example of similar stock was found in a Michael Welch book containing many images of the southern region at the end of steam.   The plan, such as it is, is to produce a weathered pair of coaches that shows a build-up of dirt around panel and window edges, a very dirty underframe and roof, but cleanly maintained sides.   The dirt build-up will be achieved using MIG Prod
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

2

D3721. Step 19.

Pigments have been used to simulate the rusty surface of the exhaust silencer assembly.   The technique is to pick up pigment particles from the lid of the pot rather than plunge the brush into the pot itself. This means that the finest particles are being used to apply to the subject. The brush used is a filbert, chosen for its soft but firm bristles and rounded shape. I like soft, firm and rounded. Only small quantities are used, because it is only a suggestion of rust, and not a fla
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

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D3721. Step 13.

Once all of the panel line wash has been applied and allowed to dry completely (24 hours), it's time to start airbrush work on the body. Using the same Railmatch frame dirt as before, but mixing it with a little Railmatch weathered black, a very light misting is applied to the whole locomotive. Side, ends, top and underparts. This is deliberately not perfectly even, more being applied in some places than in others, because I don't want the end result to look as if it has had a perfectly even coa
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

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D3721. Step 12.

There is a great level of detail on the body of this model, and it will look even better if it can be highlighted in some way. This applies to pretty much all of the ready to run rolling stock available these days.   My plan for this shunter is to use a panel line wash applied to all the crooks and nannies with a rigger brush. What's a rigger brush? It has long bristles and a small point - some folks call it a lining brush. The idea behind using this type of brush is that the bristles
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

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