Jump to content
 
  • entries
    184
  • comments
    505
  • views
    42,438

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

D3721. Step 11.

The next step is to randomly remove some of the paint to portray a buildup of grime around things like coupling hook, bolt heads and pipe connectors. This is achieved by using a slightly damp brush, and by that I mean a couple of drops of thinner placed on the bristles rather than dipping the brush into the thinners. The brush is then used in a stabbing motion, rather than a stroking motion, to slowly and gently remove the paint. If it all comes off straight away, your brush is too wet!  
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

0

D3721. Step 10.

Buffer beams get very dirty, even on slow moving stock, so this needs to be portrayed on a model for it to look right. This build-up of grime is portrayed by several coats of (in this case) frame dirt, added a little at a time and manipulated before it gets too dry. These photographs show the first coat to be applied - just a thin application that barely shows up.    
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

0

D3721. Step 1.

How it all began.   Out of the box, couplings removed but no hoses yet added to the buffer beam.  
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

0

CSP/Agenoria Hawthorn Leslie 0-6-2T No. 757 'Earl of Mount Edgecumbe'

A beautifully built and finished ex-PD&SWJR 0-6-2T rather foolishly given to me to completely ruin. I don't care! It was fun to do. . . . . . . . .    The only materials used were a smoke coloured pigment and a very dark brown wash. The wash came first, from an airbrush very thinly applied and then brushed carefully downwards on boiler and tanks with a 1/2" flat shader. The pigment was applied to the cab roof and smokebox area with a filbert brush. The underframe was left with the
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

6

Brushes and their uses

Nearly all of the items weathered in this blog have been attacked by one or more of the following brushes:   Comb 1/2" flat shader Rigger Filbert   The use of these brushes is detailed below, in the sequence they appear in the accompanying photograph.   The comb brush is used to work on paint that has already been applied in order to create uneven streaking. The combination of long and short bristles, when dampened with or dipped in thinner
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

4

Bachmann VAA (Maroon) 200119. Step 5 - Pigment 2.

On this vehicle I have used a black pigment to replicate the dark colours seen underneath door handle areas. Once again, only a very small quantity was used on the filbert brush and worked into place by gentle 'scrubbing'. A small touch was added to the buffer beam area as well, which can just be seen in this photograph. It wasn't until I'd taken the photograph that I noticed one of the buffers was trying to break free from its housing.  
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

0

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

2

Bachmann VAA (Maroon) 200119. Step 3 - Capillary Work.

Out with the rigger brush, white spirit and Dark Wash. As previously described (if you've been following closely) the thinned wash is applied via a rigger brush to panel edges, corners and other detail to highlight it and create dirty shadows. Wherever dirt would build up on the real vehicle it can be replicated by adding a small amount of thinned wash, remembering that it will dry lighter by a couple of shades than it appears when first applied.  
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

3

Bachmann VAA (Maroon) 200119. Step 2 - Dirtying.

Now it's the turn of the MIG Dark Wash, used in the airbrush without any thinners, but at 25psi. Once again, a thin coat, and then worked downwards immediately with a dry 1/2" flat shader brush. This will leave an accumulation of 'dirt' just above all of the horizontal ridges and tone down the previously applied ComArt Light Dust. If necessary, the downward movement can be applied several times to achieve the required result.     No attempt was made to mask underframe or roo
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

0

Bachmann VAA (Maroon) 200119. Step 1 - Fading.

The ComArt paint is advertised as airbrush ready, but I've still thinned it down a little with a few drops of acrylic thinner from Ultimate. This product is usable with all acrylic paints including Tamiya. Applied from an Iwata Eclipse CS airbrush set to 20 psi, putting 3 very fine coats on and not bothering to wait between coats because it dries so fast. If you look closely at the finish, it's very grainy, but that will not be a problem because there is much more work to be done, which will dis
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

3

Bachmann VAA (Maroon) 200119. Introduction.

Similar vehicle in that it is a van. Otherwise it has a different body, different chassis, different livery and different payload!   This time the fading will be done first, using ComArt Light Dust, and then the dirtying will start.     The only work done on the model from the box is the removal of the couplings.
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

0

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

Bachmann COV AB / VDA van. Preparation.

The plan is to use a dark wash and a couple of pigments to replicate as much of the dirt as possible that can be seen in the photograph. There may need to be some additions as I progress, but they will be identified as and when appropriate.      
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

5

Bachmann COV AB / VDA van. Introduction.

The subject has been chosen and a colour photograph found to work from. Bachmann produced several livery versions of the 29 ton sliding door box van (COV AB, later VDA )and this one (38-141) is in Railfreight livery, numbered 200077. Paul Bartlett has many photographs of these on his website, and has given his permission for this photograph to be used in this blog.     The challenges are: Fade the reddish shade of brown to show age and wear Highlight areas of
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

6

Bachmann COV AB / VDA van. A Change of Plan.

Having been shown the error of my ways by not fading the van before starting, I shall be embarking on another project where I do fade first. This project was completed as an exercise in using the MIG Dark Wash in all sorts of ways to represent a grimy COV AB.     The roof has been airbrushed with slightly thinned wash, applied as four thin coats and left to dry between each coat. This resulted in a very soft texture that was easily but not completely removed, leaving a sligh
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

7
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

Bachmann Air-Braked Vans - Summary.

And finally . . . .   Here's a photograph of the two vans together, so that you can see the similarities and differences between them.     Very little material has been used on both subjects but, nonetheless, the effects have produced vehicles that have been in use for some time and suffered the ravages of time and weather. Both would probably benefit from some more work on the roof, but that would merely be an additional thin coat or two of Dark Wash, left to dry
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

5
Weathering

Accurascale O Gauge HUO/HOP24 (Not HOP21) Variations

Two members of a set of 5 Accurascale hoppers to be finished differently. A bit of a challenge, but I thought that if I tackled each one completely separately I ought to be in with a chance of success.   I selected the paints and pigments before I started and will restrict what I use to just those choices.   Railmatch Sleeper Grime Railmatch Roof Dirt AMMO Dark Earth pigment AMMO Russian Earth pigment Revell Matt Enamel No. 84 MIG Dark Mud pigment
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick in Weathering

10
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

Accurascale O Gauge HUO/HOP24 (Not HOP21) Variations

The fourth one, almost completed. Things left to do are random small rust spots, painting the tops of the strengthening ribs and removing some of the grot on the various levers to reveal the white paint.   Only when looking at the photograph did I notice that this one has no footsteps at the left-hand end of the solebars.       Then there was one.  
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick in Weathering

0

Accurascale O Gauge HUO. Step 9 - Interior Afterthought.

I mentioned in the beginning that this blog would record good and bad. Here is an example of the latter.   You have probably noticed an absence of interior shots for this hopper. Firstly, it didn't turn out as I wanted it and, secondly, the photographs are completely out of focus.   You can verify that now:    
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

4

Accurascale O Gauge HUO. Step 7 - Underframe.

The underframe in my reference photograph doesn't show too much in the way of rust colours, being mostly built-up track grime. To replicate this appearance, I have used a thin airbrushed coat of Railmatch Sleeper Grime to form the basis. There was already some deliberately unmasked overspray from the Revell 84 used on the hopper body at the beginning of the process.   The airbrush (Iwata Eclipse) was held at about 4" from the underframe with the vehicle upside down on the turntable and
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

0
×
×
  • Create New...