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Hi there, just starting out........

Monkeyhead

Entry posted by Monkeyhead

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Hi, I'm Matt, and I'm writing, well, to get my thoughts down on (virtual) paper, to share what I'm doing, to motivate myself to finish something, and to hopefully gain some critique of what I'm doing, how I'm doing it, and how I can improve.

 

To be honest, I've not got a model railway - had an n gauge layout as a kid which I didn't appreciate enough, and have never got round to another one. Keep toying with the idea of building one in the loft, but it's too hot or cold, and if truth be told, I can't be bothered. The idea of building it and getting it working appeals much more than actually using it, so it seems a lot of cash to put into something. I have however been intrigued about the box file models that I'd read about on here, and may well give that a go.

 

Anyway, I digress!

 

Over the past few years, I've bought odds and sods off eBay or Hattons, which have needed work, and then they've laid about in the loft not getting anything done with them, so I recently decided to get on with doing *something*, and trying to improve my modelling skills (I also have an cupboard filled with varying airfix kits to build "one day", so I want to get better!

 

So what have I got. A few Heljan 47s, a Hornby 91, a Bachmann 20 and a load of other things in the loft that I keep away from the wife :-)

 

I've been starting and not finishing anything for a while, for one reason or another, so I've got a few things on the go. Here they are. Looking at the close up, via unforgiving photos, they don't look great - I'm slightly put off actually having seen them, but that's the point, I want to improve, and there's some talented modellers on here, so please (constructively I hope) feel free to point out what could be done better.

 

First one is a Heljan 47 - I bough the body off eBay in a real state, it'd been roughly done in DRS livery, and was a bit battered - I intended using it for practice, but when I'd cleaned it up, I thought I'd try a loco I've had an interest in for years - 47299, Ariadne. I know you could buy them, but I fancied a dart at a BR blue loco, so went for this.

 

I've bought George Dent's weathering book, and am part way though it, but have looked at pictures online to get a sense of what the loco looked like.

 

So what have I done? The headcode box on the model was mashed up, so I filled it and sanded it, and re-drilled the headcode lights using another one as a guide. I've lost the "ring" around them, but I can't think of a way to scribe a circle that small in filler.

 

A coat or two of halfords white primer, followed by yellow on the cab windows, and a few coats of rail blue. I've got a cheap-y airbrush setup off eBay, which is ok, and a little spray booth in the garage. Am spraying with a combo of railmatch, tamiya and humbrol acrylics.

 

The cantrail stripe is orange lining tape that I found in a model shop. Looks ok on the long runs, but I'm not happy with the short verticals.

 

I started to "distress" the paint based on photos using some thinners and a cotton bud. I'm *ok* with the result, but it's not quite the effect I was looking for. Maybe chipping solution is an answer?

 

A coat of Humbrol gloss varnish (though I then read on here to use anything but!!) followed by a set of decals from Railtec, applied with decalfix.

 

I'd bought a set of enamel washes and powders (humbrol) and started to use the washes on one side to represent streaking - again, I'm *ok* with the results, but I know they can be improved - for reading required.

 

So that's where I am with this one - will "streak" the other side, tidy up the blue overspray around the cab windows, then think about a matt varnish. Then maybe some airbrush weathering, frame dirt, that kind of thing.

 

I've bought a new set of wheels to replace the ghastly bronze Heljan standard ones, so will re-wheel it when they arrive. I've also got a express models lighting kit, but I'm seeing whether I'm brave enough to splice it into the ESU sound decoder that I have. I'll be keeping this one, so would like it to have all the bells and whistles.

 

So any thoughts welcome, will add more pictures as I make progress. Will also add a bit around some of the other things I've been doing.

 

Hope it's of vague interest to someone, and thanks for reading!

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  • RMweb Gold
Captain Kernow
  • RMweb Gold

Not a bad start, Matt, not bad at all!

 

Certainly, a gloss finish is best for decals/transfers but weathering powders prefer a matt finish.

 

The way that railway cleaning chemicals worked back in the 1970s would be to bring about a pretty dull and matt finish to the paint quite quickly, it was powerful (and nasty) stuff back in those days. Some of the carriage washing plants certainly took a lot of the paint finish off some early diesels, not just BR blue ones but also W.R. maroon, for example.

 

You could look at this loco in one of two ways, perhaps. Either you can keep working away at the weathering, until you are completely, 100% satisfied with it or you could consider it a bit of a 'test' piece, so you'd get it as good as you can for now and use the experience of working on it, on the next one?

 

Best of luck, either way!

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Monkeyhead

Thanks Captain K, thanks for looking.  Yes, I'll be "matt-ing" it next, what I read (or at least what I thought I read) was that the washes liked gloss, as it let it run into nooks and crannies (although the washes I have seem too thick to run like the videos I've seen, so they may need thinning).  But I'll airbrush weather after the matt coat.

 

I think it will be a bit of a test piece to to honest.  Maybe one that I'll be ok with now, but will look back on in future years and go "what was I thinking!!".

 

M

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  • RMweb Gold
Captain Kernow
  • RMweb Gold

I'd have said that washes go well on matt or semi matt finishes just as well. I use washes a lot and would never use a gloss finish just to help it on it's way. You could practice on a matt finish on a wagon, perhaps?

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Monkeyhead

Good tip Captain, have got a few ‘test’ wagons in the loft, will dig them out and have a practice, but thanks for the info on using washes with Matt finishes

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RobMG

Hi Matt,  Well far from being unskilled, your work so far in the photos looks good to me. 

I personally would avoid gloss finishes altogether.  If you have an airbrush, why not just use a satin or matt finish anyway ?

As for weathering, I have done both airbrushing and powders, either do a good job.   I don't buy commercially available powders, rather I have adopted the method I have watched on American videos. That of using soft pastels and coloured chalks ground to a fine powder, using a morter and pestle.  This method works very well, is cheaper and I can mix whatever shades I want.

I hope this is of use to you.

 

Rob

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Monkeyhead

Hi Rob, thanks for taking to time to look in and comment, much appreciated....  The only reason I glossed the model was to aid the decal application, which I read was easier on a glossed surface.  I've got a couple of rattle cans of Humbrol varnish, so I'm using them up before I start with the airbrush varnish.

 

Interesting idea about making your own powders up, I'll look into that, especially if I identify any gaps in any powders I have in the cupboard.  

 

M

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