Renumbering, naming and weathering a Bachmann Class 47

[Mick Bonwick]

It doesn't matter weather (!) you use acrylic or enamel, the result with either will look the same.

 

If you go to the trouble of using anything to do weathering, the application of varnish will affect the colour and texture you have introduced. Unless you find it absolutely necessary to protect the surface of your model, for example if it is going to be handled excessively, I'd advise against the use of varnish as a finishing coat. It does depend, though, on personal preference.

[Phil Mc]

I always put a coat of varnish on anything that has been renumbered, it needs something to stop the transfers from coming off if touched.

Enamel and acrylic won’t cause a problem as long as the first one is dry when the other is applied.

 

cheers,

Phil.

[rob D2]

I varnish after changing identity , but don’t bother after the weathering, I can always put it back on 

[9C85]

 

The finished product.  It's always the case that whenever I look forward to doing something, I usually make a mess of it.

I hadn't used my airbrush in months and I also hadn't used acrylic paint in it (I seemingly ordered acrylic Sleeper Grime instead of enamel somewhere down the line).

I warmed up by starting with the two GUVs I have been working on, but still rushed the job on the 47, and made a bit of a mess. I think I then over-compensated by try applying too much Roof Dirt on the upper body.

I have just about salvaged an acceptable result, but I might try to improve it with some dry brushing, black wash streaking etc.

Suggestions welcome. 

[rob D2]

Yeah, I get it’s abit OTT at the top, for variety on the roof ( as I also found too much roof dirt makes whole roof look painted grey ) , use some flat black round the exhaust 

[Squirrel Rail]

On 05/10/2020 at 19:29, 9C85 said:

 

The finished product.  It's always the case that whenever I look forward to doing something, I usually make a mess of it.

I hadn't used my airbrush in months and I also hadn't used acrylic paint in it (I seemingly ordered acrylic Sleeper Grime instead of enamel somewhere down the line).

I warmed up by starting with the two GUVs I have been working on, but still rushed the job on the 47, and made a bit of a mess. I think I then over-compensated by try applying too much Roof Dirt on the upper body.

I have just about salvaged an acceptable result, but I might try to improve it with some dry brushing, black wash streaking etc.

Suggestions welcome. 

With the bodysides you could try using a flat brush (no pun intended) with thinners and work downwards from the cant rail. This way you can remove most of the weathering and leave a streaked finish where you want. This works well with enamels so hopefully an acrylic thinner would work the same on acrylic paint - I only work in enamels so sorry can't be of more advice! 

Cheers Jerry

[9C85]

11 minutes ago, Squirrel Rail said:

With the bodysides you could try using a flat brush (no pun intended) with thinners and work downwards from the cant rail. This way you can remove most of the weathering and leave a streaked finish where you want. This works well with enamels so hopefully an acrylic thinner would work the same on acrylic paint - I only work in enamels so sorry can't be of more advice! 

Cheers Jerry

 

Thanks for the advice.  The lower half was done with acrylic Railmatch Sleeper Grime and the roof and upper body with enamel Railmatch Roof Dirt 

Today, have been looking into paint stripping with DOT 4 or IPA but I am nowhere near brave enough to have a go at that.

On my GUVs , I got a streaking effect with Humbrol Black Wash by dragging it down with a cotton bud.  I might try the same with thinners on the 47.

Thanks again. 

[Squirrel Rail]

Good luck with it - I would try the IPA on a small area, never had much luck with the brake fluid approach. There is a thread on deweathering which has similar advice-  it’s just a case of finding what works best for you!  

[9C85]

Thanks.  I watched an Everard Junction video on weathering a loco and the first thing he did was clean the factory model with IPA.  When I tried that, all it seemed to do was start to lift and smudge the factory-applied rail blue. Not a good start.

I wonder if it was  because I was applying the IPA with kitchen roll... should I use a cloth?

Anyway, it's done now and I can live with it until I get more confident... so basically I am stuck with it  

[Phil Bullock]

Not sure why that has been recommended....as IPA is used as stripper the result is to be expected.

 

Removing factory applied weathering isn’t easy.... as it is paint it is often more resistant to removal than any tampo printing so the result is that printed detail Is lost before the weathering. For this reason we tend to avoid factory weathered models for our own renumberings unless a complete strip and respray is in the offing.....

[9C85]

31 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said:

Not sure why that has been recommended....as IPA is used as stripper the result is to be expected.

 

Removing factory applied weathering isn’t easy.... as it is paint it is often more resistant to removal than any tampo printing so the result is that printed detail Is lost before the weathering. For this reason we tend to avoid factory weathered models for our own renumberings unless a complete strip and respray is in the offing.....

 

Thanks for the information.  Having read a bit more about IPA, I now will avoid using it as a cleaner. 

It's my overzealous home weathering that I am trying to remedy, but think I will settle for a draw at the moment. 

[rob D2]

Yes , what Phil said I think .

 

I’ve had problems with IPA and enamel thinners near models . Both took some of the blue with them and turned base milky white .

 

T cut is a reliable source - although I’ve noticed it won’t remove Bachmann factory weathering so I used a bit of thinners on an EWs one and it now needs new logos ...

 

Bachmann sector decals - newer models come off well with thinners and older doesn’t work so well and T cut takes out the underlying grey before the logo ...

 

so there is no one size solution - I always ask on here if it’s a make or model I haven’t done before 

[Phil Bullock]

Absolutely right on the no one size point Rob. Latest issue... have used super strip on an old Hornby king and it has destabilised the plastic. Really pigged off as had already done significant work on body... new chimney, superheater, steam pipes and lubricator. Have used it on many other models with no issues.

[saxokid]

Yer i wouldnt be using IPA to clean loco body down,depending on the weathering im going to do sometimes i may “light” red scotch the body but thats only if im going for run down washed out fade like finish..

 

[saxokid]

16 hours ago, rob D2 said:

Yes , what Phil said I think .

 

I’ve had problems with IPA and enamel thinners near models . Both took some of the blue with them and turned base milky white .

 

T cut is a reliable source - although I’ve noticed it won’t remove Bachmann factory weathering so I used a bit of thinners on an EWs one and it now needs new logos ...

 

Bachmann sector decals - newer models come off well with thinners and older doesn’t work so well and T cut takes out the underlying grey before the logo ...

 

so there is no one size solution - I always ask on here if it’s a make or model I haven’t done before 

I normaly use cotton bud with brasso on for carefuly removing factory weathering Rob.

[9C85]

 

Well, I have just spent a large part of the afternoon trying to improve the look of the weathering on 47 081 Odin. 

The above shot represents probably the only acceptable angle at which to view the loco. 

I started on the non-viewing side with acrylic thinners which had no effect on the upper body work, I then tried applying enamel thinners with a cotton bud which started off OK, but  if I overdid it slightly it would take it right back to the factory blue or leave a gungey mess of paint.  I ended up more or less rubbing off all the weathering on that side. 

I persevered with the enamel thinners but  with a flat brush, as suggested by a previous poster (thanks). It was more controllable and I got something I could settle for.

I then dry brushed some black and some oil leakings ( old tin of Phoenix Precision paint). I also added some streaks with Humbrol Black Wash. 

Somewhere along the line, I  managed to fog the cab glazing, and in trying to remedy it with T-Cut and a cotton bud, managed to push it into the  cab.

By this time I was ready to take up kickboxing as a hobby instead. 

I dismantled the loco, got the glazing out and I can confirm that T-cut and cotton buds do unfog the glazing. 

It's all back together and working and, for now, that will do.

[ColinK]

I know how you feel, I’ve recently had a project go seriously wrong and was very tempted to trash it and the layout.  Fair to say that it was pushing my skills well beyond what I’ve done in the past.  After a couple of weeks break I’ve restarted modelling with a new project and might return to the earlier one at some time in the future.

 

 

You’ve done a good job of rescuing the loco. The weathering looks nice and random now.

[Squirrel Rail]

13 hours ago, 9C85 said:

 

Well, I have just spent a large part of the afternoon trying to improve the look of the weathering on 47 081 Odin. 

The above shot represents probably the only acceptable angle at which to view the loco. 

I started on the non-viewing side with acrylic thinners which had no effect on the upper body work, I then tried applying enamel thinners with a cotton bud which started off OK, but  if I overdid it slightly it would take it right back to the factory blue or leave a gungey mess of paint.  I ended up more or less rubbing off all the weathering on that side. 

I persevered with the enamel thinners but  with a flat brush, as suggested by a previous poster (thanks). It was more controllable and I got something I could settle for.

I then dry brushed some black and some oil leakings ( old tin of Phoenix Precision paint). I also added some streaks with Humbrol Black Wash. 

Somewhere along the line, I  managed to fog the cab glazing, and in trying to remedy it with T-Cut and a cotton bud, managed to push it into the  cab.

By this time I was ready to take up kickboxing as a hobby instead. 

I dismantled the loco, got the glazing out and I can confirm that T-cut and cotton buds do unfog the glazing. 

It's all back together and working and, for now, that will do.

I’m glad the flat brush ( again no pun intended) worked, much more controllable than cotton buds as it very easy to be over zealous with them. IPA is excellent for the window cleaning as it doesn’t affect the glazing or leave a residue, never use white spirit or other thinners as if there is the slightest crack it will craze. Great job to get it to how it looks now, cheers Jerry

[9C85]

I woke up this morning thinking 'I am going to strip it all back to the factory finish and start again', possibly using weathering powders, as I am yet to try those. Also, now I know how to remove and refit the glazing, I might try laserglaze too.

[Mick Bonwick]

In case you need to have another go at removing self-applied acrylic weathering, there is a graduated process you could try. Start off with acrylic thinners applied with either cotton swabs or a brush (depending on your favoured tool) working in the direction that gravity dictates on the real thing. If that does not work then proceed with acrylic airbrush cleaner in the same manner and, finally, if those fail then move on to isopropyl alcohol/Brasso/T-Cut.

 

I make extensive use of pigments (weathering powders) for my own weathering projects and you can see how I use them on my blog. Please note that this will show what I use and how I use them, and that others may have different approaches with which they are more comfortable.

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blogs/blog/2349-mick-bonwicks-blog/

 

Removing everything and starting again is always an option and sometimes is the only way you can achieve a result that doesn't offend your eye.

[Crisis Rail]

On 01/05/2020 at 12:12, forest2807 said:

 

Totally agree on both of these issues, the blocked Railmatch 'money down the toilet' rattle can nozzles AND the inertia/lethargy putting me off using my airbrush. Glad it's not just me!

 

Invert to clear nozzle after use - then store them in a lid full of thinners - seems to work most of the time.

 

Ian

[rob D2]

You gotta be in the mood !I'm trying to respray a 47 with Phoenix paints for a change - can’t get em to spray well.

 

But seriously need to be in the mood for all that cleaning and farting about , especially as my airbrush is in the garage and therefore the atmospherics need to be right as we get into winter 

[9C85]

1 hour ago, rob D2 said:

But seriously need to be in the mood for all that cleaning and farting about , especially as my airbrush is in the garage and therefore the atmospherics need to be right as we get into winter 

 

This is probably a good point.  I do  most of my 'work' in the garage and did my track, coaches and Class 25 airbrush weathering during the endless summer of furlough, and took my time and got good results. 

I did the 47 on a weekend in October. I noticed that the paint, especially the acrylic Sleeper Grime, went on a lot 'wetter' than previously, probably due to a combination of an incorrect thinning ratio, poor mixing, and poor airbrush technique (I probably had the paint trigger wide open). Definitely a rush job, and it shows.

[rob D2]

I’m finding fit spraying the easiest to use are railmatch acyric and Tamiya . I won’t spray under about 5 degrees and if any rain forecast 

[9C85]

4 hours ago, Mick Bonwick said:

 

I make extensive use of pigments (weathering powders) for my own weathering projects and you can see how I use them on my blog. Please note that this will show what I use and how I use them, and that others may have different approaches with which they are more comfortable.

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blogs/blog/2349-mick-bonwicks-blog/

 

Thanks. 

Your work is excellent. 

I am now a follower.

I am also about to Google MIG weathering powders/pigments and also try and find out what on earth a 'Filbert brush' is :-)