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Reproducing Varnished Teak - Improving Latest Hornby Thompsons


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Every now and then I like to re-evaluate how I produce a varnished teak finish as applied to LNER coaches.

 

Since I first started reproducing teak in model form, a lot of the products I used are no longer available. Changes to the Royal Mail regulations banning the conveyance of enamel paints can make obtaining tinlets of specialised paints, such as the Phoenix range, expensive, unless you are fortunate to be visiting an exhibition where they are stocked.

 

My next statement may sound odd, but I am finding the use of typical enamel paints increasingly difficult to use as they seem to dry too quickly. I also find that what works one day, may not give such good results on another. Apart for weather differences just changing a brush can make a difference.

 

So I have decided to go back to my roots and adapt a technique I have used in the past, suitably modified. The method is very forgiving and does not noticeably obscure details. I am aware that there are lots of other techniques around, some looking better than other, but this is the one that suits me the most.

 

For the purpose of this demonstration I am using some spare bodies from the earlier Gresley range now under the Railroad range.

 

So lets start with a photo of the prototype:

post-3717-0-09751100-1376944763_thumb.jpg

 

Closer examination suggests that a base colour of orange with some form of transparent graining would give the depth of the real thing. This simple observation is the basis of many teaking techniques.

 

So my first stage is to spray the coach with Halfords White Plastic Primer. Oranges and yellows tend not to be as opaque as the darker colours so a white base proves invaluable. On top of this I have applied two coats of Vallejo Light Orange and a final coat of Humbrol Clear to seal it:

post-3717-0-79508600-1376945019_thumb.jpg

 

To apply the base I use a 1/2" Golden Taklon brush after masking the roof line with Tamiya masking tape. When dry the tape is removed and the Clear applied:

post-3717-0-54320700-1376945167_thumb.jpg

 

I mentioned brushes and find the Golden Taklon brushes ideal for the job. They are available as assorted packs from art and craft shops. These ones by Royal & Langnickel are exceptionally good value, containing 1", 3/4" and 1/2" for £2.99 from a branch of The Range:

post-3717-0-09927900-1376945335_thumb.jpg

 

Let the base coat and the Clear harden for a couple of hours and reapply the masking tape.

 

For the graining layers I use artists oil colours combining Burnt Umber with Windsor and Newton Liquin Original medium in roughly equal quantities. Very little is used as can be seen in the following image. I buy packs of 50 foil ashtrays from the pound shops which make excellant mixing pallettes:

post-3717-0-16163400-1376945632_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by MikeTrice
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I should add at this stage that whilst preparing the base orange colours for the coach I also treat a piece of prepared paper (i.e sprayed with Halfords primer and cut into strips) to the same two base coats finished with Clear.

 

Now the fun starts. I must admit that this is the one job in railway modelling that satisfies me the most.

 

Blend the mix together, dip the 1/2" brush in the mixture and start applying over the orange base coat using the sample paper as a test piece:

post-3717-0-34526100-1376945954_thumb.jpg

 

When you are happy with the blend start applying it to the coach:

post-3717-0-68008100-1376946007_thumb.jpg

 

At this stage it looks pretty messy but using the brush it can be gradually worked out, avoiding build up around raised details. At this stage the direction of graining needs to be taken into consideration whcich is generally vertical above the waist and horizontal below. I say generally as there are variations, for example it should be horizontal on the door ventilator hoods and vertical on the door frames: 

post-3717-0-50668200-1376946212_thumb.jpg

 

Continue working along the coach graining as you proceed. You can be as sophisticated with the graining as you wish. Make sure the graining is repeated in the window recesses and leave final cosmetic graining until last:

post-3717-0-20022200-1376946325_thumb.jpg

 

If you make a mistake, or do not like the result, then apply a cotton wool bud soaked in Turps and clean off the graining coat. I use this technique to clean the paper sample ready for reuse in the future.

post-3717-0-31223200-1376946410_thumb.jpg

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The Vallejo paints are excellant quality however are not so easy to source. As an alternative look out for the craft acrylic paints which are available in much larger bottles. "Pumpkin" was a close match to the Vallejo colour and at £1.99 represents good value:

post-3717-0-02661400-1376946636_thumb.jpg

 

This time I did not apply the Clear layer so kept the masking tape in place:

post-3717-0-78174500-1376946704_thumb.jpg

 

Graining then followed as before:

post-3717-0-89686400-1376946753_thumb.jpg

 

post-3717-0-14790700-1376946781_thumb.jpg

 

post-3717-0-50647400-1376946807_thumb.jpg

 

post-3717-0-44672100-1376946831_thumb.jpg

 

With the graining coat being performed using artists oils, drying times are more generous and there is no rush trying to complete the graining before the paint goes off. The layer applied is quite thin and the Liquin acts to speed up the drying. Typically the side is touch dry in around 8 hours so leaving it overnight is ideal.

 

Once cured the masking tape can be removed and another coat of Clear applied.

 

Anyway, that is enough for tonight. Tomorrow I will try and show how to represent a weathered appearance.

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Mike...this looks really great indeed...thanks for the clinic....its very interesting and informative. Question.....why are you doing the second coach without painting it with the Clear Gloss layer like you did the first coach. Is there a difference in the finished product????

 

Cheers

Gene

 

Oh...kaplon brushes....is kaplon some sort of artificial bristle????

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Hi Mike,

 

Thanks for showing us your process'. 

 

I am working on a Comet Rest Triplet Set at the moment which has already been painted.  I also have picked up 10 Kirk coach kits, unbuilt for A$10, apx gbp6 each including a RTS.  With regards to paint (Railmatch & Precision), especially now that its hard to get here in OZ, looking at other options is good.  A friend has used cedar stain on his old Hornby coaches and looks quite good. 

 

I have used Precision paints with a yellow base, but orange would be the better option.  Fortunately I still have 1 and 1/2 tins left. 

I will check out the local artist supplies to see what they have that is similar.

 

Mark in OZ

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Mike...this looks really great indeed...thanks for the clinic....its very interesting and informative. Question.....why are you doing the second coach without painting it with the Clear Gloss layer like you did the first coach. Is there a difference in the finished product????

 

Cheers

Gene

 

Oh...kaplon brushes....is kaplon some sort of artificial bristle????

Taklon which I assume is synthetic. Handles beautifully.

 

Yes I did not use Clear on the second coach as I want to see if it added anything. The answer is no, however the cheap acrylic was not as matt as the Vallejo. Also only one coat was needed using the cheap alternative.

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Hi Mike,

 

Thanks for showing us your process'. 

 

I am working on a Comet Rest Triplet Set at the moment which has already been painted.  I also have picked up 10 Kirk coach kits, unbuilt for A$10, apx gbp6 each including a RTS.  With regards to paint (Railmatch & Precision), especially now that its hard to get here in OZ, looking at other options is good.  A friend has used cedar stain on his old Hornby coaches and looks quite good. 

 

I have used Precision paints with a yellow base, but orange would be the better option.  Fortunately I still have 1 and 1/2 tins left. 

I will check out the local artist supplies to see what they have that is similar.

 

Mark in OZ

I have tried most methods and as part of this exercise had a go at using Ronseal Teak Varnish as advocated by others. To be honest I was not over impressed and the use of multiple coats might obliterate detail in 4mm scale.

 

Unfortunately I have never got on with the Precision option and prefer the longer working times of oils. It is also much easier to make corrections.

 

Hopefully you should find equivalent products at your local artists suppliers which was part of the reason for going with more common products.

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I said yesterday that I would go on to illustrate a weathered teak finish.

 

No great secret, I simpy use Model Mates dyes:

post-3717-0-95009000-1377017084.jpg

 

The dye is watered down and applied over the side and allowed to dry:

post-3717-0-68467100-1377017124_thumb.jpg

 

Once dry a wetted cotton wool bud is used to remove the stain from the panels:

post-3717-0-53916700-1377017165_thumb.jpg

 

Continue treating the other panels:

post-3717-0-20212500-1377017196_thumb.jpg

 

When dry give another coat of Humbrol Clear. You will end up with something like this:

post-3717-0-07844200-1377017248_thumb.jpg

 

post-3717-0-46527800-1377017262_thumb.jpg

 

post-3717-0-86735500-1377017277_thumb.jpg

 

If I was doing this for real I would line and apply transfers before using the dye.

 

Just the roof to do now!

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Thanks Mike.

And WOW! To the weathering/aging technique...that looks fabulous......unfortunately I've never seen or heard of the Modelmates products here in Canada. But it looks tremendous!

 

Gene

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Mike

     Do you vary the panel colours and add any more obvious graining to the various panels ?

No. Every time I try it, it never looks right even if it might be prototypical. If you look closely at img_3311 in the original post you might notice that the graining of the lower panel is slightly heavier than the others.

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Thanks Mike.

And WOW! To the weathering/aging technique...that looks fabulous......unfortunately I've never seen or heard of the Modelmates products here in Canada. But it looks tremendous!

 

Gene

In the past I simply used heavily thinned Humbrol Black however you will be working against the clock applying it. I prefer the Model Mates dyes as they remain water soluble and can be removed it you do not like the effect. It might be possible to make something similar using black washable ink.

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No. Every time I try it, it never looks right even if it might be prototypical. If you look closely at img_3311 in the original post you might notice that the graining of the lower panel is slightly heavier than the others.

I use Precision cream on mine as a base then use their  various "teak" enamel shades with drops of matt black to give some variation on the panels, as I do this I drag the Teaks paint to form some graining effects on the panels.

 

An example on my TPO

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/943-lner-models-in-4mm/page-3

Edited by micklner
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Such beautiful coaches, thanks for sharing an excellent guide on how to do it.

 

Yes, may I echo that. Excellent how to guide, which I will be attempting before to long.

 

Cheers

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In the past I simply used heavily thinned Humbrol Black however you will be working against the clock applying it. I prefer the Model Mates dyes as they remain water soluble and can be removed it you do not like the effect. It might be possible to make something similar using black washable ink.

Mike

 

black ink can be used to weather the teak ... just back from hols so may take a little time to dig out suitable photo....

 

Really like the teak effect  

 

Barry O

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Re: Weathering. Some years ago I got a bit too carried away with spraying dark grey enamel "grime" onto some panelled teak D&S Howlden six-wheelers. All I could think of at the time was to get a soft tissue and thinners (white spirit) to try to wipe off the weathering and start again. Quite by accident I discovered fundamentally the same thing as illustrated above, the wiping process leaving the heaviest grime in all of the angles just as it would be on a real coach. The tissue was fairly "wet" with thinners so the edges of the wiped areas diffused to a nice "soft" line, and then a much more careful final overspray of light muck hid all evidence of my original stupidity.

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So for those of you not able to get Modelmates dyes. I mention the old fashioned way of weathering: create a heavily thinned wash and apply.

 

The following shows the result. I took some Humbrol matt black, added brown and thinned using Humbrol thinners then applied to the panels. After drying a cotton tip was used with the thinner to remove the excess (as with the ModelMates) resulting is this:

post-3717-0-22816800-1377104220_thumb.jpg

 

First attempt at a weathered roof. Revell Anthrocite base with Humbrol Gunmetal dry brushed over it. Not really happy with the result.

post-3717-0-81264700-1377104293_thumb.jpg

 

 

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Mike

I have no teak coaches only BR Carmine and Cream and Maroon ones. I have tried the same sort of technique you have used to weather the teaks using black (Rotring) ink and water. For reasons best know to my camera i can't get a decent shot of the result but here are a couple of shots which may be of interest

 

post-7650-0-61790300-1377605609_thumb.jpg

 

and here is a panel half "cleaned" (apologies for the windows - taking the photos mean I need to renew the window glazing)

 

post-7650-0-66092600-1377605737_thumb.jpg

 

The roof panels receive a coat of ink/water mix - paint it on along the middle and then work it down using soft sponge - then finish with a gentle wipe from end to end...

 

 

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Below are a couple of examples of my attempts at weathering teak. I've yet to paint teak, but I'm hoping to have a go later in the year on some Ian Kirk builds.

These are all Hornby coaches. I very much enjoyed working on these, and hopefully show the condition these coaches would have been post war.

 

post-6764-0-90093200-1354450035_thumb.jp

post-6764-0-86730000-1354450044_thumb.jp

 

 

These were the standard Hornby Non Corridors. I removed the lining and put them into a condition circa 1948-1950

post-6764-0-98679900-1356191666_thumb.jp

post-6764-0-76776200-1356191673_thumb.jp

post-6764-0-57865500-1356638107_thumb.jp

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Below are a couple of examples of my attempts at weathering teak. I've yet to paint teak, but I'm hoping to have a go later in the year on some Ian Kirk builds.

These are all Hornby coaches. I very much enjoyed working on these, and hopefully show the condition these coaches would have been post war.

 

These were the standard Hornby Non Corridors. I removed the lining and put them into a condition circa 1948-1950

Thanks for posting these, they are really nice. How did you remove the lining and what did you use for the roofs?

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Thanks for posting these, they are really nice. How did you remove the lining and what did you use for the roofs?

 

Hi Mike

 

I used the back of a flat headed small screwdriver. In places it did remove a touch of the teak finish, but seen as they are weathered it isn't noticeable at all. I used Humbrol Metalcote Gunmetal and then buffed it with a cotton bud in places.

 

Later in the year I will be doing an article on the subject for Model Rail.

 

Cheers

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Mike

     Do you vary the panel colours and add any more obvious graining to the various panels ?

 

What more could he possibly add about varnished teak? As you quite correctly point out prototype coaches show distinct variations in shades between panels:

 

post-3717-0-47275500-1378318057_thumb.jpg

 

post-3717-0-81114300-1378318079_thumb.jpg

 

post-3717-0-48509600-1378318094_thumb.jpg

 

As stated previously I have ignored this in the past however it is evident that even on brand new ex-works coaches panel variations were evident. As a result I felt I had to attempt reproducing this and present my efforts below. Whether or not I was successful I will leave for others to comment.

 

Having applied the base coat of light orange various panels were picked out in other Vallejo shades:

post-3717-0-95760200-1378318239_thumb.jpg

 

For identification of the colours used:

post-3717-0-69831500-1378318267_thumb.jpg

 

It all looks very odd. One coat of Clear and a graining coat of Burnt Umber later and it looks like this:

post-3717-0-93167800-1378318321_thumb.jpg

 

post-3717-0-81341800-1378318340_thumb.jpg

 

What do you think?

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