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Share your weathering tips


JUNK-MAN

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As some of you may know I enjoy weathering my models and though its ok I've never really cared for my results. So hat are some of the things you guys use? I've tried washes before with no luck and usually use various paints. Also, what do you use for rust powder? Thanks

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Here’s a couple of real simple ones.

  1. Sand your tire treads. #280 or #320 sandpaper on a foam-backed sanding block makes quick work of this.

  2. If you drill out your exhaust pipes, don’t paint flat black inside the tips. That would indicate a very rich-running engine. Use a medium gray such as Model Master Gunship Gray, or even Dark Gull Gray.

  3. For a weathered paint job, I like the Model Master lacquers that are meant to be clearcoated. Without the clearcoat, they have a nice, smooth matte finish that looks like it’s seen several years of rain and sun. A few spots of primer in places where that type of car typically rusts (rocker panels, around rear window, etc.) gets the point across that this is intentional and not just a “bad” paint job.

  4. On the rare occasion when I want to portray the chassis of a daily driver, I start with a quantity of Testor Dullcote, then add a tiny bit (a drop or two) of a flat tan and a tiny bit of a light gray. I thin this way down with lacquer thinner and airbrush it on the completed chassis in several light coats, letting the various chassis colors (black or primer, silver exhaust pipes and gas tank, etc.) still show through. (Don't forget the inner sides of the wheels and tires.) When you reach the point where you think, “One more coat should do it,” STOP! You’re there already.  You can also “dust” this concoction along the body lower edges behind the wheels.

Edited by Snake45
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The single most important tool for weathering may just be your own powers of observation.Do research on your subject including on the internet.That extends to structures like garages and other photo op buildings.Note were the most heavily weathered parts are,most likely the upper surfaces where the sun,rain and dirt do the most damage.There's a saying BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH rolls down hill,so does rust and faded paint.The point here is to remember to copy the natural weathering process as closely as possible.

Apply colors in light amounts and build it up slowly as you go,you can always add more but removing it is difficult at best.More is not always better!

Edited by misterNNL
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For washes, I take several approaches...

1. I generally paint with one media, such as an oil-based paint, then wash with a water-based (acrylic) paint. This will contribute to the "pooling" of the wash in low areas.

2. A gloss enamel and an acrylic wash will concentrate the pooling further; a flat enamel and an acrylic wash will spread the wash over a larger area.

Snake45 suggested sanding the tread; I take that a step further. I'll paint the tread surface with medium-to-light brown, making sure the paint gets in the tread crevices. Then I do like Snake45 suggests by placing the tire on a large Dremel sanding drum, chucking it in drill (Dremels are much too fast IMHO), and sanding at a moderate drill speed.

Edited by BigTallDad
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James2 recommends this product for rust as well. If his and JTalmage's results are anything to go by, it works beautifully. Thanks Jesse and James!

(MODEL SHOWN BELOW BY JAMES2) 

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I've seen this build in person and the pics which are great don't do it justice. this product gives awesome results...   Just my 2 cents...

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Some good advise has already been posted here.  This forum is an excellent resource already.  I find that most builders here will gladly share tips and tricks if you ask.  YouTube is another accessible resource with endless tutorials.

I firmly believe that there is no wrong way to build a model, but there are ways to make things more realistic.  As already pointed out – a little research into your subject goes a long way with realism.  Windows/rubber/fiberglass don’t rust!

Practice, trial and error also work well too.  To date, I’ve built 6 weathered vehicles, and I’ve tried something new with each one.  Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve found that a mistake or accident can easily be made to “look” like it was planned on a weathered vehicle.

There is a lot of awesome rust/weathering products out there, but you don’t need to spend a lot of money to make paint look faded or worn.  Flat clear and sandpaper are relatively cheap. 

Two products that I swear by and use in ALL of my builds are black (ink) wash and the Tamiya weather kits.  They add realism and the more you use, the more “weathered’” the subject looks

Layering paint is also an effective way to trick the eye into believing that a vehicle is weathered.  I’ve applied yellow, orange, black, red, and other earth tones like browns and beige on top of the primer, but before the color coat for this effect with decent success.

For painting weathered metal, remember to start with the dark tones and end with the light tones before the color coat.  Oddly, you want the opposite when weathering “wood” – start with light tones, and end with a dark wash or transparent finish.

The Sophisticated Finishes Rust set is a great product.  I’ve used it on a coupe of builds a few years ago and I’m amazed that it continues to rust on top of the plastic car sitting on the shelf.  Looks better now that it did 5 years ago.

Just use with caution though – I’ve seen too many builds overuse the product.  Just looks like a toy at that point.

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