Best Of Adventures in Weathering

[bbussey]

I just use India ink diluted in 91% Isopropyl alcohol.  Use an ultra fine micro brush and you can do each board.  Vary the number of coats and you get a really nice effect.

This.  But I already weighed in on the Facebook page.

[Bendtracker1]

So, I have black and brown India ink. It looks good. The vinegar did nothing. Research shows to mix steel wool with it.

In order for this process to work properly, you need to use wood that has a high amount Tannis, such a Oak, Cedar, Redwood and Fir.  Pine, Basswood and Balsa has a low content of Tannis and in order to darken these woods up with the Vinegar and Steel Wool mixture, you need to add Tannis to the wood.  Which can be done with a coat or two of strongly brewed tea or Black Tea as they call it.

This is exactly what I did when I added the old wood wall covering in my basement a few years ago.





This was very old Red Oak that I had laying around the shop, it was very red in color, almost pink.  It turned out more on the browner side than I wanted because I used a diluted Black Tea mix.  In an earlier sample I used a heavy tea mix [as recommended] and the wood literally turned black, so black it almost looked purple.  So I reduced the tea content.  In this case a bit too much.
Now a few years later, it has turned a bit grayer color as it's dried out.  If you look close, you can kind of see a grayish haze.  This was taken a week after I got it installed.  There is no finish on it either.

[Santa Fe Guy]

When building a mine for my now defunct On30 layout. I used artists black and sepia ink in various quantities in isopropyl. I left the basswood to soak in these mixes in 3 BBQ aluminum trays (to get a different look with each batch) for a few days after first scoring the timber with a fine razor saw to impart some grain. Took the wood out let it dry then gave it a very light sand with 1200 paper to remove any fuzz. When ready to build I tossed all the wood together in one pile so as I built the mine I just picked up the wood at random to give a better look to the building. The same process works in any scale.

[chicken45]

Thanks for all the help on the wood advice guys. We will move on in case you guys are getting board with this, if you wood knot mind.

Episode IV: Reefer Madness

I did a wash of burnt umber on the sides, concentrating on the rivets.When I went to remove the paint, there was a hard edge that I thought would blend in after my oversprays. It did...eventually. I got lucky these are supposed to be filthy. Not done yet, but close.
I used a mix of sprays from the Vallejo Railroad colors kit. Rust, dark earth, dark gray, dullcoat. I need to create some gray and black streaks. So instead of going to the Oriole's game today, I'll add them. I may or may not use powders for this. What do you guys think of powders? I've always liked mixing mediums for more depth.

[seusscaboose]

So....  I know we discussed Head End cars being dirty because of lack of maintenance... 

Do you think that's too much?

[chicken45]

So....  I know we discussed Head End cars being dirty because of lack of maintenance... 

Do you think that's too much?

I struggle with this every time I weather. How much is too much? I try to balance with subtleties. Head end cars were filthy, but these were even more filthy. On dirty B60B cars, you can see most of the filth below the waist. These reefers are flat so that may have something to do with it.
There's photos to prove it. Nearly every single picture I've seen of these, the cars look completely blank on the sides.  I think at this point, it's up to the modeler.I'm the rhino that will take a rare model and weather it unrecognizable to match photos. (and still on plastic trucks and N scale couplers  )

For my tastes, it's overdone, but just a tad. It's overdone for me in the sense that the lettering in this picture of this car is slightly more visible. These cars tell a story. So filthy that you can barely read "PENNSYLVANIA" on the side so the clerk had to take a wet sponge to the number. The other car doesn't have it as you can still read it.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Josh. I think that car is spot on. Looks just like it should to my eyes from 14000 Miles away LOL. I wouldn't do any more though.

[chicken45]

Josh. I think that car is spot on. Looks just like it should to my eyes from 14000 Miles away LOL. I wouldn't do any more though.

Thanks! BUT I CAN'T LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE...

...but at least I was subtle about it. I used some gray and black powders on the roof. The streaking was subtle. I also put some powder streaks on the car sides.
I think I'm finished with this monster. I'll try to take some good pics from the PRRT&HS convention this weekend and report back.

[chicken45]

I forgot I took pics of this last night. Powders were applied to the roof!

[Jesse6669]

Personally--I think you nailed it.  These were directly behind the loco and so were subjected to more intense smoke/cinder compared to other cards farther behind.  The "cleaned off" number is a nice touch. 

[chicken45]

Ok...I'm back from the PRRT&HS convention. Good times! Got to meet some amazing folks! I got to see @dougnelson 's Balwin transfer unit in person. Looks amazing.

I ducked out Saturday morning to visit the Conrail Queens down in Newport. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, THE @tom mann had something for me. Three feet of wood. And he was just getting rid of it, so I took it and took some pics on it today. This represents the first time I am shooting my models under Helios.

So here's those reefers in their probably final form. Here's what changed since the last round:
Powders. Grays and blacks applied with a makeup applicator in the roof in light streaks. I also put some of these streaks on the car sides. I touched up the "wipe away" number. My first attempt was too stark. My reference photo shows different levels of weathering around the number. I touched that area up and am reasonable pleased.











Next! @71jeep 's F25a! There's a photo of this exact car in the PRR flat car book so I was able to model some fun details here. This was quite simple. I masked off areas that had "new" paint. I then sprayed Vallejo rust all over it and once a little dry, I removed some with an alcoholic flat brush. After that, those lovely Windsor and Newton washes I'm in love with.




Here's that diner again, but with better lighting.


This last one, of course, my gon. Make sure you zoom in on that "black" container for some great texture. I'm like these the more I look at them. 


Thanks to DKS, Tom, and @TrainCat2 !

[VonRyan]

If I wasn't so terrible at using my DSLR for model photography, I'd build myself a nice photo diorama.
But then I'd have to weather stuff too, and the most I'm good at is spraying lots of dullcote.

Thanks for the inferiority complex Josh! 

[chicken45]

If I wasn't so terrible at using my DSLR for model photography, I'd build myself a nice photo diorama.
But then I'd have to weather stuff too, and the most I'm good at is spraying lots of dullcote.

Thanks for the inferiority complex Josh! 

Lol. Now is when I tell you these were taken with my iPhone 6!

[Santa Fe Guy]

All those cars look great Josh. Much better with good light too.
Rod.

[seusscaboose]

very nice.....   

how'd the PRR Convention go?