Painting / weathering N engine trucks with NO airbrush

[wmcbride]

Usually I use my airbrush to weather my N-scale engine trucks. However, today I do not have the energy to airbrush. Plus it's just one engine.

For those of you who don't use an airbrush to weather, how to you get a good flat finish on the plastic truck side frames to which paint and weathering powders can adhere? Brush paint a flat acrylic clear coat? Or ... ?

Thanks,

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I've never really had problems using Poly Scale right on trucks (if they're clean).

I know the theoretical problems, but I've never seen them.

[ednadolski]

A flat acrylic clear coat from either a brush or airbrush won't bond any better if you are talking about trucks made from a shiny slippery plastic such as Delrin.  For painting those I first use an adhesion promoter like this: 

http://www.autozone.com/paint-and-body/primer/dupli-color-clear-aerosol-adhesion-promoter-primer/460112_0_0/

Follow the manufacturer's directions, and then you can apply the topcoat however you like.

(I believe that these products work by actually etching the surface of the plastic.)

Ed

[wmcbride]

I've never really had problems using Poly Scale right on trucks (if they're clean).

I know the theoretical problems, but I've never seen them.

I had one truck that had adhesion problems and it was probably because I failed to wash it correctly...

[wmcbride]

A flat acrylic clear coat from either a brush or airbrush won't bond any better if you are talking about trucks made from a shiny slippery plastic such as Delrin.  For painting those I first use an adhesion promoter like this: 

http://www.autozone.com/paint-and-body/primer/dupli-color-clear-aerosol-adhesion-promoter-primer/460112_0_0/

Follow the manufacturer's directions, and then you can apply the topcoat however you like.

(I believe that these products work by actually etching the surface of the plastic.)

Ed

Thanks, Ed.

I had used some adhesion promotor on some HO trucks and handrails a few years ago.

I was just being lazy and didn't want to have 1. clean my airbrush and/or 2. have to mask around the frames if I went with an aerosol (like the adhesion promoter).

I do have some various acrylic flat varnishes (Vallejo and Model Master) and I will give that a try, too...

[peteski]

I was just being lazy and didn't want to have 1. clean my airbrush and/or 2. have to mask around the frames if I went with an aerosol (like the adhesion promoter).

You know, being lazy results in poor quality models. 

[wmcbride]

You know, being lazy results in poor quality models. 

Ha! But it's only the trucks and they should look "bad" anyway...

[peteski]

Ha! But it's only the trucks and they should look "bad" anyway...

Ha!  But weathering can also be done well or crappy.  It takes well-done weathering job to make the trucks look really "bad"!
Whip out that airbrush and start spraying! 

[tom mann]

I've been using the Vallejo primer and that works pretty well.

[Spades]

From MRH weathering without an airbrush:

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/12126

also

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-2014-08-aug/rustbucket-weathering

[wmcbride]

I've been using the Vallejo primer and that works pretty well.

I was going to try some Vallejo clear flat but work/life got in the way since my original query.

Which primer; the Vallejo grey surface primer?

Thanks,

[ednadolski]

You know, being lazy results in poor quality models. 

For me at least,  there are too many times when being lazy ends up causing more work than not. 

Ed

[tom mann]

I was going to try some Vallejo clear flat but work/life got in the way since my original query.

Which primer; the Vallejo grey surface primer?

Thanks,

That or the black, depending on what you're trying to copy.