3D printed Code 40 Wood Ties Strips - Quick Pics

[timwatson]

Nice work @ednadolski I find that if I paint the track a light color and use a dark wash the correct vibe comes through. It basically highlights the top of the grain and then add the chalk like you have there.

[ednadolski]

Nice work @ednadolski I find that if I paint the track a light color and use a dark wash the correct vibe comes through. It basically highlights the top of the grain and then add the chalk like you have there.

I think I will try a darker wash, perhaps a Raw Umber (I was afraid a straight black would be too strong).   I'm going for an effect like this, tho I am not too sure that it will have those deeper checks:



It's always rather different how the camera sees it and how the eye sees it in person.

Ed

[ednadolski]

A couple of quick washes later, using Ivory Black, Raw Umber, and Burnt Umber oils thinned w/alcohol....





Ed

[Cajonpassfan]

Ed, following with much interest! Code 40 just looks so good!
A few years back we were stuck in a siding in Poughkeepsie of all places, and staring out the window, I was struck by the variety of colors and textures present on the adjacent mainline, so I took this photo for future reference. Perhaps you'll find it helpful; I know I have. Enjoying your efforts!
Otto K.

[haasmarc]

The ties look great!

Any chance you could give the formula for painting them to look like that?  That lighter chalky look is what I seem to be missing.

[wvgca]

i used an airbrush to weather my track, a mix of krylon red, yellow and brown . a darker / rusty colour, i then took a small brush and did the top of the ties, with a cream / whitish wash for the look of ties with little to no creosote left .. this was for a back woods 1890s layout ..
the yellow post is a marker for where the supermagnets are embedded between the track rails ..

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[peteski]

So what you use for N s cale ballast Ed?
 It looks pretty realistic (color and size of the grains).  In the N/Z section there is a current thread about what to use for ballast, and sand is being tossed around lately.  Your ballast doesn't look like sand to me. Sand grains are usually smooth, rounded shapes (like river rock), while ballast is more faceted.

[wazzou]

Looks like Smith & Sons Penn/Ohio blend to me.

[ednadolski]

Actually it is some of the old Highball limestone stuff that I had lying around.   I sifted it to different grades for each scale.  I do wish this (and the S+S) were still available.

Ed

[peteski]

Actually it is some of the old Highball limestone stuff that I had lying around.   I sifted it to different grades for each scale.  I do wish this (and the S+S) were still available.

Ed

Ah, sifted. So this is not something available ready-to-use in larger quantities. 

[ednadolski]

Yes, it is labeled as HO. I sift thru a #40, #60, and #80 screens and use the first two for HO and the last two for N.

Ed

[ednadolski]

Just a quick snap, next to some HO ME track....



I've noticed that with a higher-up shelf level (like near-shoulder height) it actually gets a bit harder to discern the details.

Can't really see it in this pic, but one thing about some flex tracks is that from a lower viewing angle you can usually see some of the web between the ties, esp. if the ballast is lower than the rail base.

Ed

[ednadolski]

Any chance you could give the formula for painting them to look like that?

There isn't really much of a formula per se.   I prime with a light gray primer, then add washes of varying tones of browns/umbers/grays.  I prefer to use alcohol for the washes since it settles in a little better, and accelerate the drying with a hair dryer.   The rail and tieplates also have a coating of the powdered pigments.  I will also very lightly drybrush with some lighter gray and beige/tan tones, tho one has to be careful about overdoing that.

I think you need to experiment to see what colors give the look you want, but here is what I used for this sample:

 - Primer: Tamiya spray can primer
 - Wash tones: MM RR Tie Brown, Vallejo Slate Gray, Vallejo Light Gray, Raw Umber and Ivory Black Artists Oils
 - Drybrushing: Light Beige/Linen craft acrylics (I can't recall the exact ones).
 - Pigments: Bragdon Old Tuscan, and AIM (now Monroe?) Light Rust.

I also add a tiny bit of Black India Ink to the washes when I want to darken them.

HTH,
Ed

[JeffB]

I think you need to experiment to see what colors give the look you want, but here is what I used for this sample:

- Primer: Tamiya spray can primer

Tamiya spray primer...  Worth its weight in gold!

I buy the big cans in case lots (6per) on the recommendation of chris333...  Great stuff, you'll use it once and never go back to the "cheap" big box store primers again!

Jeff

[haasmarc]

There isn't really much of a formula per se.   I prime with a light gray primer, then add washes of varying tones of browns/umbers/grays.  I prefer to use alcohol for the washes since it settles in a little better, and accelerate the drying with a hair dryer.   The rail and tieplates also have a coating of the powdered pigments.  I will also very lightly drybrush with some lighter gray and beige/tan tones, tho one has to be careful about overdoing that.

I think you need to experiment to see what colors give the look you want, but here is what I used for this sample:

 - Primer: Tamiya spray can primer
 - Wash tones: MM RR Tie Brown, Vallejo Slate Gray, Vallejo Light Gray, Raw Umber and Ivory Black Artists Oils
 - Drybrushing: Light Beige/Linen craft acrylics (I can't recall the exact ones).
 - Pigments: Bragdon Old Tuscan, and AIM (now Monroe?) Light Rust.

I also add a tiny bit of Black India Ink to the washes when I want to darken them.

HTH,
Ed

Thanks Ed.  I will give it a try.