# First Weathering Attempt



## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

The top photo is a Bachmann Ore Car which I just finished weathering. I used about four different Krylon spray cans and then added some dry brush work. The car was originally black.

The bottom photo is an AMS Box Car that I also weathered using spray cans and some dry brush work.

Since these are my first attempts at weathering, any helpful hints or suggenstions on how to improve the technique would be greatly appreciated. I have an airbrush that I have had for more than 10 years but I have never used it. I have never taken the time to figure out how to use it.

Somehow I did not get separation between the two pictures. I do not know how that happened. Maybe someone can tell me what I did wrong and fix it for me.

John


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Off to a good start! My only suggestion is to smear black/dark grey on the wood sides of the ore car then immediately wipe it off again with a rag before it can dry -- to bring out the 'wood' grain.


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## cephius (Jan 10, 2008)

John,
When you selected your photos, did you check mark two at once?

I post each picture separately just to control the spacing. Simply hit the space bar after each photo.


Your box car is looking good (I mean old







) 











I used a high gloss rust color wash to make the 'metal' parts stand out from the 'wood' painted with flat. I used pure silver bolt heads on the bed to make it look like they scraped clean.

Mine still need a little more dirt to look right.

Dave


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## Nohandles (Jan 2, 2009)

I would say for a first attempt that what you have done is pretty fine. Just a little more detail in the ore cars. Broken wood and chips. But the second car is awesome.


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## Matt Vogt (Jan 2, 2008)

You are off to a great start, John! 

Keep up the good work!


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice work John!


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## R.W. Marty (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi John,
That boxcar is looking really good. 

A couple of things you might want to try. Usually the weathering effect is a little lighter towards the top of the sides then it is at the bottom of the sides, if that makes sense.
Another thing I found effective on old, especially wood sided cars, is to use a little downward smear of white paint below the white lettering. Makes it look like leached paint has ran down. Sorta like this. Actually , now that I think about it. I used lacquer thinner on a rag to wipe down the dry transfere (paint) lettering to 
create this effect.










On the ore cars, as was suggested by MIK the detail needs to be brought out a little.
You might try getting a bottle of liquid leather dye (black)and mixing up a wash with alcohol about 1/4 and 3/4 and washing the entire car down and letting it dry and see how you like the effect. one thing about it you can weather right over it and start again if you don't like it.
I use the wash on everthing but i'm known coast to coast for going overboard on weathering.
Just some thoughts.
Rick Marty


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the comments. I will try some dilute black coloring.

Here is one of three log cars that I weathered. I did six wood ore cars, three V-Tip Ore cars and three log cars in about an hour. 

Not knowing exactly what I was doing, i just started spraying with various colors of spray paint. My main goal was to get rid of the shiney black plastic appearance of the basic cars.

This is the second log car.

This is one of the three V-Tip Ore cars.

I still do not understand why the pictures are coming out on top of each other. I tried to space them between the text. Obviously, I do not know what I am doing, I guess.

Anyway, this first attempt at weathering was fun and turned out quite well. 

I have about 25 other box cars and gondolas that will start on next.

Can anyone tell me how to weather the logs that come with the log cars? They are too shiney as they come.

John


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi,


Nice work on your weathering, to add some depth to the colors and threfore darken them try some acrylic 'craft' paints plus 10% windex, plus a lot of water to make the paint mix very thin, you must add the windex otherwise it won't bed down - it kills surface tension.

Rather than use just black, which is a very deadening color, use a very dark brown or dark grey - it will look much better then black. 

You can use black in the mix but only a small amount as it overpowers all other colors.

For the underframe a bristle brush could be better as the paint film can be scrubbed about with it; you do not need good brushes here! For the body the cheap' kids painting' fine hair brushes would be better. 


I have added a 'couple of taps of the spacebar ' between the photos to separate them for you. 


Thanks for the photos.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Plastic Logs? I say chuck 'em and get some kiln dried real ones.... unless you're going to leave them sit out in the weather all summer. 

or try a flat clear coat.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

John, your first attempt is a good one. Both the cars look great.... Super job. 

Much of weathering technique is up to the individual. Do it the way you like it. These are great...


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

John,

Very inspiring! That ore (?) car looks very good to me. But then, you gotta know, I don't know nuthin about weathering! I just know what I like.

Les


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Can someone tell me how those V skips are dumped? I had a discussion last winter, wherein I remember they weren't 'secured' during transit, loaded. It doesn't look like they'd self-tilt, so how was it emptied at destination? Manpower?

I have a serious thing about these side-dump gons, either the wing-sided (?) or the V type. 

John, your weathering looks great.

Les


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Les, 

Re the V shaped dump truck - 

Swing the lever shown on the end(which is a locking lever) and give the upper side of the V shape hopper a shove and over it goes!

The hopper will look like the gondola version when tipped.

Remember to jump off quick because they can leave the rails when dumping!!


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## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Peter,

Thanks. I'm smarter now than I was this morning!

Les


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

I used the "Insert Image" icon to post the pictures. After I added the first picture I hit "Enter" several times to put some space between the picture and the text. Then I added another picture.

But you can see how it turned out. The pictures were all crammed together with no spacing between them ands the text was all at the bottom.

I am not very computer savvy, so I have no idea why that is happening. 

I tried to post some pictures in the Railroad operations forum, in fact, I tried three times and the entire post never appeared. I still do not know what happened there.

I bought some cheap tubes of paint at Wal-Mart. Various colors, Burnt umber, Some browns, black and tan and reds. 

Next car I weather will get a treatment with them.


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi John, 

Try out your cheap paint(+windex+water) on the chassis first - the reason for that is the paint(color) grains MAY be a bit large and show, that is not what you want, though on the chassis it will not really matter as it can be hidden 'in the gloom' 

Model paints have the smallest grains - they cover well as a result, craft paints are next up in size.


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Does anybody here use powers or chalks to weather. I use them and like the how when i make a mistake i can start over.


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry i ment powders.


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## cephius (Jan 10, 2008)

Pete,
I use powers, and like the results: 










I used artist chalk for the rust on the hex nuts on these Hartland arch bar trucks


John

It seems something is removing excessive space in your case. You could place a character (like * ) for each line space you want to keep.

Dave


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## pcentral (Jan 3, 2008)

John, 
Nice job for your first time doing weathering! besides what R.W. has already said here are a couple other things to consider. On the top edge of the sides just below the roof line the paint should be a little darker than the rest of the side. In other words, the top 6 inches or so of the car sides would not be as weatherbeaten from the elements. The other thing I like to do is use a color like earth or sand (or a color close to your roadbed color) and lightly dust up at the car from below the trucks. I do most of my weathering with an airbrush but you could use rattle cans. I would recommend leaning the car over to one side so the wheels are about an inch or two off the ground. Then spray with your rattle can at a heavy paper that is angled towards the trucks or just under. Spraying at the paper and not the car will give you a finer mist that will swirl up at the car and simulate road dust. 

Hope this helps! 
Steve


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

For steam era, would you do the same, but very lightly, on top of the car to put some soot on the roof?


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