One of the many things I need to learn to do is weather models.

The book Done in a Day by Pelle Soeeborg was recommended to me as a good place to start, and I picked up a copy, only to be somewhat disappointed it was all on modern equipment. Still, the techniques seemed sound, so I thought I'd see if I could learn something.

I gathered, the airbrush, paints, and weathering powders (still new in the box!) and decided to have at.

CV 43002

Fresh from the box.

The car before any work.

a coat of washed down gray from the airbrush. Look at those spots! That's what I get from using tap water instead of distilled water.

The spots wiped off, and than a couple of coats of Doc O'brien's weathering powders, and some dull coat. Man the dull coat really tones down the powders! The end result, shown here, wasn't inspiring.

But one advantage is you can always add more. I pulled the car off, took it apart, and hit it with more powders along the lower half.

and another coat of lighter yellow/sand.

After dull coat, on the layout with an untouched car.

 

A flash shot to show off the trucks and wheels.

There is a difference, and it definitely looks better than the shiny plastic it started with. I'm going to stop with this one for now, and try my hand with another model. Hey, how about that one to the left!

B&M 13146

The "pre" picture.

with the first coat of gray spray. Note I modified my mix, used distilled water and 10% alcohol, but still got spotting. I decided to go with it, and as I have a two stage air bursh, just used the air only feature to "push" the spots around. In the end, it really did make a gray wash, so that's something.

Next was a light coat of poly scale roof brown on the bottom edges and underside.

and than the dry powder treatment.

After that, dull coat .

I did the roof purposely darker, to represent what I think should be soot and exhaust for a transitional car from this period, If I'm wrong, let me know!

MDT 13805

Pre-picture

With gray wash (done at the same time as the B&M reefer above).

Same brown wash along the bottom half

And after powders and dull coat.