So just before the MIK started I was getting itchy and started a flat car kit that I acquired from my late friend Dick Whitny’s wife. I need a rail and tie flat for the work train.

Got tired of doing brown cars. But it still need to be used and abused. So am going with grey. I made a base coat of brown with a wash of ebony stain. Used the hairspray technique and then painted over in grey. I heck of a lot of chipping and I got a nice peeling paint effect. Another set of the wood bolster archbars are made for it as well.

Love the paint job, Devon. Looks very old and used. Great job. BTW: I have your coupler pockets ready. I’ll get Them pointed that way in the next day or so.

Sweet Dan,

Thanks.

Devon, what is the hairspray technique? Or is there a thread on it somewhere?

It’s all over YouTube. But it’s simple. You apply a base color coat of paint. Let that dry, then spray with hairspray, and let that dry. Finally, spray a coat of your top color. Let all that dry. Then working in small areas wet the paint. Then using a brush, pick, exacto knife (different tools get different results) scrap off the top coat revealing the paint underneath.

This has to be done with a top coat painted in acrylic paint. The water loosens it up. Some say to use an rattle can base coat or enamel base coat that way it is not loosened by the water.

Above I put on brown. Washed with ebony stain. The hairspray. Then grey. After it was chipped the I washed it with stain again.

It will be further weathered

The key with this method is the top coat. I’ve always used acrylics on the base coat and haven’t had a problem unless I don’t let the base coat dry for 24 hours before applying chipping fluid.

I buy the cheapest liquid hair spray I can find. That way I can spray it with my airbrush. Commerical chipping fluid works the same way. I haven’t experimented yet to see if diluting the hair spray makes different kinds of chipping vs. full strength. The commercial stuff has different levels of “chipping” strength.

Craig,

I too have always used acrylics for both top and base coat with little problem. Like you I use cheap hairspray but I don’t shoot it through my airbrush. I simply take the can and spray it on directly. I also use a pretty hefty coat.

Devon

Devon has plenty so he can maintain his hair doo …

The only reason I don’t spray direct from the can is I don’t think I get as even of coverage compared to the airbrush. I also buy the liquid hair spray. Theoretically, one could brush on hair spray that way…

Finished up the rail and tie car.

And here is the work train to date

Sweet! For a guy that feels like crap you have been crushing it!

It actually helps take my mind of it while being relaxing at the same time. I just put on a movie and sit at my table and just plug along.

Devon, that is a really cool set of cars.

Have to agree, a very nice well constructed set of cars… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)