I got around to weathering another car last night. I figured I would take some progression pics of the process, so somebody new can see what it looks like. Also, what it looks like inside is completely different than what it will look like outside.

I know I’m a novice at this…since this is only car number 4 that I have done, but I figured it might somebody just starting out like I am. Pictures are always good!

Sorry the pictures are crappy, it was late last night, minimal light in the room, and I took them with my phone.

I’ve already applied one coat of dulcoat to the car. Then I start.

First coat of weathering is done and I’ve applied more dulcoat

more weathering, more dulcoat

yet another coat of both

I’m calling this side done, need to weather the bottom now. I know what you’re thinking. IT’S DARK! But trust me. It’s the lighting.

more weathering, more dulcoat

And it’s done. Well, this side is. I still need to touch up the steps, but it’s basically done.

And here it is outside in natural light.

Nicely done! To me, one of the marks of good weathering (like making a painting by the way!) is that you could stop anywhere along the line and the work would be a success. I think you’ve achieved that; and, you seem to have a knack for this, so I hope you continue and keep us updated on your work.

Do you use an air brush, or a rattle can?

Thanks John! I’ll keep posting.

Steve, I use a rattle can for the dulcoat. And it’s actually Krylon colormaster clear in flat. The weathering is dry brushed on after I spray it. I let it dry for a few minutes…or dry it with a hair dryer. Then start brushing on the weathering.

Matt,

Nice pics but what did you do ?

What did you use for weathering ?

1)Paint

2)Powder

3)Chalk

4)Other

5)Real dirt

What brushes did you use?

1)Artist

2)Makeup brushes

3)pads, wipes

4. Q-Tips

What colors?

Would be very helpful for the newer members to know.

The car does look good but we don’t know how you got there.

Dave,

For these coal cars I’m using real dirt. I do have chalks, but I wasn’t able to get the color right. Next time I’m near a hobby lobby I plan on picking some more up. The coal cars that are around here have a bronze/gold tint on the panels and I couldn’t achieve that with the chalks I had. One day I was outside working on the layout and though, hmmm…wonder what that would look like. I went and got a freezer bag from inside and put some dirt in it. I let it dry out for quite a while, probably a week, and now it’s a fine powder form of dirt. For the black, I’m using charcoal. I don’t use very much of it. Very little goes a LONG way. And once it’s dark, there is no turning back.

The brushes I got from Wal-Mart. They are Royal Langnickel Brush Value pack. They are acrylic, watercolor and temperas brushes. I think the pack was like $5. For the panels I’m using the fat brush. The next size down is what I use to rust the wheels/trucks/couplers.

First, I spray the car with Krylon Colormaster Clear Flat. You can find it at walmart. Once it’s dried I use the paint brush to sprinkle some dirt on the panels. Then use the brush to brush it in. I brush it in up and down. Not in a circle or side to side. The brush will scratch the clear coat and put dirt in it. So, what ever direction you are brushing will be how the weathering sets in. After I brush the loose dirt off the rivets and corners, I spray it with another coat of clear. Repeat the process until desired color. Now, that being said. If you were going to run them indoors, I’m not sure they would look right. They look much darker under fluorescent lights. The sun makes them look like the real thing. I normally try to weather them during the day out in enclosed breezeway that gets a ton of sun.

For the trucks and wheels I will make a separate post with pictures in it.

I don’t think this method would look good on any other type of car either. This takes the plastic and makes it look like dirty aluminum. I plan on doing a railbox car and a grain car next. I will try some different methods on them. I spoke with Mike Dorsch a week or so ago, and he gave me some good tips.

I hope some of this helps and clears things up.

Thanks!

Well Matt, for me it’s clear. But hope a somewhat newbie to the hobby steps in and says that’s clear to me.

Thanks for the quick response

Matt, that’s an excellent description of what you’ve done. I especially like the tip about doing the weathering under the light that you will be using to run them in, natural light if outside, and indoor light if inside.

Your work is getting better with each car. Looks real cool !

looks great

its a slippery slope: all it takes is one weathered car to make the rest look like toys

John K. Saunders said:

looks great

its a slippery slope: all it takes is one weathered car to make the rest look like toys

Shhhhh. don’t let the secret out. Let him find out for himself.

Dave, Thanks! I was hoping what I typed made sense. I know when I was looking for weathering info I couldn’t find any real directions. There were several videos on youtube and posts here and there, but all the info was the same. I just didn’t know where or how to start. I had several guys here get me going in the right direction.

Thanks Steve! I really does make a big difference. Even my first car that I messed up, doesn’t look to terrible outside. lol.

Thanks Mike! I’m going to use some of your tips you gave my on my next car.

John, David…you have no idea. My ocd is in full swing. lol. That AML csx grain hopper stands out like a sore thumb. So does the railbox car. Almost everything I own will now have some form of weathering. Some light, some more realistic. I say almost. The Chessie Gp…will not. I’m leaving it clean. The csx sd40-2, will be weathered…eventually. I’m waiting until I get better. But this pic below…ugh, I can’t stand the aml grain car. The NW one I have is no better.

Matt I wouldn’t call myself a weathering newbie but I am a novice. It made sense to me. The only thing I would add for clarity is that you are setting the dirt with an over coat of dual coat. Even though it is acting as both a base and an overcoat I am assuming you are ending with a spray of dull coat?.

Matt, a light dusting of dust and maybe a very light bit of road grime along the bottom of some cars would look good. They don’t all need to be coated in grime. I know you said something to that effect, I just want to clarify that point a bit. I do that light weathering with a lot of my home road cars. I don’t run a junkyard, I run a railroad.

As for having a clean car or two, that too is prototypical. Cars are clean when they are new, and the paint takes a while to loose its gloss, and start to fade. So you don’t have to weather all of your cars.

Devon, yes I end by spraying with dull coat.

David, I don’t plan on making everything dirty. But those AML cars need the fake plastic look taken off them. I won’t do much to the 55 foot tanker. I like it clean for some reason. I’ll probably just dirty the trucks/wheels up on it. Nothing to drastic though. I don’t plan on rusting out the whole lot of rolling stock. Like you said, it’s a railroad not a scrap yard. lol.

The next batch of bethgon’s I get I plan on just taking the shine off two of them. Then I’ll run them in a random order to vary the colors.

Yes, I agree, the plastic look of many cars needs to be toned down.

I see many tank cars that still have a shine on them, and others that aren’t dirty, but the shine is gone. Wheels and trucks should have at least a little rust on them, since they are not painted. They are treated and that gives them the black colour, but they are left unpainted so any defects, specially cracks, will be more visible. New wheels already have a bit of rust on them before they even go under a freight car.

I am a fan of weathering, and I would weather most of my fleet if I had the time, and if it wouldn’t torque off my mom. But most of my fleet would just have a bit of road grime and dust. Of course, nature is already providing the dust part for me. What I don’t like, weathering wise, is the railroads where everything looks like it was pulled from the scrap yard. Your bethgons look like the real ones I see running around here, far from being scrap yard finds. So, keep up the good work, you may inspire me to dirty up my fleet a bit. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

I completely agree David. Some tankers just look chalky on top…just lost the shine. I’ll probably just dirty up the wheels on it. I like the white. I think the USA Trains cars just look better un-weathered because they aren’t plastic. The AML cars look really plasticky…don’t think that’s real word. lol. The Aristo cars are not as bad, but still don’t look right.

I appreciate the kind words! Thanks!!

I think you should strip them coal hoppers down to bare plastic, and repaint, then try weathering them…

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)Couldn’t resist

Andy, that’s a great idea. I could strip them then turn them into chessie bethgons! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

Matt Russell said:

Andy, that’s a great idea. I could strip them then turn them into chessie bethgons! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

or Bluestone Southern even…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)