What kind of paint is best for painting and/or weathering plastic rolling stock?
To some, it may seem like sacrilige, but for base colors, I use cans of spraypaint from the hardware store. There are lots of interesting colors once you get past the regular stuff. You can get farm equipment colors, and all sorts of stuff. Here’s a shot of my boxcab freshly painted in “Allis Chalmers orange”
and then with some weathering applied.
Same here. I just use Krylon rattle cans, both primer, colors, and dull coating.
As to weathering, I use earth tone chalks.
jb
I’ll use either Krylon spray cans or Folk Art craft acrylics. The acrylics are very cheap–usually less than $1 per bottle, and available in a wide variety of colors. Check your local Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, or other large craft store. Watch the paper for sales, you can sometimes get them for around 50¢ per bottle.
Both the box car and passenger car were painted with the Folk Art paint. The box car was brush painted, the passenger car was airbrushed.
For weathering, I almost always use the acrylics, either as a wash or drybrush. This shot shows both techniques. The car was washed with a dilute black wash, then the steps and end beam were drybrushed with grey and silver paint to simulate worn spots.
The roofwalks are also painted. The roof was first sprayed with a primer grey (along with the rest of the car), and then painted over with a somewhat thinned tan paint, allowing some of the grey to show through. Then, I went back and drybrushed some brown paint to add some highlights and bring out some more texture. The tarpaper roof was painted with a dark grey acrylic, with the “tar” sealer brush painted with black paint. Incidentally, construction details can be found here: http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=37979 Later, K
I also use mostly Krylon spraycans but this caboose was done mostly with Bondo grey and black primer.
Light weathering was done with Krylon’s Camouflage medium brown and Bondo red (rust color) primer. The building is entirely done with various Krylon spraycans. These colors are all flat except for the yellow which was flattened by weathering and a cleat flat overspray.
Another Krylon commercial: The tank car was painted with Krylon black; the boxcar with Krylon ruddy brown primer; the locomotive with Krylon dark green.
I am a big Krylon fan too. Even the big commercial paint dealer near me doesn’t understand the difference between Krylon and Rustoleum and other enamels.
It’s real simple. Krylon (The regular, not Plastic Fusion or H2O) is a lacquer. Rustoleum and most everything else is an enamel. Why would this matter? Look at the re-coat instructions… Krylon says you can re-coat any time. Rustoleum is re-coat soon, or wait 48 hours. If you don’t follow the advice and re-coat an enamel too late, you get an orange peel effect [which can be a weathering technique].
Lacquers, like Krylon, flash out the solvent very quickly resulting in a quick dry-to-touch and no trouble re-coat. Because they dry so quickly, they are also easier to paint without runs.
Same can be said of air brush paints. Lacquer based paint will go on easier, enamels are a real pain. I’m quite sure that Floquil is a lacquer. Testors small bottles are enamel. Acrylics are OK too so long as you don’t thin with tap water.
Of course this needs to come with the “Please paint responsibly” warning. I learned that one the hard way and couldn’t smell anything for almost 5 years.
JR
Thanks for the info! BTW, how do you use chalks for weathering? I’ve heard of many people that use them but haven’t seen anything about the technique.
All y’all (for those of you born north of the Mason-Dixon Line, and especially for Hans :), that is the plural of y’all) have done marvelous work, and with rattle cans to boot! I am impressed. I have been laboring under the impression that one had to be a master of the airbrush to achieve that level of sophistication.
Bravo Zulu.
madwolf
Ray Dunakin said:I use a piece of sandpaper (100 grit) and rub the chalk on it to make dust. Then with a fine artist brush (various widths) apply the chalk dust as streaks, etc. Then seal the whole thing with a shot of dull coat to see the results. You will prolly need to repeat this two or three times to get the desired effect. I sometimes rub the chalk stick right on the object I'm weathering, also. jb
Thanks for the info! BTW, how do you use chalks for weathering? I've heard of many people that use them but haven't seen anything about the technique.
Steve Featherkile said:
All y'all (for those of you born north of the Mason-Dixon Line, and especially for Hans :), that is the plural of y'all) have done marvelous work, and with rattle cans to boot! I am impressed. I have been laboring under the impression that one had to be a master of the airbrush to achieve that level of sophistication.Bravo Zulu.
madwolf
I gave up on the airbrush years ago. Too freakin lazy to keep cleaning everything after just a moments use. It’s far easier to grab a rattle can and let 'er spray.
jb