Paint, stain, etc.
You’d think oil base would be better for trestles and buildings.
TOG
For wood, I always use oil based stain. I buy stain at the discount table at Lowe’s or Home Depot, stir well, and dump it in a big glass jar. Doesnt matter the color, it always ends up creosote color eventually. I then soak my ties and stuff before assembly.
For buildings and stuff, I use flat latex house paint, again off the discount table.
I stick with oil-based exterior stains and paint because the building and trestles stay outside year around. Our harsh winds and sun here in the Soutwest are just that – harsh!
I use latex. The painters tell me it’s good for 15 years on my house, so why not? Easier clean-up, simple to thin if I need to airbrush it, and–in the case of the shade of red I use on my stations–in plentiful supply. (One gallon goes a LONG way.) For stains, I’ll use oil-based Minwax, but I’ll also typically use a cheap, disposable brush so I don’t have to deal with cleanup. I’ve not tried their water-based stains except on one piece of furniture, so I’m not sure how it would stand up outdoors. But on the other hand, if I’m just staining a piece of wood, the thought is that it would weather eventually anyway, so if the stain doesn’t hold up, it’s no big deal. Weathered grey is just as effective.
Later,
K
Well you cannot even buy oil based stains or paints here anymore, they be VOC outlaws!
I figure if latex is good enough for homes (including mine) then it’s good enough for scale models.
I’ve been using the oil-based Minwax stains on bridge ties and my first small trestles, but haven’t been impressed with the results after more than a year of constant exposure to the elements. Also, it’s a pain getting anything to stick to a piece of wood after it’s been stained. Maybe if you let it dry for a month or two prior to assembly it might work, but I don’t have that much patience.
I know a guy who used old tractor engine oil to stain his trestle bents. The trestle has held together for over 10 years.
jb, you know him too.
madwolf
If you are thinking about Jens’ trestle, it’s about 15 years old now.
On my trestles I always use stain. This is not like the real stain we used to get years ago,after a few years the trestle starts to get gray where the stain has gone. I’ve finally decided if thats what its going to do ,fine. The trestles will outlast me!
I make my buildings with a 3/4x 3/4 frame and cover it with soft masonite. Years ago GR had a series on making buildings and this was one of the ways they showed .They also said that the buildings would warp after a while. I thought this would give character to them. The oldest buildings I have are about 15 years old and have been outside constantly for abou 14 years. They still look fine! Every 5 years or more I put another coat of paint on them if they need it. I think the reason they are doing so well is putting a couple of coats of latex primer on all areas inside and out and not leaving any raw masonite show. Recently I’ve started putting gravel under the buildings to keep them out of the dirt. This should also help.