WEATHERING A READING 40 FT BOXCAR INPROGRESS

Nice work!  How do you guys get the bubbling rust look? Thanks

Looks really good!!!  Great job!  I'd be afraid to try this

Off topic, how did you get the old-weathered wood look (picture 5)

To do the bubbling rust I used water based painters oil, burnt sienna, I used a very small paint brush, dab a bit of the paint where I want rust.  Take a old dry sponge and cut a piece off it, dab sponge on oil spot on car.  Clean that tiny paint brush and pat dry, use that brush and go around the rust outline to smooth the edges that's it.  hope that makes sense.  Nick  

To do the weathered wood I get a gallon size baggie, add a mess load of stirrers, popsicle sticks and any other wood you want stained.  I then pour into the baggie some black and burnt sienna Indian Ink ( get at hobby lobby or other Art store).  I also add some rubbing alcohol with water to dilute it all.  Mix in bag well, let set a few hours, remove sticks from bag and let completely dry, in well ventilated area I may add.  I use Titebond wood glue to glue these together.  After every thing is dry and in place I dry brush all the wood with a water based acrylic to give it that old age appearance.  As for amounts of die it takes just a few drops or so.  The alcohol helps it absorb into the wood.  Hope this helps, very easy to do, just make sure you die the wood before gluing or you may weaken the glue if you reverse your order.   Nick    

Nick

     Excellent work! You can also use baking soda to build up the rust. add it to wet paint, let dry, shape if needed and then use watered down paint for the final color. it will wick this up. Roofs are tough. usually they are just faded with rust added depending on how much you want to age them.

Attached are a few to show.

Best

Ray Marion

  No, cut the sponge big enough to hold.  Put the dab of oil on the area you want to rust.  Take the cut piece of sponge and push it into the oil spot and then remove sponge.  It will give you that bubbling effect.  Then take the paint brush and draw around the edges with it to fade it out.  Hope that clarifies it.  Go to           tws-rustbucket.com and you will find a lot of helpful hints.  Nick 

  Ray, thanks for the info and photos.  I have heard of the baking soda trick before and used that trick on a pick-up for the micro build. Some nice rusty cars there.  Nick

grease and grime.  gotta love the realism

If I may, from years of building 1/35 armor models{tanks}, some of the things that add detail pop are good washes. My favorite washes are light grey for dust, burnt umber for rust, and black for dirt/grime. I'll use my air brush to fade in washes for rust stain runs. Another thing to try is powders, but those take more than you'd think to get your effect because you loose some of it when claer coating it to seal it{flat clear}. I also like the baking soda or salt dabs for bubbled/rusted areas. A base coat of rust in that area, followed by either the salt or soda, when dry paint over it with the top coat{matching the pre-rust base color...or close}, then carefully scrape away the top coat to reveal the bubbly rust..I prefer salt because you can use your fingers to remove it...your call. Back grinding or drilling can slso give you rust "holes"...grind/drill to the point of a bubble forming on the outside and shave that bump off for a hole. You can make them as big or small, as often or few as you like. 

BTW..nice rust stain effects via a brush! I'll add a few pics for the salt method so you can see what to expect..and yeah they aren't all train stuff...the one is though! 

Bob,  I think I will try the salt trick on my next car.  I like that look on the old car.  I agree on the powders, my first car was done all in powders.  It was ok just not what I was hoping for. Thanks for sharing and the input.  I hope to have this car finished in the next day or two. Nick

Cool, I think you'll like that technique. You can use fine or course{sea} salt - your call per the desired effect. The key is to do this before any weathering and once the area{s} to be rust stricken are painted rust color, apply the salt and let it dry, then paint the origonal car color over that{spot on or close is fine, then weather away. Applying the water down via a brush, sprinkle the salt on...add/remove to liking and let "that side" dry...flip her over and do another. Watch your handling of it till it gets a good top coat of paint....just rub off the salt with your fingers or an eraser when done. 

What you've done with your weathering is great since you used oils...I like acrylics myself thru an AB, but you guys can work/rework your paints far easier due to the longer drying time...you just can't add thinner to acrylics and rework it once it's down. I'm a creature of habit though.....