The weathering thoughts and tips thread

[drdave]

If you are here you already want to try techniques to weather your WW1 build to make it look even more realistic. Not necessarily used and abused, but used.

Please post your tips, philosophy or musings here.

My own view is that ww1 aircraft have particular weathering needs. Not just oily canvas and wood that needs wear, but other generic issues. I don't think generalised weathering methods like all over washes are realistic here for example. These planes are slow and have turbulent airflow thrown all around them. Much oil flow depends on gravity and  time on the ground for example.

How do you do a rusty exhaust? How do you muddy your wheels? Where does the weathering accumulate. We have experts and neophytes he all waiting to teach and learn new skills. Please post queries and tips and if you like period photos of planes with the effect you want to capture. Modelling is all about fooling the eye!

[Chris Johnson]

If you are here you already want to try techniques to weather your WW1 build to make it look even more realistic. Not necessarily used and abused, but used.

Great idea and a thread I'll be following closely. I'm trying some really basic weathering for the first time on my WnW Bristol Fighter. It's a given that I'll weather an AFV model but I have to admit that I'm very hesitant to experiment on aircraft models simply because of all the time and work I invest in just getting them built. The thoughts of ruining them with a weathering process gone awry is enough to give me pause.

Maybe if this thread garners enough interest, Des will consider pinning it.

Cheers,

Chris

[coyotemagic]

If you are here you already want to try techniques to weather your WW1 build to make it look even more realistic. Not necessarily used and abused, but used.

Great idea and a thread I'll be following closely. I'm trying some really basic weathering for the first time on my WnW Bristol Fighter. It's a given that I'll weather an AFV model but I have to admit that I'm very hesitant to experiment on aircraft models simply because of all the time and work I invest in just getting them built. The thoughts of ruining them with a weathering process gone awry is enough to give me pause.

Maybe if this thread garners enough interest, Des will consider pinning it.

Cheers,

Chris

I feel the same way, Chris.  That's why I use water colors, oils and pastels for my weathering.  Until you spray a clear coat over them, they can all be washed off.
Cheers,
Bud

[LindsayT]

This will certainly be a go-to thread, Drdave. Thanks for posting it. I'll start by offering that I'm a complete and utter neophyte, and while I don't have any techniques to share, per se, I will offer an interesting thought / leading question I read about just recently, but can't for the life of me recall where.

Has anyone used actual rust powder to add rust to their exhaust pipes? It's easy enough to get steel wool to rust. Just collect the rust powder as it accumulates on the wool and use that kind of like pastel powder. My question to the group is what colour should the base coat on the pipes be?

Here's hoping this thread takes off...

Lindsay

[ALBATROS1234]

there is a product called rustall which seems to be an alcohol based solution with free floating rust in it.it is used mostly by afv modellers. you apply it in layers to get the level of rust you want. the intial coat is barely noticeable except like a wash that pools in recessed areas. if you put 12-15 coats you get solid rust which even forms a crusty texture. i have done exhausts using this over a painted black/dry brushed with steel. i have also applied rust colored pastel powder scrubbed onto a similarly painted exhaust. for larger exhausts i have used talcom powder and matt varnish to create texture then painted accordingly. it is usefull to look at how afv do things like rust and apply them to aircraft. for oily sheen on engines as well as castor oil staining you cant beat tamiya smoke thinned with alcohol with burnt umber acrylic paint added to impart a more brownishness to the greasy funk. another thing ive been using for a while like a wash is a mix of black and sepia india ink mixed with water until the desired thinness is acheived this drys matte. a stiff wide flat brush dipped in either of the 2 above concoctions can be used to splatter/fling oil or grime by fanning the bristles in the direction of airflow. i love weathering its so fun.

[Edo]

Real rust is a great medium to work with.... I saw some AFV modellers do amazing things with it. I even tried it myself and I had amazing results (to my stsndards, at least  ).
To use rust, collect it as Lindsay has told, the longer the wool steel stays in water the darker the rust will be.
Overcoat the part of whichever color you need ( i.e. black-brown if you want an overall rust finish or, using the salt tecnique, black-brown plus any base coat if you want a partially rusty surface), then spry the part with some sticky medium (hair srpy works fine with me) ans sprinkle your base rust (I use a pretty dark one, the shadow of burnt sienna, let's say). When it is cured you can go over it in a random pattern with lighter or darker shadow of rust. I usually range from orange to black. For this purpose I use also pastel powder, works great.
Give it a try, not that difficult as is seems.
I'll post some pictures soon...
Ciao
Edo

[drdave]

True, but they get colour variation etc.  Remember the days pre catalytics, when a hot exhaust would have white soot inside after a fast run or black if just ticking over?

I use Alclad pale burnt metal, burnt Iron and exhaust manifold in layers. I think its important the exhaust is Matt even if the rest of the model is glossy. I've never seen a shiny uniform coloured exhaust.

[Edo]

I know... a bit out of scope, but I promised a picture of what a medium modeller like me could acheive with rust....
The technique is what I already described....
hope you enjoy...

p.s. spruce and line DON'T rust !!!
ciao
Edo

[Chris Johnson]

With all the oil, heat, and relatively short life span, I very much doubt exhausts developed much other than a little surface rust from time to time.

I tend to agree so I'm hoping to see further posts on how to achieve a realistic looking burned exhaust rather than a rusty one.

Cheers,

Chris

[uncletony]

With all the oil, heat, and relatively short life span, I very much doubt exhausts developed much other than a little surface rust from time to time. Airfix and Matchbox propogated the myth that exhausts were brick red, but I've never seen a real exhaust that was that rusty. I prefer to start with metallic grey and weather with black, blue, and dark brown. If I want a little surface rust I use matt orange.

[IvotB]

Seems to be a new picture. What would be the life span of this exhaust 

But seriously: Given the harsh conditions for operation -heat on the inside, freezing on the outside, moisture when flying through clouds and rain on the field- rust is to be expected.

The reddish color though also advised by WNW is too much. I gave my D.VII a coat according to instructions and that looked terrible. But after applying Modelmasters burnt iron metaliser and buffing it after 30 minutes I was quite satisfied. At some places the reddish color shines through the burnt iron and at others it doesn't. I like the result.

regards,
Ivo

[drdave]

Heres some stuff.







a ripped up old sponge dabbed in dark wood dabbed on where the mud would splash





and here's the exhaust. Note the over enthusiastic drilling out



smoke between ribs and over the radiator.

[drdave]

[lawman56]

I have fallen in love with MIG products weathering pigments. They take a few tries to get right, but the results are amazing. A technique he mentions on his blog, and has worked well for me with AFVs, is to paint the exhaust in a base rust color. I tend to use Model Masters Burnt Sienna. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle ordinary baking soda on it. This creates that texture of constant heat and water, resulting in the pitting we all know. After the paint is allowed to dry, repaint in a slightly lighter shade of your base color. Once you're satisfied with the results, do any shadowing or highlighting you like.

My only suggestion is to look at everyday machineray around you. the exhaust on a lawn tractor or push mower is a great example. so is any sort of heavy construction equipment, the exhaust manifold of your car, etc...

Hope that helps some. 

[ALBATROS1234]

in regard to mig pigments, this is where i started. i found later that my local fine art supply shop has large jars of paint grade pigments for half the price of a small jar of mig. the colors are titles like burnt umber, raw sienna,etc. but you can buy 4 basic earth tones and mix any color mig produces. i got these small snap lid plastic jars. i take a bit of this and that and mix on a paper plate. when happy i transfer this to the small jars. to apply heavy mud(like on an armor model) i take floquil matt varnish. dip my brush collect some pigment and dab and smear. it dries looking like crusty mud. for spatters i mix a runny mix and use a wide stiff brush. once i dip it i rake the bristles with my thumb causeing random spatters to fly. make sur you do this in the direction of travel. you can also find other things at art supply stores like pastels for rust tones. all you do is scrub them back and forth on some 100-200 sand paper and you have a pile of rust colored dust. scrub this on a gunmetal(humbrol metal cote) exhaust and you get a very convincing exhaust. also i got this graphite stick, i use it in stick for by dragging it along the edges of something metal,like armor treads or the worn edges of a cowling. you can also rub it back and forth on the sandpaper to make graphite powder to apply to a black painted gun giving a realistic metallic blued sheen.cheers