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Post by arsenix2001 on May 17, 2018 12:26:00 GMT -5
I am finally getting to the point where my layout is nearing completion and I am starting things such as scratch building buildings etc. I have adhesive weathering powders and acrylic paints and wanted to try my hand at weathering the rolling stock. Now that I have it all placed on the layout, it looks very stand out as everything is bright and shiny new. I enjoy the weathered look on the cars but my concern is resale value. I may ditch z and go back to N or HO in 2-3 years once I buy my “forever” home and have space for a permanent layout. What is your feeling on this and how many of you have opted to weather? Any tips?
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Post by BAZman on May 17, 2018 12:41:40 GMT -5
You might notice the continued release of Micro-Trains weathered releases and my continued ebay purchases of other scale cars pre-weathered. I've been weathering most all of mine (100's) for years now and not only do I feel comfortable in the realistic look but so do the visitors are the train shows. If you do weather, research a bit. Klambach Publishing has 'How To' books along with YouTube and other sources, especially Tom Mann's. Jürg Rüedi has a sight but right now its HO but you'll get the picture www.flickr.com/photos/150804401@N05/with/34941879323/Why would you not want to have weathered cars? If you decide not to, at least spray the 'factory shine' off using Testor's Dull-Cote or other flat lacquer. You'll need it anyway to seal the dry powders, or you'll see your fingerprints in all your fine work.
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Post by markm on May 17, 2018 13:25:16 GMT -5
I'm not a big fan of weathering. For me, too many people weather far too heavy as compared to the typical prototype. That said, I do own a number of weathered items, both "mass" produced and custom. I'm willing to pay MSPR+ for well executed custom weathering.
What I go for are "patched" rolling stock and application specific weathering: tank cars stains down their sides from the fill and grimy exit fittings, hoppers with basic road grime, and such. I tend to avoid rolling stock that is so weathered that you can't read the data or logos a basically covered.
Hope this helps,
Mark
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Post by ciccino on May 17, 2018 13:39:16 GMT -5
I only buy factory weathered cars. I like them and resale isn’t a concern :-) unfortunately I missed the chance to buy single weathered locos, which seem to be super rare and never pop-up on the bay
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Post by smr on May 17, 2018 14:46:25 GMT -5
I'm not a big fan of weathering. For me, too many people weather far too heavy as compared to the typical prototype. That said, I do own a number of weathered items, both "mass" produced and custom. I'm willing to pay MSPR+ for well executed custom weathering. What I go for are "patched" rolling stock and application specific weathering: tank cars stains down their sides from the fill and grimy exit fittings, hoppers with basic road grime, and such. I tend to avoid rolling stock that is so weathered that you can't read the data or logos a basically covered. Hope this helps, Mark Harald Freudenreich most recently offered a factory weathered set of Chessie Hoppers, which I regard as the minimum necessary for weathering. You will barely notice the difference if you don't compare it directly with an unweathered hopper of the same kind (the hopper on the right). When we published in 2016 in our AZL blog a string of pictures of PRR running material, a lot of people were skeptical if this was not too much......
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Post by smr on May 17, 2018 14:50:02 GMT -5
I personally love the moderate weathering, too, however I don't know if this is not already too much for e.g. Mark; I could no more think of a layout without weathered rolling stock !
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Post by smr on May 17, 2018 14:53:58 GMT -5
However, Dirk then put it to an extreme in his series "Forgotten Places"; Still fascinating !!! An eye-catcher........... This picture in all forums starts immediately a discussion............
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Post by smr on May 17, 2018 14:55:57 GMT -5
This way ..... or only this way? I know Mark's point of view from previous discussions ..... And everybody has to and is allowed to come up with his own level of weathering, but a minimum weathering in my eyes is absolutely necessary! Best, Sven
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Post by cwrr on May 17, 2018 15:22:33 GMT -5
Usually, if it is just mainstream Micro Trains cars that are everywhere for cheap, I'll give them a light dusting around the bottoms of the cars. They're only $15 a piece every day, so no real collector value. The more rare ones, I'll usually just weather a pair of trucks for it and put those on-you can always put the original ones back so it is still mint. Loco's, unless it's brass, are usually readily available too, so some weathering won't hurt them either.
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Post by cwrr on May 17, 2018 15:24:25 GMT -5
I only buy factory weathered cars. I like them and resale isn’t a concern :-) unfortunately I missed the chance to buy single weathered locos, which seem to be super rare and never pop-up on the bay There's still alot of "skins" available from M-T and other online shops that are weathered, kinda' spendy though...
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Post by dazed on May 17, 2018 16:04:33 GMT -5
Well, the answer is of course... "it depends". Your concern about resale value is warranted. But you said that you "may" ditch Z. So that has a lot to do with how you proceed...what is the likelihood that you do that? Personally, I buy some of MTL weathered cars--which have gotten quite good for the most part--and I've purchased a very few weathered cars off eBay. (BAZman, was that you that outbid me on that TTX gon!?! ) I also tend to weather my cars carefully (when I was in N, haven't done much with my Z....yet) and I agree the tendency to over-do it is both prevalent, and a huge turn-off for me. (and yes, I've been guilty of doing it too especially early on in the learning curve) TIPS - Practice Practice Practice - Make sure you have some test subjects, and these should be "dollar bin" HO or N cars even versus your $40 AZL prized possession. Use them to learn, for starters. Take your time, and really get comfortable doing the technique you intend to use. Also, do a practice run with these before going right at your target model to get the feel for the technique being utilized and make sure all of the tools are operating correctly. Keep a box of the test cars and use them every time...the small amount of paint needed to do a "proof of concept" swipe will pay for itself the first time you save yourself from making a mess. (i.e. a clogged airbrush puking paint spatter all over your nice MTL tank car)
- Use an Airbrush (Safely) and Wear Gloves - adhesive weathering powders are great, can be very effective, and are a integral part of anyone's weathering arsenal. But, having the capability to airbrush will get you from "good to great" and will let you do some things like fading that are hard to do otherwise. Make sure you have proper ventilation and wear a respirator and eye protection. Also, always wear rubber/latex gloves. The single leading cause of death for models being weathered is fingerprints.
- Consult prototype photos. Try to find photos of the car you are trying to weather--or very similar cars--and also that are aged similarly to what you are trying to convey. You don't have to try and copy it exactly (although you *can*) but just study it and note what weathering has taken place and then try to find techniques that emulate that effect. Try to have a plan of attack, as you might end up using multiple techniques and then you really have to be careful of going too heavy.
- Fade the paint. See nscaleaddiction.blogspot.com/2012/04/fade-coat-weathering-how-to.html or similar techniques. New paint does not last long in the harsh realities of railroading. This is another extremely subtle step, (or not) but can make a nice contrast to their non-faded brethren.
- Take Your Time & Layer - one of the biggest things I think makes a world of difference is to expect a multi-day and maybe even multi-week process for weathering. Do very light coats and avoid the trap of "it hardly looks like anything is happening". Give it time to dry and review the results using proper lighting and you'll probably see that it is doing more than you think. (and not heeding this advice is how "over-do" happens)
- Use Your Camera, Good lighting, and Magnification - Make sure you have good lighting in your work area, and if you have a layout make sure the temperature of the light matches. Related to "layering", use your digital camera to take photos (and in varying lighting conditions) as you go, and stop down for a minute to take the time to review them.
- Start with the Trucks - while all this learning and practicing and planning is going on, you can get a start toward actual progress by weathering the trucks. If you completely botch them (kinda hard to do) then at least you can replace the trucks for resale purposes later on. Remove the wheelsets and paint the wheelsets and truck frames separately. You'll be surprised at how much of a difference just having the trucks weathered (and perhaps a base dullcoat application as BAZman alluded to) makes without even having to do much to the rest of the car. Once you are confident with weathering the trucks, you can do them batch style by laying them all out and doing them (or at least a base coat) in bulk.
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Post by arsenix2001 on May 17, 2018 19:32:06 GMT -5
Wow, thank you for the wealth of info!!! You have convinced me to give it a try, and I have some very old ho stock that would be perfect guinea pigs, what a great idea. And great tip on the dullcote, I will pick some up this weekend. Again, many thanks. The trains are running well and ive repaired most of my sticky switches. Excited about the hobby once again!
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Post by markm on May 17, 2018 20:53:12 GMT -5
I'd suggest starting out with the powders, you can clean them off if you don't like the result. HO stock would be a good place to start, but the feature size on Z can be so small than it's hard to transfer experience from the larger scales. And regardless the scale a good soap and water cleaning is critical before you start.
Mark
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Post by arsenix2001 on May 17, 2018 21:53:17 GMT -5
Thanks mark. The size of the cars scare me. Is there a good way to soap and water/degrease?
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Post by markm on May 17, 2018 22:24:41 GMT -5
I use a couple drops dish washing soap in about 2 cups of water. I use an old toothbrush and an acid brush (solder flux brush) that I cut down on an angle for about 1/8" to 1/4". After rinsing in water and allowing it to dry, I wear gloves when I'm handling the shell. The weathering powders also make a good fingerprint powder as well. Avoid using alcohol as this will soften or remove the existing paint.
Mark
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