1/2"-scale Lumber Buggy

[finescalerr]

The results are excellent so far. -- Russ

[Ken Hamilton]

Thanks, Russ....but I wasn't really happy with these results...


.....so I decided to continue on with the hydraulic oil tank using a technique I was more familiar with:

I brushed some Flo-quil Flat on a few of the more heavily rusted areas and, while those spots
were still wet, sprinkled on some drafting Eraser Powder which has been on the shelf for years.
(Can you still GET eraser powder anywhere?)...



When it dried, I blew off the excess with a can of compressed air, leaving a heavy texture on the rusted areas...



The dried white powder was colored with washes of artists' oil paint and pastels.....



This is a little closer to where I want to be with the weathering......



The firewall/dashboard was done with the (Non)-Crackle paint.  No eraser powder yet,
but it might not need it.  I'll see how it looks against the other stuff.

[MikeC]

Ken, you have to be one of the most inventive modelers I've ever met! (It would never have occurred to me to use eraser powder as a basis for textured rust!) And your results are always stunning.

[SDwn]

Ken, after you are done with the eraser powder, do you seal it again after painting? I was curious to see if any of it rubbed off in handling while working on it. Thanks    Sean

[jacq01]

    Ken,
 
    will the final result show a derelict straddle car or one still in use ?

    If it is a machine still in use, I think the shown corrosion on the tank is overdone.  If it is a machine sitting already for years in a junk yard in my opinion it is still too much. Normally the inside is preserved by the oil and the outside by the remaining original paint.  The corrosion shown lookes like untreated metal in a corrosion prone area.

   Jacq

[finescalerr]

I think I once read about somebody using baking powder or baking soda where you used eraser powder, Ken. Does anyone happen to know whether that's a valid technique? -- Russ

[lab-dad]

I have used baking powder, works okay but I am a spaz and find it hard to control.....
Weathering powders seem to work better for me.
-Mj

Ken,
Why not just use acrylics over solvent based paint and use the stiff brush and some 70% alcohol to lift/wear/chip the paint?
(for the failed paint, not the texture)

-Mj

[Ken Hamilton]

Sean:  I didn't have to seal the powder after the Dullcote holding it in place dried.  It seems pretty resilient,   
but a dusting of Dullcote over the whole thing wouldn't hurt.

Jacq:   Points well taken.  I'm still playing with the finish and would like it to look like "a heavily
weathered piece that's still in use".  I might tone it down with pastels or maybe a thin wash of color.
You're right - now it looks like mostly like untreated metal that's very corroded.  Not a BAD thing, but
not exactly what I'm looking for.

Russ:  Baking soda/powder would definitley work.  Actually, any gritty powder would do the trick. 
I'd like to experiment with the 320-grit aluminum oxide powder from my air eraser, too.

MJ:  Never tried that, but in theory it sounds like it would work. The crackle medium & hairspray appear to
give the paint some thickness, which makes the edges look good when it's peeled.

[John McGuyer]

Whoa! Grit from my air eraser for texture. Great idea, got to play with that.

John

[SDwn]

Ken,
  Thanks I will have to give that a try. I have included a photo of a lumber stacker I built based upon one of Marc's photos from the Wagner Lumber Co. thought you might get a kick out of it.   Sean

[marc_reusser]

For what my two cents are worth, I agree with Jacq, about the amount of corrosion.....I really hate to see such beautiful construction/work go down this path.

I personally would recommend less to minimal texture (otherwise it sort of looks like one of those abandoned Sherman tanks sitting in the surf of some Pacific island).....these metal pieces were not cast that rough, nor would they oxidize like that.....and for the chipping I would recommend another attempt at the hairspray technique (am curious how you approached it that gave you bad results)....or try the hairspray in combination with the salt technique. For small positive and negative detail chips I recommend painting them on with a Vallejo acrylic and an 0/10 to 0/18 brush.


...regardless.....beautiful work, and I am still really enjoying this thread. Thanks.

Marc

[Ken Hamilton]

I have included a photo of a lumber stacker I built based upon one of Marc's photos from the Wagner Lumber Co. thought you might get a kick out of it.   Sean

Oh, yeah!!!!  That's a real beauty, Sean.  Unique pieces like that have a great "WOW" factor.

Thanks for the input, Marc.  I've still got a lot of playing around to do with the finish, which is definitely my weak point
when it comes to large metal surfaces.  I'll take a few more pics as I go along and post them for a critique.

[TRAINS1941]

Ken

Just getting caught up with you again.  Me I think the rust is just to much.  And like Marc said why hide such beautiful construction/workmanship.
Overall either way I rate it outstanding and what a great thread you have going here.

Jerry

[Ken Hamilton]

Behind-the-Scenes work has been going on for the past few days,
like getting a better handle on the "over-rusted tank" problem and
preliminary painting and weathering before beginning final assembly.
Here's how the tank turned out after reevaluating the finish:



I think it does look better than the earlier version:



Here's a quick layout of most of the parts, some more painted than others at this point:



More weathering will be done when the other pieces go on, but here's the basic color.
Can't miss this in the lumber yard:



and here's a mock-up of the deck:



After that picture was taken, I permanently attached the motor and the rear so I can add
the rest of the wiring to the firewall and engine.  We're getting there, slow but sure.

[Scratchman]

Ken, looking good. I like the way you modifie the small sprockets.

Sean, Nice job on the lumber stacker.

Gordon Birrell   

http://www.flickr.com/photos/77318580@N00/