weathering questions - chalk pastels and dullcote

[BHresko]

after going to my local craft store and seeing the "starter" pastel kits
for around $30.00, can anyone point me in the right direction on cheaper
pastel chalks, their brand, where to buy them and at what price. after
reading different articles it appears i should be paying $3.00 to $5.00
for as starter set. help!

also, after application, every mentions using testors dullcote. it this
"law" or does acrylic based flat coats (like pactra) work just as well.

thanks.

[Ed Dorroh]

I bought a set by Weber Costello, called *alphacolor* which is 12 earth
tones (BTW there is no white, so I had to buy it separately). Cost was
$5.95 at Caboose hobbies in Denver, no more than a year or so ago.
However, I haven't had much luck with them - hope someone will answer
this thread with some advice. The Dullcote (I doubt if it is critical
that this particular brand is used) kinda *washes away* the chalks. I
have heard people say that you have to repeat the process several times.
True, anyone??? Ed

--
Ed Dorroh
Martin Marietta Corp
ed.e....@den.mmc.com

[d...@tttrains.com]

Ed Dorroh wrote:
>
> In article <4fg8ng$h...@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, bhr...@aol.com (BHresko) wrote:
>
> > after going to my local craft store and seeing the "starter" pastel kits
> > for around $30.00, can anyone point me in the right direction on cheaper
> > pastel chalks, their brand, where to buy them and at what price. after
> > reading different articles it appears i should be paying $3.00 to $5.00
> > for as starter set. help!
> >
> > also, after application, every mentions using testors dullcote. it this
> > "law" or does acrylic based flat coats (like pactra) work just as well.
> >

I would recommend staying away from Pastels, but using conte' crayon,
which is an artists sketching medium of very fine, highly compressed
chaulk. The powder is finer then pastles- have many earth tones,
includeing white. Usually around 1.50-2.00 a piece, but they last
forever. There's a great rust color. Ask for them in art stores.

> I bought a set by Weber Costello, called *alphacolor* which is 12 earth
> tones (BTW there is no white, so I had to buy it separately). Cost was
> $5.95 at Caboose hobbies in Denver, no more than a year or so ago.
>
>

--
___________________________________________________________

Debbie Ames Tried &True Trains
d...@tttrains.com ===== ===== =====
// // //
http://www.tttrains.com ===================
Supporting Model Railroaders Worldwide
___________________________________________________________

[Tim O'Connor]

Chalks are notorious for disappearing when they are sprayed with a flat coat.
You can get Rainbow brand paint pigments for about $2 per color for a lifetime
supply. They are a /little/ better than chalk. Recently I bought some colored
art pencils at a stationery store and they are great! You can use them like a
chalk or like a paint .. they're especially good at edges of wood planks like
on a wood boxcar, or highlighting rivets, etc. I'm really pleased with them and
best of all, they are not affected by flat paint. (My favorite BTW is Floquil
flat because it dries clear. Dullcote and Scalecoat flats have too much talc
and dry kind of milky white -- although they are great on grey colored models.)

[pa...@vcomcss1.telecom.com.au]

>after going to my local craft store and seeing the "starter" pastel kits
>for around $30.00, can anyone point me in the right direction on cheaper
>pastel chalks, their brand, where to buy them and at what price.

I get my pastels from a school supply for about $AU6 for a box with about 50
chalks in it - ranging from red through grey. They are the "dry" kind of
pastel (ie. dusty rather than oily) for use on blackboards.

>also, after application, every mentions using testors dullcote. it this
>"law" or does acrylic based flat coats (like pactra) work just as well.

I use flat acrylic medium from a local paint store (they always say "yes sir,
what tint do you want in that" (they think I'm distinctly weird for wanting
just the paint base!) $AU20 for 4 litre can as distinct from $AU9 for 250ml
from an art store.

Conversion from $AU to $US is usally about $AU1 == $US0.70

Paul

[FREDERICK W DABNEY]

David Cochrun (coc...@filebank.com) wrote:
: In article <ed.e.dorroh-11...@dialip-at-235.den.mmc.com>,
: ed.e....@den.mmc.com says...
: >
: > The Dullcote (I doubt if it is critical

: >that this particular brand is used) kinda *washes away* the chalks. I
: >have heard people say that you have to repeat the process several times.
: >True, anyone??? Ed
: >
: >--
: >Ed Dorroh

: True enough! Especially with light chalk on dark cars. I have found that
: applying dullcote first will provide a good surface for the chalk. Then DO
: NOT overcoat! Minimize handling. The weathering lasts for years.

: Dave...
Also, the same company that makes the earth-tone chalks also has a nice
set of grays from deep black to pure white. It too is worth having for
weathering

Fred D.

[Garth G. Groff]

Although I haven't weathered too many cars with chalks (thin
washes of acrylics are my usual method), but I have been very
pleased with the dozen or do I have done.

I bought my chalks at an art store and paid about $7 for a
dozen from open stock. I can't tell you the brand (they are
packed away at the bottom of a closet in my basement apartment
waiting for the day I get a real train room). I also bought a
neat little pallet with several built in plastic jars to hold
the chalks after powdering.

Interestingly, I discovered another source of powder that is
very useful--air freshener incense. It produces light fluffy
ash in various browns and grays that is perfect as a weathering
medium. I found the gray especially useful on covered hoppers.

The chalks/powders need something to stick to. Bare plastic is
not suitable by itself. All cars should first be given a coat
of clear flat varnish (Testor's Dullcote and Pactra Flat both
work great, though since RPM bought both companies, the Pactra
is getting harder to find in my area). Floquil clear flat goes
on too moist and too often turns milky due to high humidity in
my area. I let the cars dry completely for several days (sometimes
several years). The clear flat gives the surface a "tooth" which
helps hold onto the chalk.

Chalks can be applied wet or dry, using brushes, puffs, paper
tissues or even blown on.

Because my cars get handled a lot, I always give them another
coat of clear flat to fix the weathering. Yes, all the varnishes
tend to bleach out the pigment in the chalk (I actually watched
it disappear as the varnish dried on one car). The solution is
to use light coats of varnish and to build up successive layers
of chalk until you get the effect you want. Too many cars are
weathered like they were dipped in a bucket of gunk anyway. The
chalks can give you some really subtle effects if handled
well.

I remember an article one of the main hobby magazines years back
on using women's eye shadow and other cosmetic products (many of
which are a ground clay base) for weathering. Many even have
their own applicators. I wonder if my wife would miss her mascara....

~S
--
Garth (Haridas) Groff
"Not yet famous author"
gg...@poe.acc.virginia.EDU Chant "Govinda Bohlo Hare"

[GColl17261]

you get up a much more controlable finish if you use aflat finish in an
air brush mixed with thinner----and/or mix it with a light grey with 4/5
thinner----pastels can be added or subtracted by wiping the car with
water.
GColl17261

[Dr. John Lundy]

Some years ago, when I was still in HO (N-Scale now), I found my old
(I mean really old) high school art pastel set. I would mix the colors
I wanted by grinding them on sand paper. Then I would dry brush them
on cars. I used dull coat to seal them. They look great and I plan to
do the same for my N-sclae rolling stock.

Good luck,

John Lundy