How about a tips-n-tricks thread

[Vic]

Originally posted by Catt!


Like anybody got any tips on how to make styrene look like wood?

To make styrene look like natural weathered wood I first paint it with Testors PLA Enamel wood color (the one in the little square bottle).
While its still a bit sticky brush it with black and/or gray chalk. I like to combine the two. The effect you get depends on how "heavy" you are with the chalks.

Used that "el cheapo" paint because it stays "tacky" for awhile and binds the chalks real good.

See my post under scratching and bashing about the fireworks stand for a pic.

 

[Drew1125]

Getting Styrene To Look Like Wood

I've found different techniques work for different scales...
Fo HO scale, I think the best way to rough up the plastic is by dragging a razor saw blade sideways in the direction of the grain.
This method, though tends to be a little too coarse looking in N scale. For the smaller scale wood look, I like to use a medium grit sand paoer to distress the plastic. I always do this before I do any painting. I start the painting by spraying the work flat black, & then dry-brushing on gradually lighter shades of acrylics.
This gives you a lot of control over how much weathering you have...you can stop when you have a new-looking piece of wood, or keep going until you've got something that looks like it's been out in the elements for a long time.

 

[Vic]

Something Else

While poking around in the tool dept of one of those $1.00 stores I found some packages of what looked like oversized toothbrushes. On closer inspection it turned out that they had steel bristles and are some kind of clean-up brush.

They work quite well for distressing both wood and styrene.

Later I saw them in the MicroMark catalog but they weren't 6 for $1.00....

 

[Drew1125]

Thought I'd try to show the process for turning a shiney green, plastic fence into a "wooden" fence.
Here's the fence I found in my scrap box...I"m not sure where it came from, but it scales out to be about 7 1/2' tall in N scale, which is a tad too tall for what I want.

 

[Drew1125]

...so I trimmed it lengthwise, & about a foot or so off the height.
Then I used a piece of sandpaper to rough it up a little.

 

[Drew1125]

After that, I brushed on a very thin wash of Floquil Engine Black.

 

[Drew1125]

Next, I dry-brushed with Polly Scale, RR Tie Brown, Dirt, & Aged White (in that order)
I also used a small file to "break" some of the boards at the top of the fence.

 

[Tyson Rayles]

Works for me Charlie !

 

[Tyson Rayles]

BTW, chopping on the tops of the boards giving it an uneven look is a nice touch also.

 

[rich maiorano]

nice will file that one for future ref. file

 

[bobrien]

Charlie - that has got to be one of the best "how to's" I have seen. Thanks for the step by step and the great tips

 

[Matt Probst]

That's a cool idea... I'm in the process of scratchbuilding a flour mill from plans I found in an old 1976 MR that was laying around and was trying to figure out how to make the window muntins for it. Does anyone have any other methods that have worked?

Thanx in advance

Matt-Chocolatetown, Pa.

 

[Tyson Rayles]

Matt we are on page 3 of this thread, if you start a new thread in this forum asking that question you will probably get more response. Just a thought.

 

[Matt Probst]

oops, sorry! I thought I did that. I'm still getting used to getting around in here!!!!
Matt