Tamiya weathering products...alternatives?

[Guest]

I have seen the weathering kits where u get the powders and for what u get they are expensive $15 aus for one pack!

i bought a soft pastel to try because i hear heaps of people use them and thought it was ok, just trouble applyin it because it doesnt stick, even if u brush ur finger on it after the pastel powder has been wetted, applied to the model and dried.

are there any alternatives like the weathered powder set out there?

[AlanG]

Depending on how much pastel you are using, could you not dilute some pva glue with water and mix it into a 'paste' then apply it to the model?

[stona]

I sometimes used pastels for weathering. The powder won't take to a glossy surface at all. I applied it to a flat or at worst silk finish and then sealed it with another coat of varnish. I have to confess it's not a technique I use now. I found the one place the bloody stuff did stick was to my fingers and then anything I touched,from my car's steering wheel to a bacon sandwich lol. I've still got a box full of various pastels,you never know when thry might come in handy!

Now I do most weathering with paint and an airbrush or various washes.

Cheers

Steve

[spanner570]

Being a 'Brush only' modeller, I only ever use Humbrol or Revell emamel paints very well thinned with turps.

Simple, cheap and gets a result I am happy with.

Ron

[Guest]

I use pastels quite abit, I find best results when you matt your model down with your varnish of choice.The main trick I have found is to fine powder the pastels use a hairy brush (not nylon) then when you have finished, pass a fine mist of pastel fixative ( Winsor & Newton ) over it, I use the aerosol fixative.