It took lots of use to weather the prototype. YOur technique sounds like a winner!

Thanks Bill! It is an easy approach. It does take a little time to achieve some good results. But not as much time as one would think. And you do have better control of the application of color.

As for the body and deck, a satin seal coat was used. I didn't want a dead flat. I wanted a smooth surface with a low luster finish. Because I’m using enamels to weather, the satin finish gives the proper surface for allowing the washes to flow. On a flat finish, you have to draw the washes into place, there’s just too much tension on the surface. Flat finishes are better for chalks and oil paints.

When you weather, it should be done in phases. So phase 1 will be to highlight all door hinges, latches, hatches and around the doors with AK Streaking Grime. The color of the wash is a dirty brown. I let the capillary action flow and don’t worry if you get a little sloppy, it will add to the weathering. I start with the roof and work my way down the sides plus front and rear. I let that dry for an hour and I used AK Engine Grime to weather all grilles and dabbed some grime here and there at the bottom of the doors.




When I’m done with the Hood, I use the same grime and run a bead down the middle of the walkways and the backside of the step wells facing the trucks. I let phase one dry overnight. Mineral spirits has a longer drying period. If you start to clean up the body to early, you’ll remove what you've done and you’ll have to re-apply the washes.

As you see in the pics, the application of the washes isn't perfect. And I don’t want it to be. It all adds to the weathering effect by adding tones to the base color. It adds life to the model replicating what you see on the prototype. So in other words, it adds dimension to the model. For weathering to be truly effective in appearance, this is a very important step of the process.

Also let me bring to light for those who cannot use solvents because of odor and where you live. You can make your own washes using water based paints. You just have to make the wash with a drop of detergent in to break the tension. I've seen Military modelers use a soapy slurry mix over their details and let it dry enough to remove the excess with a damp Q-tip with great results. You’ll use a lot of Q-tips, but it works. But don’t use tap water for clean up or thinning, buy a bottle of distilled water; it doesn't contain all those minerals that can stain your work. Also I see Vallejo has made weathering washes that work just like the enamels. I will be looking into these and giving them a try.

The trick to removing the wash without removing what you want left on is, how much spirit you’re using to remove the excess. As I mentioned, I let my wash dry overnight. It does take a little more work to remove the excess the way I did it. I used mineral spirits on a damp Q-tip for the body. Doing this, I can control the amount of wash left on the door panels.
AK’s instructions are to allow the wash to dry for a couple hours and then dip the very tip of a flat brush into the spirit, then use a paper towel and wipe off the excess fluid. You can gauge the amount of spirit that’s left on the brush by swiping it across your finger tip. You just want to see a little dampness on the finger. And that’s all you need to start the process. Too much wetness will completely remove your wash and you’ll have to start the process over again. It’s much easier than I can explain. I’ll look for the video and add the link to show you the technique. If you plan on trying this, I really do suggest you follow the AK instructions until you are comfortable with the process. I just added a little twist to their process that works for me.






For the application of washes, I used the following brushes. I used a 5/0 fine line to trace all doors, latches etc. For the screens, I used a #5 flat brush. I also use this brush to help remove any excess. I also used a stiffer #1 flat brush as a scrubber for the deck. A soft brush will not help spread any wash after a day of drying.

Really nice work, Ron. This has been a great thread. Thanks for posting it.