Weathering Bachmann Intermodal Containers

[mick]

BASE WEATHERING

This is the 'seaco' container that forms the subject of this project.

I begin by selecting a small amount of enamel paint and to give you some idea of the mix, I use the small brush seen in this photo to scoop 3-4 brush loads of brown and one brush load of black. These are then mixed together along with 5-6 brush loads dipped in white spirit or enamel thinners (I use white spirits). You need a thin milky consistency to give a wash of colour.

For applying the enamel paint to the container it is best to use a wider brush as it makes the job much quicker.

Begin by covering the container side in this thinned down enamel paint...

...until the entire side is covered.

I tend to do one side and both ends first and then move on to the next stage.

Immediately crumple up a piece of paper towel and begin lightly dabbing the paint to remove most of it, especially from raised areas. The more pressure you exert the more paint will be removed and exactly how much you want to remove is entirely your preference. Keep turning the paper towel so that you are using a clean part of it rather than one that has already collected paint.

I find it best to concentrate more on the top half of the container as opposed to the bottom so that you have a gradual blending of colour from top to bottom. Dirt naturally settles at the base as rain washes down the container sides.

Don't worry if it looks slightly too dark at this stage because it does tend to dry lighter.

Here's a comparison of the container we've just weathered above one that I did earlier, above one that has never seen a weathering brush since it was purchased.

ADDING RUST EFFECTS

Here I'm going to show you how I add some rust effects to the containers but I must stress that this is "how I do it" and not "how it's necessarily done"! I am sure there are many different methods to achieve similar or even better results.

This is the container I am going to be working on. As you can see it has been previously weathered with just a dirty wash that has been dabbed off with a paper towel - nothing more, a process taking 5-10 minutes or so before being allowed to dry.

And this is what I'm going to be using to paint the rust effects - a mix of unthinned red and brake dust enamel paint as that's the best combination I have available. In the photo is also the piece of sponge I will be using to apply the paint. It's important that the paint is NOT thinnned as it needs to be sticky - the tackier the better.

I load up a tiny amount of paint on the sponge and apply it to areas of the container that you believe would attract wear and damage and eventually rust. These are usually the locking points, corners and edges of the container.

You'll end up with something like this......

...that can be smoothed downwards with very light pressure from the sponge to make it much less significant.

I usually apply a similar treatment at various other areas such as the top and bottom edges of the container always wiping downwards. I don't mind that pieces of sponge break away and adhere to the container as in my opinion it resembles rust particles.

And the finished side of the container after several such applications of paint.

On the opposite side of the container I went to town a bit more, creating more distinct rust streaking from the top downwards just to show how easy it is to obtain acceptable results.

Approximately 5 minutes is all it took to do the rusting of the entire container. I'm not looking for display quality just an overall impression of a work weary container and I think it's good enough for that.

 

 

Edited January 18, 2022 by mick

[mick]

Here's a lighter coloured 'DHL' container that has been base weathered in the same way as the 'seaco' container above. The lighter colour of the container shows the effects of dabbing with the paper towel better than the darker containers.

I've just begun dabbing away at the right hand edge...

...and the completed side.

You could really go to town weathering these containers but as I've frequently said I'm looking only for the overall picture of a container train that appears to have seen regular work rather than an individual model that would find a place on display.

 

[Clay Mills Junction]

For me, that would be display quality, especially the Seaco one.

[mick]

3 hours ago, Clay Mills Junction said:

For me, that would be display quality, especially the Seaco one.

I really like the Seaco ones myself but it's more my own interpretation of a weathered wagon than anything I've actually seen. I've watched a few videos of containers recently and they don't appear to be as worn and weathered as that. I tend to overdo it at times, adding rust where there probably shouldn't be any but it's all about how it makes you feel. I'm sure there are some rusty ones out there too.

Getting the rust effects isn't quite so easy on the lighter coloured containers, they don't stand out so much which is why I've gone overboard on the seaco ones.