New Railway Modellers Forums

Hi, just created a number of platforms using PECO/WILLS and KESTREL (GAUGEMASTER) kits.
The latter one is dark grey so purchased some Humbrol matt light grey paint (no 64) but it has come out
glossy! Did I do something wrong?

Can anyone advise which are the best paints for painting platforms.
Thks

Matt coming out glossy is commonly a sign of insufficient stirring, and Humbrol is one of the worst. I bend up a square shaped paddle from a paper clip, poke it through a piece of card and fit the end into a mini drill. hold down the card over the jar and whisk for 30 seconds, if you can still scoop gunge from the bottom repeat. The flattening agent is French Chalk (V fine ground).

Here's a tool I made for mixing paint:

http://www.mrol.com.au/Pages/Vu/PaintMixingTool

I have found it to be very effective, especially with matt paints.
Having said that, I now use Tamiya XF1 instead of Humbrol 33 as I can never get 33 to go matt - it may go on matt, but a few weeks later, goes gloss.
Back in the 70's and 80's, I seem to recall that Humbrol Matt black was one of those paints which was guaranteed to go matt, irrespective of how well it was mixed. How times have changed...

With regards painting platforms, I wouldn't. I use wet'n'dry. See these pictures: http://www.mrol.com.au/Pages/Vu/AshpringtonRoad

If you look carefully, real platform and road surfaces are actually very light in colour, not dark.

gppsoftware wrote:Here's a tool I made for mixing paint:

I made this tool for shaking Vellejo paint bottles.




might be a bit disastrous with a Humbrol paint can though.

Rob,

Does that work effectively ?

I would have thought that centripetal force would cause the paint to settle round the inside edges of the jar, rather than mix up what is in them ?

Wouldn't you need some 'shaking' motion as well, like you see in paint stores with their mixing machines ?

gppsoftware wrote:Wouldn't you need some 'shaking' motion as well

The hole is offset from the centre.

gppsoftware wrote:I would have thought that centripetal force would cause the paint to settle round the inside edges of the jar, rather than mix up what is in them ?

I thought so too but it seems to be quite effective. I suspect the fluid takes longer to rotate than the bottle does. It only takes a few short bursts of the drill for the paint to mix completely.

Excuse my ignorance but what is wet and dry?
Rgds

black sandpaper

Wet and dry is like sand paper but it is very fine and is usually used for metal surfaces such as rubbing down car bodywork.
Sandpaper is usually used on wood/plaster surfaces.

If you rub wet and dry with another sheet of wet and dry, it creates a dust (take care) which if continually worked, you can rub back in. The result is a light grey finish as you can see in the pictures of Ashprington Road above.