Model Railroader – October 2019

26 http://www.ModelRailroader.com

Step by Step

STEP 4

STEP 5

DECALING AND WEATHERING

THE ROOF

Decals adhere best to a glossy sur-

face, so I airbrushed the building

Model Master Clear Gloss Acryl

(no. 4638). Once it was dry, I was

ready to apply the King Midas Flour

sign from T2 Decals Ghost Sign Decals

set no. 5. While the decal was soaking

in distilled water, I prepped the area

by applying Microscale Micro Set

(available from the Kalmbach Hobby

Store, no. 84085). The solution softens

the decal and helps improve adhe-

sion. Then I set the decal into place

and removed excess water with a cot-

ton swab.

I let the decal set overnight and

applied Micro Sol with a paintbrush.

The setting solution helps the decal

conform to irregular surfaces, such as

brick. You may wind up with trapped

air bubbles during this process. If you

do, pop them with the tip of a sharp

no. 11 blade and apply more Micro

Sol. Repeat as necessary.

Satisfied with how the decal

looked, I sprayed the model with

Testor’s Dullcote (no. 1260T). This not

only gives the building a realistic, flat

finish, but it gives the model some

tooth for applying powdered pastels.

I used various shades of PanPastel

to weather the sides and back of

the building. Assorted sponge-type

applicators work well for applying

PanPastel, as it keeps the material on

the brick face and out of the mortar

lines. If you don’t like how the weath-

ering looks, wipe it off with a damp

towel or cotton swab and try again.

The DPM kit includes one sheet of

.020" styrene sheet for the roofing

material. To make sure I cut the sty-

rene right on the first try, I made a

cutting template.

I attached the styrene roof to the

building with Plastruct Bondene.

Then I sealed the edges from the top

with white glue to fill in gaps and seal

the roof.

I brush-painted the roof Grimy

Black (no. 4887). Then I used Engine

Black (no. 4888) to simulate sealant

where the roof meets the walls.

Once the paint dried, I applied

diluted white glue to the roof. With

the glue still wet, I used a spoon to

apply Smith & Sons no. 50 ballast.

Immediately after I had the ballast

in place, I wet it with 70 percent iso-

propyl alcohol applied with a pipette.

Hold the pipette close to the ballast. If

you hold the pipette too high, it may

cause craters in the ballast.

Sprinkle ballast

into wet glue

Engine Black, no. 4888

Grimy Black, no. 4887

White glue fills in gaps

Make cutting template

from left over postcards

Use sponge applicators

to apply pastels

Testor’s Dullcote, no. 1260T

Apply Micro Sol with a paintbrush

Apply Micro Set to area

where decal will be applied