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Detailing a platform - mini project


TimWay4

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Hello,

I decided to pick up a Kato One track Platform B and do some work on it to make it look a bit different, the aim is to move out of my comfort zone of just using things as they come out of the box and actually start to detail things and make them look more realisitc. 

 

So here is my jobs list as it stands:

Paint the supports so they look like something that isn't cream plastic

Paint the Stairs and the stairwell walls

Pant the waiting room

Weather the whole thing

Put adverts on the molded advertising boards

Put the transfers on the boards hanging from the roof

Put passengers on the platform

Light it up 

 

At the moment I could really do with recommendations on what kinds of paints to use and what weathering powders to use

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For paints, revell aqua and vallejo are both good acrylic ones. For detailing, i would like to add two things: cutting off the ad boards from the chairs and painting them nicely and painting part of the back wall of the stairs matt black to make it look like there is more there, just badly lit.

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Hi Tim,

 

I use Tamiya colours and artists acrylics for weathering. My platform has gone through several incarnations:

 

large.gallery_4222_224_10008.jpg.8a74f8dbd6e08ad20761700ea1ff00cb.jpg

Original with stickers from the box and home made station signs. Just some withering in the roof.

 

large.gallery_4222_224_843024.jpg.81df91c0a38590b4ef781373836a9a41.jpg

Here I poured Tamiya putty. The yellow lines are stickers from the platform box. I had to cut some signs to install the lights.

 

large.gallery_4222_224_549006.jpg.9b292c182b6edafad8f91631be4f628b.jpg

I quite liked it like that, but I was bothered by the noticeable gap between the platform edge and the main pavement. I tried to fix it with putty and it did not look nice. So I decided to repaint the platform to make it look for Japan 80s rather than Sydney Trains 2017.

 

large.gallery_4222_224_543150.jpg.a313edf71c7c5ecf0e5dfc54b6f9ac04.jpg

This is the result.

 

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Just a bit too shiny.

 

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Last iteration, with new lights

 

large.IMG_1298.JPG.0afffff59c4788a3f86296e9db25424e.JPG

With the lights off.

 

 

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@kvp Thanks, It might sound sill, but I never thought of doing that to the stairwell, I'll give it a shot though.

 

@Khaul That is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking at doing, is that a lighting kit you have used? and if so, which one? 

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This is just two sections of 8mm LED strip. I mounted then on aluminium plates. Soldering was a bit tricky but not too bad. There is thread titled “Kato platform lights” with a lot of useful information.

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Tim,

 

for the weathering I've used every sort of stuff over the years. When I was a kit I would use chalks, pastels, and makeup as they were cheap and accessible. Now days I love the quality weathering powders like doc obreins as they are made in just the right shades and they transfer well and stick well w.o having to clear coat everything! A little powder goes a very long way! Some simple makeup brushes from ebay or the dollar store help.

 

do you airbrush? If not that's something to give a try at. Mainly takes some practice to get good and you can even use cheap craft paints diluted for larger scenery stuff (use a cheap one or a air siphon one!). Good cleaning of them is a ritual you have to do or life will not be happy airbrushing the next time... lots of YouTube videos to help with the basics and techniques.

 

and idea for the lighting is to use two very thin rods and solder larger smd leds between them and use a constant current chip to drive them. Going at low amps and using more leds helps make the lighting more realistic and also keeps the heat down and safer on the components. This lets you place the lights in just the right place and you can bend the rods if needed to get around obstacles on the roof underside. The led strips are great but can be harder to place. Use the thin 30g wrapping wire and you can run it down a post and it will look like a 2" or so drain pipe from the roof.

 

here is the lighting idea

 

 

great project to do!

 

jeff

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Hey Jeff,

I'll look into those, and yeah we have some cheap brushes lying around. 

 

At the moment I don't airbrush due to the fact that I don't have anywhere I can do it, but when we move to a bigger place I would love to get one set up.

 

I think I'm looking for solutions where I don't have to solder, again partly because I don't have anywhere to do it and partly because I'm not confident in my ability to solder.

 

That video looks like it might be useful though thanks for posting it ^_^ 

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you can do airbrushing in an old cardboard box and toss.

 

soldering is just practice, practice, practice. you will be amazed how it will change by just doing some. parts for these things are really cheap (like 100 leds on ebay for a buck), so you can go at it! wire can be floral wire as many are not coated, thin and good conductors. no room really needed except where you work on your model. you will have to so some spot soldering to put in led strips and wiring most likely anyway! ;-p In any case dont be scared of soldering, it really is just practice, ive taught 5 year olds to 85 year olds how to do it and everyone is always surprised how fast they pick it up once they just play a while. lots of great youtube videos as well to help.

 

jeff

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Hey Jeff,

I've ordered the Doc O'briens and a woodland scenics track pen to rust the rails up a little. 

 

Maybe I'll consider doing that for airbrushing, will be a while before I splash out on an air brush though :) 

 

Yeah a lot of things I just need to get over and do, which is the point of projects like these to be honest, so yeah maybe I'll look into soldering irons too.

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Lol, you are sooo right, a lot is practice and refinement of techniques and trying new ones to see if you can find new ways or adapt some of them to your usual techniques.

 

soldering is mainly practice (have I mentioned that?) though. a cheap iron will do but one that you can adjust the temperature is better to make things easier. 

 

One of these suckers is really great to use to smash your tip in every few solders to cleannoff the muck easily

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Welding-Soldering-Solder-Iron-Tip-Cleaner-Cleaning-Steel-Wire-With-Stand-Set-New/263154466080?hash=item3d453a7d20:g:nYwAAOSwImRYEJhg

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Soldering-Iron-Tip-Cleaning-Wire-Scrubber-Cleaner-Ball-w-Metal-Case-DT/262550408203?epid=1049379705&hash=item3d21394c0b:g:TM4AAOSwZ4dZFG2t

 

or just get a copper scrub kitchen ball and something to hold it that's laying around

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Reuseable-Soldering-Solder-Iron-Tip-Cleaners-Steel-Wire-Sponge-Ball-Kitchen/302484582788?epid=5006995122&hash=item466d7c7184:g:svgAAOSw1CBZ3kig

 

dive in and try it as it really comes in handy to do a lot of neat stuff and once the fear is gone you wonder why you didn't dommore fun stuff with wires and such!

 

cheers

 

jeff

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My powders and pen have arrived ^_^  It's taken nearly a month, but they have finally arrived.

 

Haha yeah I get that it's nearly all about practice :) 

I will probably dive into these things when I actually have room for a surface I can sit at to work on :) 

 

So now I have my platform to weather and my powders so now I have to over come the next stage of anxiety and actually put some powder onto the piece of platform I purchased :)

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Tim,

 

cool, glad you are ready to get started.

 

you can get most powders off wirh swabs and some water or isopropanol. Experiment first. Heavy matte painted surfaces are harder to get it off of.

 

check out the makeup brushes, swabs and applicators from your local dollar (or pound) store, these are inexpensive and great for applying powders. You will find different ones work better in different applications, spaces, surfaces. One of those practice and experimenting things. Powders also apply differently to matte painted vs gloss painted and plain styrene. Corners and seams and details can both get too much or too little powder and can cause both good and bad effects, just something to watch for.

 

if you have any old junk models or structures laying about practice on them anbit first.

 

Some examples of handy applicators.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Professional-Makeup-Eyeliner-Brushes-Set-Foundation-Brush-Eyeshadow-Eye-Brush/152567360435?hash=item2385b92bb3:g:7fIAAOSwv0tVMJ8f

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/10Pcs-Double-End-Sponge-Eye-Shadow-Brush-Applicators-Lady-Beauty-Makeup-Tool/263072323500?hash=item3d405517ac:g:cwoAAOSwceNZXFEM

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-10Pcs-Double-ended-Eyeshadow-Eyeliner-Lip-Applicator-Cosmetic-Sponge-Brushes/263305145729?hash=item3d4e35ad81:g:ubYAAOSwr~lYq~uU

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/10-100PC-Disposable-Eyelash-Extension-Micro-Brush-Applicator-Mascara-Wands-Tool/132290641800?hash=item1ecd22ff88:m:mXHiYQQ-hiEMcrnYobT7evg

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/50PC-Disposable-Eyeliner-Brush-Eyeshadow-Applicator-Eyes-Makeup-Cosmetic-Tool-AF/122822152505?hash=item1c98c55139:g:m8UAAOSwvfZaFRpM

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/50Pcs-New-Dreamed-Disposable-Lip-Lipstick-Gloss-Applicator-Makeup-Tool-Brush/253282408242?hash=item3af8ced732:g:Hu0AAOSwVA5aHQx5

 

cheers,

 

jeff

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That's some useful Info thanks Jeff, I appreciate the links too,

 

I did have a question for you about the powders, do I need "fixative spray" for them or can I just use them? 

 

I think I'll probably try them next week, I'll probably see if I can find some videos over the weekend and see what I can learn from some tutorial videos.

 

Thanks

Tim 

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I once bought Tamiya weathering powders, then at once realised that it's basically just overpriced eyeshadow. As mentioned yeah dollar store eyeshadow is cheap, and there's all manner of colours available that are suitable for weathering purposes. And eyeshadow has the added benefit of being (to a varying degree, depending on quality), somewhat moisture/touch resistant, so as long as you're reasonably careful with them, you don't really need a fixative spray.

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tim,

 

depends on which ones you got. some like doc obriens have a fixative in them that will bind them pretty well to the model without an over coat. but with a lot of heavy wear even those will come off w/o an overcoat.

 

many are just powders and require an overcoat to secure them.

 

eyeshadows are great, and do hold ok, but will show finger wear with repeated touching. ebay can get you an eyeshadow package with a wide range of colors!

 

jeff

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