DAY OF THE DREDGER

 Rusty Effects Bring Ship To Life.

My esteemed Model Rail colleague, Chris Leigh, presented me with a challenge recently: to add the final touches to his 1:76 scale scratch-built rendition of Wallbrook, a former coastal freighter converted to a dredging vessel. It's taken a few weeks to get this far, starting with much of the ship's hand-applied paintwork re-done with an airbrush, adding lots of high- and low-lights for a suitably washed-out look. The big green silt hopper received a lot of attention, as did the crane, which is a die-cast model that has been stripped, repainted and modified.

However, the hull has demanded the most time and effort, getting the distinctive corrosion streaks and grey/green hues of the paintwork and algae deposits right. Modelmates Rust Paint was employed, bushed liberally onto the surface in a couple of layers. When dry, the surface can be manipulated with a damp cotton swab, creating streaks with a wide variety of hues and textures.

Helpfully, the Modelmates paint always remains water-soluble so, if you're not happy you can re-work the streaks or remove them altogether and start again. When satisfied, simply seal the finish with clear matt varnish before adding layers of washes and airbushed weathering to finish things off. Easy!!

Modelmates Rust Paint was built up in several layers. The paint dries to a distinctive texture and the hue is governed by how many coats are built up.

All you need is a damp swab to manipulate the Rust Paint, creating a series of vertical streaks and varying the  shades of the corrosion.