MET CARRIAGE PROGRESS

Wood effect finish almost complete.

It's taken a bit of to-ing and fro-ing to get the varnished wood effect to my satisfaction, but this 3D printed model is almost ready for final assembly. The panelled sides just need a few more dilute washes and a little highlighting work, then the body will be masked up and the roof painted. In the meantime, though, I've been experimenting with some amazing metallic finishes from AK Interactive. Offered in tubes, a wide range of 'metals' is catered for, such as gunmetal, copper, steel, iron and, as employed here, a very realistic brass colour.

They're more like a wax than a paint and, therefore, are for application by hand. Coverage is excellent - many metallic paints tend to be very thin and take a few coats, but not these. Squeezing a blob onto some card and applying with a fine brush has brought the handrails and door handles to life. It takes a few hours to dry but, when fully cured, it can be polished with a dry cloth or swab for an even more realistic finish. With this in mind, it may be worth applying these paints at the end of a project. But, as I wanted a particular finish, I've applied it now, prior to the initial varnishing coats.

Definitely worth experimenting with, the tubes are good value and will last for ages - as long as you put the lid back on properly!! Incidentally, I bought my samples from Scale Model Shop.