When assembly and painting of a model are completed, many modellers will wish to add some degree of wear and tear to...
Cart 0 Product Products (empty)
No products
Free shipping! Shipping
£ 0.00 Total
Product successfully added to your shopping cart
Quantity
Total
There are 0 items in your cart. There is 1 item in your cart.
Total products (tax incl.)
Total shipping (tax excl.) Free shipping!
Total (tax incl.)
Search Tips
Tips categories
Latest Tips
-
How do I add simple paint chips with a foam sponge ?Read more -
What era should I model?Read moreIf you are just starting out on your model railway adventure and are wondering which era you should model, the answer...
-
Should I use Sundeala board for my baseboards?Read moreBear in mind that Sundeala is designed to be used as a pinboard or notice board. As Sundeala is not actually a wood...
-
What is the best way to run a catenary system through a tunnel?Read moreThe best way to run a catenary system through a tunnel is to ensure proper planning and installation. Here are the...
-
Is it best to buy a train set or each part on its own?Read moreWhen it comes to value for money the complete train set has to be the way to go. With a typical train set, you will...
How can I model fuel or oil stains on track?
Oil spills and evidence of oil leaks are a common feature of many railway tracks around engine depots and at the end of station platforms where locomotives have been stood idling, but how is it modelled?
Choosing a paint to represent oil spills is easy as there are many purpose-made modelling paints available to achieve exactly that effect, AK Interactive's Fresh Engine Oil being just one. However, if you prefer to use paints that you already have lying around, consider whether you want your oil stains to look fresh. If you do, use a gloss paint, if you don't, a flatter finish would be more appropriate.
Paint aside, the real secret to realistic oil spills is the use of a caking agent first. This can be anything fine and powdery, with some modellers having experienced decent results using household talcum powder while others prefer to use a really fine ballast. Once you have decided upon a substance to use, it should be applied and set on top of your original ballast in the usual way using a PVA/water mix with a drop of washing up liquid added.
The effect that the caking agent closely replicates is the gunky and congealed consistency that a real oil slick would exhibit, but be careful to use it conservatively, you can always add more if required.
Posted in: Tracks
Click here to receive the tips weekly in your mailbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Related products
Related posts
-
How to clean model railways track?There is of course the old tried and tested method, the track rubber which does the job, no railway modeller should... - Is Peco track and Hornby track compatible?Peco Setrack and Peco Streamline are compatible with Hornby track as they all share the same gauge width of 16.5mm....
- How often should I clean my track?This a hard question to answer. There are no hard and fast rules about how often you should clean the track. Bear in...
- How do I cut flexible track?Once upon a time I would have said a newly bladed junior hacksaw and some warding files, but these days I would have...
- How many pieces of curved track do I need to make a circle?As we all know it takes 360 degrees to create a circle, a standard curve is 22.5 degrees and a double curve is 45...