Easy teak effects for coaches
I’m building a couple of 4mm scale etched brass LNER coach kits but I’m dreading the painting stage. Have you any tips for recreating the varnished teak finish? Martin Murphy, by e-mail
George says: Recreating distinctive wood grain effects on teak coaching stock isn’t easy. I’ve seen a number of different approaches to this task over the years, trying out a few of them for myself, with varying levels of success. Dry-brushing has proved to be my favoured method, applying a ‘base’ colour to the model via an airbrush or aerosol in the first instance. When this has dried, a small flat brush is then employed to dry-brush the ‘grain’ lightly over the surface. It takes quite a while – and plenty of practice – to get the effect right, and extra ornamentation – such as knots – can be added with a finer brush. It’s a laborious process and it’s vital to pay attention to the direction of the wood grain on each separate panel, following prototype images as closely as possible. A much quicker alternative is to use waterslide wood grain decals, as offered by Uschi Van Der Rosten (distributed in the UK by Albion Hobbies). Primarily designed for aircraft models, a choice of timber styles and scales is available and the decal sheets can simply be cut to fit each panel. For best results, apply the transfers onto a surface prepared with a pale wood-coloured undercoat followed by a high-gloss varnish coat. Once the decals are in place, seal with another clear gloss coat before touching in the beading and applying any lining, logos and numbers, as necessary. Another clear varnish layer will seal everything in place.