I'd like to know what other members' favourite methods of weathering warbirds would be, primarily thinking of exhaust stains and weathering around machine guns, etc.

I work mainly in 1/72 scale, but sometimes also 1/48. I do have some nice pastels I could use, but how to best apply and fix them is something I'd like tips about.

TIA

Hi Alex. I use the Tamiya Weathering Masters shown here for the exhaust stains and gun port stains. The little applicator is easy to use, and I apply black first then some brown and grey along the edges to get a "depth" of colours.

Cheers, D

Same here Mr. Damian (but I only add black and give depth with other ways of weathering)


Cheers Nick

Thanks, guys, Is there anyway to fix these once applied?

I've had quite good results with airbrushed varnish. Go easy and apply several light, misted-on coats. Too heavy coats can mar the appearance of the pastels (e.g. cause it to all but disappear).
Hand-brushing is a no-no, as it will only cause the pastels to mix with the varnish and flow all over the place.
I don't know about spray varnishes, but I'm sure you'd need to be extra careful to avoid drenching the pastels.

I airbrush my exhaust stains using all sorts of greys/browns/blacks to suit. I never bother with residue from machine guns etc as it is so rarely evident in my references.
Cheers
Steve

Thanks to both of you. I'll guess I'll experiement with a few methods and see what happens. I haven't completed a model with an airbrush yet, so have a lot to learn about weathering with it. I'm waiting for the colours to arrive so I can complete my 'Rufe'.

I'll share the finished model with you all.