Please see photographs and videos showing how to weather using Modelmates.

Ready Mixed Weathering Liquid In Glass Jars - 22ml

Water-soluble and translucent dye that makes things look dirty, old and weathered.

Being water soluble means that it can be made wet again using just water, even if it has been left to dry for months. There is no acrylic & no resin in the mixture, nothing to make it go permanently hard. Apply to a non porous surface like plastic, let dry, then smudge and wipe using a damp cotton bud or tissue to create great weathered effects. Wipe off a surface, but leave weathering liquid trapped in panel lines and projections such as stanchions making them look dirty. Weathering liquid will always be water soluble and will never fully harden.

Being translucent means that it does not cover or obscure like an acrylic paint, after weathering liquid has dried you can still see through it to the surface underneath.

Rich concentrated colours that can be applied neat, straight from the jar using a paint brush or air brush spray.

To weaken the colour, dilute with water or spirits.
Use on many types of materials such as plastic, card, wood, plaster and metal.
For interior use mainly, but can be used externally if sealed with a suitable fine matt varnish.
Before each use shake the jar until the ball bearing rattles, then shake for at least 15 seconds more. The liquid will be shiny if the jar is not full shaken. Shake again if the jar has been standing for more than 5 minutes.

The jar should be at room temperature, if the liquid is cold the dye will not mix properly.

Caution, weathering liquid is a solvent and can damage some surfaces. To protect a surface, such as paintwork, apply a matt varnish spray before applying Weathering Liquid. Before use, always test on hidden surfaces to check that weathering liquid causes no damage or staining. Porous surfaces such as paper or unpainted plaster will absorb the ink and be permanently stained, however, the effect can look really good.

Available in the same colours as in the aerosol spray cans (see what is it), but weathering liquid is slightly thicker, more concentrated and a little more matt. Hit a jar below for colour information:-

HOW TO USE

Airbrushing

If you have a gravity feed airbrush (see image below), put 5 or 6 drops into the cup on top and use straight away. Use a little at a time.

Apply under low pressure, perhaps 10 psi. Some of the liquid will bounce back off hard surfaces, always wear a good quality face mask when spraying and use a spray booth if possible, better still, why not spray outside. Do not breathe vapour/ spray, use only in well ventilated areas.
When airbrushing, dry liquid will bounce back off solid surfaces like plastic. Do not breathe vapour/ spray. Use only in well ventilated areas.
Dilute the liquid with either water or methylated spirits.

Diluting with water creates an interesting colour wash effect, but it can usually only be done once because water takes a long time to dry and will dilute any coats of weathering liquid sprayed earlier.

Diluting with methylated spirits makes the spray dry more quickly. A fine, light spray will usually dry almost on contact with a surface and not dilute earlier coats of weathering liquid. Fine spray will allow coats to be built up, just like with the spray cans. The more that are applied, the darker the colour gets.
To clean the airbrush, just rinse in warm water after use.
The glass jar is suitable for Expo & Badger bottom feed airbrushes and screws directly onto them. The jar code is AB52, a great jar to use again after the weathering dye has finished.

AIRBRUSHING A MODEL - SEE THIS PAGE FOR MORE DETAIL

1 - CLEAN MODEL	2 - ADD A FEW DRIPS OF WEATHERING LIQUID INTO AN AIRBRUSH - DILUTE USING WATER
3 - REMOVE SOME DYE USING A COTTON BUD	4 - WEATHERED MODEL

Applying by Brush

Use like a paint. Apply straight from the jar using a brush.
Before use, test first on a hidden surface to check that it does not cause damage or staining. Even if a single application appears not to cause damage, multiple applications of liquid may cause damage. The liquid is a solvent and may discolour or strip paint, especially if applied heavily. Do not apply liquid on to unvarnished paintwork, or unvarnished printed surfaces.
To make brick joints, recesses and panel lines look dirty, dilute the weathering liquid, 1 of liquid to 1 of water and apply by paint brush or cotton bud. Wait until dry, then wipe from the surface leaving some trapped. Paint on small areas of concentrated liquid to highlight areas. See the engine shed here.
To colour wash buildings, wagons, carriages and loco's, dilute using up to 5 of water to 1 of liquid. This dries to a barely visible coating, like a very faint stain. After drying, smudge using a cotton bud or kitchen roll.
For a rustic weathered effect on through coloured plastic wagons, paint on neat liquid straight from jar, let dry, then smudge using damp kitchen roll. The wetter to kitchen roll, the more will be removed. As noted above, the liquid is a solvent, so before use on paintwork test on a hidden surface first to check that it does not cause damage or staining.

Smudging

Weathering liquid can be rewetted using just water, and smudged or wiped to create more realistic weathering effects, just like the Modelmates weathering spray cans. Smudge it to make rain staining or remove create highlighted areas.

General Information:

Kitchen roll works really well for smudging because it is tough and absorbent. If dryer, less is removed – if wetter, more is removed. Hold damp kitchen roll against the dried liquid and smudge/wipe using a twisting motion.
Smudging only works on non-porous surfaces such as plastic. Porous surfaces such as card, plaster, timber, cast metal models and many painted and printed surfaces will sometimes absorb Modelmates and be permanently stained. Methylated spirits can sometimes remove stains that cannot be removed by water.
Modelmates is translucent and will not colour and obscure in the same way as a paint. The colour of a surface is often more dominant than the Modelmates colour.
Different background surface colours will change the appearance of the Modelmates colour.
Practise application techniques on cheaper, disposable models before applying anything of value.
Surfaces previously sprayed with a matt sealer, varnish or enamel may be permanently discoloured by Modelmates. This is because the dye gets trapped in the rough matt finish.

Safety Information

THIS IS NOT A TOY: Caution highly flammable. Protect from sunlight and do not expose to temperatures exceeding 50°C. Keep away from sources of ignition - No smoking. Keep out of reach of children. Do not breathe vapour/ spray. Avoid all contact with skin and eyes. Keep container in well ventilated space. Use only in well ventilated areas. If swallowed, seek medical advice immediately and show this container or label.

Safety Data Sheets:

Always read the Safety Data Sheets on this web site before use. These can be found on the button above. If you do not have access to the internet, please write to us and we will send a copy by post.