What was giving me the most troublein using this kit was the tremendous amount of work it required to get results on the model. I wanted something that would give a good weathering effect to the overall paint job and specifically to the edges of metal where there are sharp corners and paint wears off. I tried to like this, I really did. Maybe the one I got was old as it appeared dried out, but since these are chalks, I kinda doubt that. It seems like a lot of work to use these for a small amount of benefit. What these give you is a granular control over a large area where the weathering goes.

What I was apparently clueless about was the need for the pad on the left end of the brush (as shown above) to be wet. Once I played with this for a while and found the right "wetness" I got pretty good results. A small area shown below is typical of the effect that the chalks have (check the popup for more detail.) I used the sponge applicator as opposed to the brush on this area and when I tried the brush on edges I did not get the results I had hoped for.

 

 

 The picture below shows my results from the first review. Good overall weathering but painful on the edges.

 

 The picture below shows how the changes I made to my technique worked out.

 

 

 The effect is especially notable on the edges of the hatch cover, the tip of the machine gun, hinges, aqnd plates on the knees. I dipped the sponge end intomy paint water and got it sopping wet. Then I dried it out a bit on a paper towel and rubbed it around on the chalk in the kit. This gave a much better texture to the chalk and allowed me to use it in a manner that I had initially expected. The feet show a mixture of the rust from the kit (the reddish brown) and mud from a Tamiya pen. I found the pre-wet mud pen much easier to use but you have to be careful where you apply it or you may get too much of the material on the model.

 

 

I now feel like I can recommend both of these products for use. Think about where you want to use them before you start. If you want a subtle wearing of a metal surface, use the brush and expect to spend some time getting the chalk on the model in areas you desire. If you want broader areas of weathering, such as at edges, use the sponge wet with water to get the chalks on. if you are looking for clumps of mud, the weathering pen will do wonders for you. (See the article on Comanches in this issue for a broader range of pictures.)

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Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.