Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

A link to my blog, where you will find a simple 5-step tutorial for making your own weathering powders.

Enjoy.

Remember: It must be artists chalk. not an oil-based pastel.

awesome i cant wait to try. im going to my local craft store tomorrow to try a whole slew of new things to get better results on painting. this site is a gem for that and thank you for the idea.

I'm glad I could claim your first post! Thanks for the feedback.

And it's exactly the same quality you say...? Hmm.

Ok, 2 weeks ago I made my first purchase of MIG powders. I don't regret it as they were all metallics and I don't expect artist chalk to come in metallics... BUT, rust, soot, dust, mud...all those colors DO...

Hey, it's worth a try. This tip is too cheap to pass up. Thanks!

nice idea that is, i will be giving it a try.

Smashing up the pastels will certainly work, but a finer and more even grain can be achieved by grinding them. Some go so far as to use a mortar and pestle, but simply rubbing the stick over sandpaper is more than adequate, in most cases.

The cleanest method I've seen, though, and the one with the least wastage is to grab a cheap tea strainer (those little half-domes of fine mesh with a rim and handle), place it over your receptacle, and grind the stick lightly against the mesh. Everything falls right into your container, whether you're filling a jar or placing a small dusting on your palette for a touch-up, and cleanup requires no more than a few taps of the strainer or a quick rinse under the tap.

oadie, You might've noticed in the link it's for 2$. I have and do use a M/P to do this, but a motar and pestle in my buying area is 38~50$, which is like saying 'feed your family for 10$' but then a family is one person.

Scipio Africanus wrote:oadie, You might've noticed in the link it's for 2$. I have and do use a M/P to do this, but a motar and pestle in my buying area is 38~50$, which is like saying 'feed your family for 10$' but then a family is one person.

Lots of people have a mortar and pestle though, for cooking, so for them i guess it would be cheaper.
Also $38 dollars sounds very expensive for a mortar and pestle, you can get them here in the UK for five pounds.

If you're in the US, you can find less costly mortar and pestle sets...these run from $7 on up. Note that the seller requires a $10 minimum order, so you'll have to poke around... they have lots of interesting DIY bits too.

http://www.sciplus.com/search.cfm?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=search&utm_content=cf&utm_campaign=celsearchtest&formfield1234567891=2&formfield1234567892=7&formfield1234567894=&term=pestle&btnHand.x=0&btnHand.y=0

Great tip, will defo have to try this out!

then that'd break the second tenet: I didn't want to wait. otherwise I'd have just bought the normal weathering powders.

Even though that'd break the first tenet

Something I've had some success with is using Dollar Store cheap makeup powder. It usually comes in a small array of colors, and as long as you're not using it en masse, it works quite well for an individual model or two.

I didn't even think of applying this to miniatures, even though I've used it to weather Delta commando armor. At least I already have the materials and know-how. Time to make the world grim!