How-To #1: "The Art of Turning Toys into Models" Booklet by
Richard E. (Ben) Bendever 
The below information & images are an abbreviated version directly from our Doctor Ben's How-To #1 booklet where we describe our Realistic Weathering Solutions techniques. We share this information and technique with you both on-line in our Blog (June 2015) and in the printed booklet format. The Doctor Ben's Realistic Weathering Solutions are ready-to-use with no preparation necessary and all that is required is an ordinary hobby brush and your active imagination.
Doctor Ben’s has one of the most comprehensive selections of weathering products that you will find. For some, the choices can be overwhelming. The following will provide a brief oversight into each of the weathering products and provide some background, as well as the benefits, of each. Additionally, each product line has a How-To booklet that provides techniques that, by using them, enable the modeler to recreate the look that is described in each booklet. In the event that you have a specific issue that you are unable to resolve, please call or send us an email with your questions, and we will be happy to assist you in your weathering challenge.
Ready-To-Use
Weathering Solutions
The Doctor Ben’s Weathering Solutions are the original products that I used to describe in my weathering clinics many years ago. Originally, I simply mixed the Industrial Weathering Pigments (described in detail below) with Isopropyl rubbing alcohol and applied them with a brush, allowing gravity and capillary actions to do most of the work.
The Doctor Ben’s Weathering Solutions process
goes a step further than either of these methods. The Doctor Ben’s Weathering
Solutions are colorfast like the George Sellios technique, but they are refined
on by the inclusion of the Doctor Ben’s Industrial Weathering Pigments, which
brings in a third dimension. When applying a wash of India ink/shoe dye and
alcohol to a model or detail, the alcohol will evaporate, leaving just the color
on the surface of the model. This third dimension that the inclusion of the
Industrial Weathering Pigments provides makes the process not simply a color
application (like the shoe dye/India ink methods), but it also allows the
modeler to build up a texture. This results in changing a surface from one being
flat and smooth to one having a sort of surface graining; however, the Doctor
Ben’s Weathering Solutions application is only topical and does not affect the
integrity of the surface of the model.
The Weathering Solutions ingredients have built in adhesive polymers that enable them to stick to shiny as well as flat surfaces. But the really neat thing is that, even though the Weathering Solution is firmly adhered to the surface, if you do not like the results, the Weathering Solution is easily removed with rubbing alcohol. This allows you to try different techniques until you are satisfied with the results. In addition, after the desired effect is attained, if the model is going to be handled a lot, a simple spray with "pump" hair spray will affix the weathering in place. This is an original technique of mine that many modelers use today. By using Doctor Ben’s products to weather rolling stock and then sealing the weathering with pump hairspray, they are able to sell them for big bucks without having to use an airbrush! This technique is described later in this booklet.
Using Doctor Ben’s Ready-to-Use Weathering Solutions
This process is equally successful on wooden structures, Thomas A. Yorke plaster castings, resin castings, plastic, or metal; literally, any surface can be weathered with this technique. The Doctor Ben’s Industrial Weathering Pigments used in the development of these products have adhesive binders that enable them to stick to all surfaces, including your clothing—so be sure to wear old clothes or protection, such as an apron or a work bib. You will also find that you may not need to use any sort of a sealer after you have completed the process, as will be explained later.
Step
1: Gather up some tools: Doctor Ben’s Realistic Rust Weathering Solution
(#1150), Doctor Ben’s Instant Age Weathering Solution (#1152), a little
Isopropyl rubbing alcohol, Doctor Ben’s Soot Black Industrial Weathering
Pigments (#1340) (optional), a ¼" round paintbrush, and a Doctor Ben’s Micro
Blaster (#1490). You may be able to get away with using a clean brush rather
than the Micro Blaster for this technique, but I have found that the Micro
Blaster is a tool that I cannot live without!
Read the complete story in this How-To Booklet by purchasing this booklet (included in Weathering Solution Sets) or following this link to the on-line Blog version HERE.