This idea comes
to us compliments of Don Boulware. While viewing the
superb craftsmanship of his engines, one must look very
close to see that his engineers
have realistic looking hair. Don’s secret....
DRYER LINT!
Different dryer loads provide different colors; dark
colors for youth and lighter colors for that weathered
look (gray hair). The very texture gives a better look
than “painted on” hair.
Let’s think about that for
a minute. Almost all of the engineers on engines from
the same company (Bachman, USA Trains, Aristo Craft)
are the same mold regardless of engine model/type.
As Don has done for his half dozen sextuplet engineers,
each can now look different (photos 1 thru 4). Vary the hair length,
texture, and color. Add a mustache, sideburns, and\or
a beard (however, even in this equal opportunity world
of modeling these usually look good only on male figures).
For Don the process begins by sorting his clothes into
dryer loads to give him the color he is looking for.
(Red hair is a tough one and Don has not yet attained
the proper clothes mix to give this look.) Use a little
Superglue on the figure in the spot where the hair is
to be placed and gently press the lint to the glue. Pressing
too hard runs the risk of pushing the glue through to
your finger, which will result in the lint to sticking
to your finger rather than the figure. After the lint
is dry, you can trim the hair to the desired length,
contour, and texture with a small scissors like those
found in sewing kits.
You might extend this concept to your favorite figures
outside of the cab. Since engineers are often protected
from the elements because they ride in the cab, there
is little worry about sealing the fibers. Although Don
hasn’t tried it, for those figures exposed to the
weather you might try sealing the hair with a spray sealer
such as Dull Cote.
Using this technique you can now buy two or more of
your favorite figures and make them look different by
changing more than just the color of their clothes. |
