Soft Pastels

You can use soft pastels (not the oil type pastels) and just rub them against a piece of sand paper.  I use "Royal & Langnickel Essentials Earthtone Soft Pastels".  I think they are around 10 bucks from an artist supply store.

Andrew

Dear MRHers, ...or scrape

Dear MRHers,

...or scrape the sticks with an X-acto blade such that the dust is caught on a piece of paper,

or in an empty clean-and-dry upturned coke bottle lid,
(which makes a perfect little "at the workbench" dust holder/mixer/dispenser/decanter).

Point being, by scraping you get to use most (90-some + percent) of the chalk in the stick, 
grinding in sandpaper arguably wastes a significant percentage of the material by dint of it being stuck/ground-into the sandpaper.

Important to work with pure pastel/pigment chalks,
most cheapo "kiddie chalks" are cut with binders and fillers,
(IE not "pure pigment" colored dust)

and it tends to be the binders/filler materials which react badly (disolve/disappear) when hit with a covering spray of Dullcote or similar.

FWIW, I prefer Rembrandt-brand chalks. Pure pigment, survives Dullcote sealer sprays, and works great as a wash with Isopropyl Alcohol...

http://rembrandt.royaltalens.com/en/products/pastels/soft-pastels

http://www.dickblick.com/products/rembrandt-soft-pastel-sets/

NB I tend to buy as single sticks or specifically the colors I need, not in the "sets".

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

Window screen

Use Makeup

Hi Grampy,

Ask your wife/daughter/sister for her old makeup. 

It's all fine powder, comes in lots of earth tones and usually has a soft brush.

Great Suggestions - Thanks!

Thank you all for the suggestions!

All chalk is not created equal

Chalks can create great weathering effects, until it comes off on your hands when handling the model. Or you can fix the chalk with clear lacquer, but that tends to reduce the dull effect that you want.

One suggestion, try Bragdon weathering chalks...they are ground extremely fine in a ball mill and have a binder that allows the chalk to stay on the model despite moderate handling, doesn't require a sealant. No connection, just a happy customer and fan of Joel Bragdon's work.

Thanks Verne!

Thank you for your suggestion Verne!  I visited your Estrella & Sonora website and was really impressed - great job!

Some thoughts

Hi,

for one thing, unless the few Dollar extra for the "professional" weathering powders really hurt you, spending them will contribute to letting the model railroad industry live. There have been a lot of "Company XXX quits" over the last year or so.

Another thought (being cheap again), will crayon-type chalks work? Applied right to the model, without powder-izing? I'll sure give it a try on my next card-board model.

Have fun!

makeup for weathering powder

I can't remember the exact