I have developed a few tips and techniques along the way, inspired from a number of sources.

I do most of my weathering at night, after the kids are in bed. That magical hour before my own bedtime can be very productive. I do my weathering on an old TV tray with a free standing lamp for illumination while my wife and I watch TV to unwind after the day. I read of a tip years ago to capture the chalk weathering in a deep-dish baking pan to help contain the spillage and mess. However, I tired of having to hold the car in one hand while chalking with the other. My solution? A trestle over the pan itself.

Back to the scrap lumber box I went. A couple of 1x4 pieces squared for the ends, and a strip of narrow ¼” plywood are the only pieces you need. I cut a notch cut in the end pieces with a handsaw and rasp (this notch secures the trestle laterally, hooking over the lip of the pan). I test-fit the end pieces, and then glued and screwed the plywood in place to the end pieces, making sure to retain the right width to allow the notches to hold the sides of the pan. The addition of some scrap track on the plywood (again glued and screwed) and some paint finished my trestle (I may add wheel stops as well at some point). I can now chalk on the trestle, and the overflow spills into my pan and not on my table or carpet.

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