I’m working on building a Santa Fe E6 diesel from metal kits (Cary/Bowser body, Hobbytown chassis), and since I have to paint and decal it myself, I thought I’d ask the professionals here what the best way to paint and decal is.[:D] I’m using Modelflex acrylic paints and Microscale decals. What’s the best process to get this finished right? Also, Badger says the Modelflex paints don’t need a primer, but should I use one anyway? Will Testors laquer clear-coats work best, or should I use acrylic clear-coats?
Darth, my own experience with custom painting (including brass) tells me that if it’s metal, use a primer-for better adhesion, if nothing else. Also would help with keeping your Warbonnet Red as even in shade as possible. As to clear gloss, I, myself have taken a liking to Floquil Crystal Cote-over both enamels and acrylics. This product has a faster dry time and, especially, it’s clear-not amber like so many gloss coats, so it won’t alter your hues at all-just make them glossy. This is my experience, I’m certain others do things differently. Hope this helps.
this is the way i do my painting. First, Wash the model with warm soapy water, rinse, then let it air dry. Next, I will always use primer, especially if the paint i’m using is red or yellow because they are the hardest to get to cover properly. I use a light coat of krylon ruddy or gray primer. Lightly coat it with two coats of primer.
Then, i’ll break out my airbrush and mix my paint according to the directions on the paint bottle. usually it’s 75% paint to 25% thinner. A good rule of thumb is to ensure the paint is the consistancy of milk. When applying the paint, i’ll paint it with very light coats being sure the air brush passes across the entire model. Two to three coats is sufficient. If i have to do any tape work, i’ll double the tape and apply one quick, light coat across the tape seam and let it dry before continuing to paint so that the colors won’t bleed through under the tape.
When i apply decals, i’ll cut them up into manageble pieces. Trying to put on a large decal in one piece usually will tear it and you’ll have to start all over again with another decal so cutting a large decal into smaller sections and piecing them together works better. I soak the decal in distilled water until the paper is soft and the decal slides back and forth across the paper backing. I then position it where it goes on the model and use a small jeweler’s screwdriver and tweezers to push the decal onto the model. Just before the decal dries i’ll brush on a small amount of solvaset to soften the decal so that it will snuggle into all the nooks and crannies of the model when drying. Once the solvaset is on the decal, don’t touch it or it will tear the decal. After the decals are dry, i’ll spray the entire model with testor’s dul-cote to give it a flat finish over the entire model. I don’t use testors paint. I prefer oil based floquil o
Metal = primer…
I know for brass that baking the paint on the model is the way to go. I wonder if this would serve true for this project?? I don’t have any experience with these types of shells.
As expressed above, primer is a must either way.
Here’s my methodology. Like cwclark, my preference is towards Floquil, especially on metal.
- Wash and scrub the metal body well using a metal prep solution. This cleans and gives the surface some ‘tooth’ for the paint to adhere to.
- Prime, not just for paint adhesion but for a consistent color.
- Paint from light to dark, if possible depending on the paint scheme, allowing sufficient time for the paint to cure between colors. With metal a low temp bake speeds drying and hardens the paint
- Apply a gloss coat before decaling. I too like Floquil Crystal cote or Hi-Gloss.
- Decal using Micro-sol/Micro-set or Solvaset for really stubborn decals. Warm water is best for decals soaking. I use a warming plate to keep the water warm.
- Once decaling is finished, wash gently to remove setting solution/glue residue.
- Apply dullcoate or semi gloss finish to seal decals.
There are variations to this, but the overall flow is generally going to be the same. There are little tricks and nuances to each step that are too much to go into detail.
Thanks everyone for your replies![:D] The Warbonnet is going to be the most complicated decaling project I’ve ever done, so every bit of info I can get on doing it right really helps.[:D]
Another question: When baking, how hot should the oven be, and how long should I leave the painted parts in?
When I am baking a brass model-or a component thereof-I have the oven set at about 175-200 degrees F. I leave them in for at least an hour and a half. Then I bring them out and let them cool. At the end of this process, I can smell no paint residue of solvent, so I know that it’s done. One other thing I forgot to mention, which may not apply to you, because your project is not brass, but when I paint brass, after strippping any old paint or clear coat off the model, I slightly etch the surface with a white vinegar bath for about a half hour. This adds ‘tooth’ to the metal surface and really improves paint adhesion. After the vinegar bath, I rinse in warm water, wearing latex or rubber gloves for not allowing skin oils to get on the model. Hope this helps as well.
I’ve got a question too:
I just found a pre-painted door prize boxcar with old Champ decals (like 10-15 years old). Never mind the decals were for a 50’ car and the Athearn boxcar I got with the ‘kit’ was 40’, the car was painted glossy orange (for IC decals) and I figured this was perfect to learn with. The problem? The large "Illinois Central ‘Mainline to the Midwest’ " decal came out wrinkled looking. On one side, I slid the decal onto the model, wetted with water, then applied MicroSet after it dried, and it didn’t get rid of the wrinkles. The other side, I slid the decal into a puddle of MicroSet and still got wrinkles. I applied more MicroSet so it stayed wet for like a half hour and still got wrinkles. The big ‘i’ logo didn’t wrinkle. This is just a trial, but what happened? Old decals? Should I have washed the shell first (well, I know I should have, but is this the cause of the wrinkles)? I’d like to paint my own C&O locos as well as other freight cars and those I will care about. Are wrinkles a common thing? And who makes good thin decals so you can’t see the thickness of film when done. Just thought I’d tag onto this thread and hopefully learn something new. Thanks! One comment, about baking the brass, be careful cooking food in that oven after drying the paint. The place I used to work at used an oven to cure a special glue and there was a big sign warning about cooking food in it because of the toxic nature of the glue. Can you (or should you) use a dedicated toster-oven or similar just for drying paint? Not to mention the fumes in the house while baking… you know, safety first and all that.