Building a Modern Grain Leg

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
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Building my first railroad, the freelanced Beecher City Railroad. It’s a duck-under continuous run double mainline headache that is hovering on the borderline between hobby and disaster.

Anyway, I’ve taken a break from drawing horribly incorrect track lines on my table to assemble some of the structures I intend to have. The primary purpose of my railroad will be to haul corn out of the newly constructed local grain co-op. I have nearly finished assembling one of my Walthers Cornerstone wet/dry grain storage bins (933-2937) and it’s looking really good, considering I haven’t assembled a model in years.

Having assembled everything but the gate on the bottom and the ladder structures for this bin, I pause to consider painting it now. I have no idea where to go from here.

Since the co-op is being modeled as newly constructed, I don’t plan to weather anything on it much, but I don’t think leaving it the standard model plastic gray would look good. I have some paints on hand and lots of brushes and a new airbrush and pretty much everything I need to do the job except knowledge and skill.

I was thinking to thin this bottle of silver enamel to give the bin that new aluminum look, but I don’t know how thin to thin it, or with what. The enamel thinner I have was used many, many moons again to clean brushes. Before anyone crucifies me for that, please be aware that everything I know about models and model railroading is completely self-taught. The guy that got me inspired to build a railroad with his monster layout (8 4x8 sheets arranged in a U shape) has since only offered 3 word email replies that don’t really answer my questions.

Anywho, I’ve read somewhere that rubbing alcohol can be used as an effective thinner. What proportions should I use? I don’t want to waste paint and ruin a model by experimenting any more than necessary.

I appreciate any help you can give. I’m getting extremely frustrated at not having anyone to help me with this.

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Hi

Note there are different types of paint on different bases . To thin with alcohol you need an alcohol based or blending paint . Some can be thinned with water , some not . You may want to check specs on the paint bin , it should tell what compound it is ( or if it is made in China -g ) I’m not exactly familiar with modelling types of paint , thus this rather general answer .

About thinning alu-‘silver’ : you may try to thin by small steps until you get the viscosity you want . With this type of paint , the miniature aluminum flakes reflect best when they can settle down flat and evenly on surface to be painted , i e the metallic effectturns out better when paint is thinned suitably , if to thick a paint is applied the flakes may stand up and not reflect well , giving but a light gray effect or that of blind aluminum .

IMHO , all in all the effect remains somewhat ‘cheap’ and whatever shine there may be realized it becomes blind pretty easily ( never touch finished surface ) Same , if you try to protect with clear glossy lacquer : this takes away much of the metallic shine since again the reflection of light on the small flakes gets impaired .

What you might try is to use small pieces of delicate aluminum foil as used for inlay wrapper of chocolate plates - no , not for those bargain offers at Wellmarked but those certain conaisseur addics’ Swiss chocolates .

Uhm , I’m afraid , for what is tricky about the alu silver paint , it may be twice as tricky to get the foil cut to shape and get it to stick where you want it to , instead of on your fingers tips .

Well , in the end you may always eat the chocolate and lean back to take a deep breath and look at the blue sky and the birds , wondering , Lord just how do they fly so high and never care about any silver paint or the like …

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