I know nothing about painting and don’t have an airbrush and I have several locomotives and cabooses that I want patched for a short line I am trying to build. If I can’t air brush and it seems using a brush is to thick and leaves brush strokes, what can I do? I thought about using solvent and with a pencil eraser rubbing off the old markings but then it won’t look patched. Can anyone help me? What do I do?
Thank you.
Microscale makes something called “trim film” that you could use. All you would need is a knife, the trim, and some decal solution.
I use it one some of my patch work. Its pretty good stuff!!
Many of the better acrylics might do a good job of drying without brush strokes. Be sure to mask well, and burnish down the edges of the masking tape to avoid having the paint “bleed” under the tape. This is particularly important when using a brush. If possible, however, you should acquire an airbrush. It’ll make things like weathering and patch jobs much easier.
Sounds like you need a smaller and finer bristled brush and then thin the paint so it flows on rather than having to be brushed on.
Good camel hair or sable brushes of size 0, 00, and 000 can be found in various tip shapes at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby for $5-$10.
Are you just patching over the call marks and number or a more massive patch?
I agree with Robby. I’ve used a similar product for several patch jobs and they all turned out well. It was also much easier than working with paints etc.
Cahrn
What I do isn’t an elegant solution but it’s simple. I tape off the area with painters tape then apply a thin coat of either spray paint of the desired color or a thinned latex of the desired color. After it’s dry I remove the tape. I now have the patch area I need for the new road name.
No massive job, just the markings like the number and old railroad name and shield. I guess for me right now that trim film sounds good. Have you used it? I can try painting but how do you thin the paint and how much? Sorry I have not messed with any of my fleet for going on 6 years and even when I was I was not good at any of that stuff.
There’s nothing wrong with rattle can spray paint. Mask off the area around the spot ,( probably the whole car). You might use a clear spray first to seal the edges of the masking tape. Then spray the color that you want.
I have gone to Michaels or Hobby lobby and bought a general set of Brush markers to use in patch jobs and that has worked for me! Kevin
What I have done with my patch-outs is that I masked the area with Scotch Blue masking tape.
After that, I use cheepo acryllics (the ones from Wal-Mart that you can get for less than $1 work) and brush-paint the area. Use the colors of your prefrence. Let it dry.
Ater that, you can eather put down some stencil decals, or you can do a free-hand reporting mark with a small chisel-type brush.
I hope this helps
I agree with others that an airbrush will make your life simpler, but some common precautions will enable you to paint with a brush and get outstanding results.
First, use good quality paints (Testors Model Master Acryls or Taimya work well). I’d steer clear of the Wal-Mart bargain brands.
Second, use an artists brush with very fine natural or synthetic bristles that you find at a craft or art supply store. Do not use your everyday hardware store brush.
Finally, make sure your paint is thin enough. If it runs freely off the end of your stirring stick, it’s thin enough. If not, thin with thinner designed for acrylics or 70% rubbing alcohol. If your paint is thin enough, the brush strokes fill themselves in within seconds of application.
do what the big boys do, paint over the old paint.
Observe, CPR 4652 in B&M, Guilford livery with CPR numbers on the cab
It’s prototypical!! [;)]
The October issue of MR has an article called Mix and Match Decals for Railroad Equipment by Matt Snell. Two of the decal jobs he shows involve the use of trim film, and one of those is a locomotive patch job.
Badger modelflex is supposed to pay down flat with a brush and be airbrush ready. Haven’t used it though
Not all patch jobs have an actual paint patch. Some are just new lettering with no new paint.