I have an old Lima FP-45 shell that i would love to repaint, but I would like to know what the best way to do this is. Do I try and stip the factory paint (if it is possible even)? Or paint over it directly? Don’t want a patch job, the prototype I’m looking to model wasn’t patched. Any help/tips would be so cool.
If I feel like stripping the paint, I put the shell in a bath of 90% alcohol. It usually does the trick. Under no circustances use brake fluid. It will melt your shell!. If I don’t feel like striping, I paint directly over.
you can never go wrong by stripping it but that is another can of worms that will get you at least five methods on the best procedure. Here are my rules of thumb. Gloss- definitely strip because nothing is going to bond well. Flat - how much detail can you see through the existing paint? If it shows well and the paint is older than say two years you should be able to paint over it fairly easily. How about lettering? silk screened lettering is a bear to remove in my experience. I have stripped Rivarossi cars and had all the body paint off and the lettering and paint under it looks like the day it was applied. Some of it you have to sand off so it doesn’t show through the new paint. Next question. Have you done any painting before? How good are you at applying paint? Got any friends or a local hobby shop or club that can advise you based on their experience? Seeing it first hand and what you want to do like what color(s) and brand will get you some good firsthand knowledge of what to do and maybe even somebody willing to do it.
Well the alcohol bath worked on a LL F-7A I wanted stripped but, it didn’t do a thing for my Lima FP-45. Recomend anything a little stronger maybe?
Try paint thinner for plastic model paints, scrubbed with a toothbrush. Use sparingly.
Will do, Gotta run see if Home Depot is still open. Trying to do some model railroading before the wife comes back from her deployment. Not much time for it after that…
Family seperation pay = new brass locomotive…maybe.[;)]