I recently purchased an aristo 0-4-0 and tender, but they have the RC Cola markings and I would love to change that. The Loco is black and the tender blue. I want to remove the logos and repaint/weather both with a basecoat of black. Can I use rustoleum or any spray paint? I was going to lightly sand the areas that have the logos so they do not show through and then spray. What sheen of paint, flat? Any other suggestions that I might be missing.
Thanks,
ed
There are as many way to paint as there how to lay track. I have finnished painting 2 of 4 RS-3. I would recommend removing RC Cola logo completly. Then test paint the bottem of the tender to see if your choice paint ( brand ) will adhear smothly without primer. If not Prime the engine and tender with black primer. then simi gloss black. Note…rustoleoum is not the only spray paint in town. I use Ace Hardware paints $3.49 per can. I DO NOT recommend rustoleum 2X coverage…TOO THICK… Remember even though it says quick dry paint let it sit at least 4 hours before handling.
Dave
First, try some kind of solvent to get rid of the RC Cola logo. Which solvent depends on too many variables to list, but my usual suspects are “Super Clean” degreaser (available at auto parts stores), denatured alcohol, and Testor’s “Easy Lift Off.” Each of these solvents work on some paints and not others, so it may take some trial to find something that ultimately works (and you very well may not find anything that works). An alternative, since you’re planning a complete repaint anyway, is to soak the parts in DOT-3 brake fluid. I haven’t done that in a number of years, but folks still swear by it. Quite honestly, if I can’t easily remove the lettering, I just have at it with some denatured alcohol and some ultra-fine steel wool until the lettering is gone (or mostly gone.) Be a little careful, especially around fine rivet detail, that you don’t remove the rivets in the process. That’s why I use ultra-fine steel wool. It’s more of a scrubbing than an abrasive. (Though it still does erode away the details just a bit.)
For painting a locomotive, I almost always prime first if I’m using spray paints. Mostly because I will have most likely added a bunch of details that need painting, but also just to give everything an even coat, and I’ve yet to have a primer react adversely to the paint already on the model. It’s a nice “interface” layer.
I have two schools of thought on priming and painting. Ordinarily I prime and paint the same day, usually within less than an hour between coats. Sometimes I’ll lightly sand the primer coat after it’s dry to the touch with ultra-fine steel wool, but most of the time I just let it go. The finish even without sanding is smooth enough. I’ve found with most of the sprays I use (Krylon, Val-Spar, Wal-Mart) you’ve got a window within an hour to 90 minutes in which you can put coat after coat after coat on the model and not have any worries. After that 90 minute “window,” you need to wait until the next day, lest your next coat of paint “craze” the paint below it. Wh
Ken–
those engines look great…not over done. they look like working engines not engines pulled from the scrap line! I like to see that.
While some still fondly remember the old rusty days of the end of steam, I am too young and prefer the days when steam was king working hard but not suffering from neglect,
I’ve had some seriously good luck using Krylon “Fusion”, It was designed for plastics. For decal removal I use an “Ebarhard” ink erasure. The round one that refills an eraser pencile. I can remove decals from 2 cars during one episode if N.C.I.S.