For the “thin realistic look” do you need to strip all the old paint before you re-paint with a new color scheme?
I’m using an airbrush.
Obviously if you are not stripping the subject item first and you don’t want to obliterate the details when repainting then you will have to use relatively thin coats. The problem is that the thin coats may not be enough to hide the original lettering, and they certainly won’t enhance any of the details.
If you are going to the trouble of repainting why not do it right the first time?
Dave
What kind of models are they? If you’ve got a nice Proto boxcar with fine detailing, it’s worth a bit of extra effort to strip the old paint. An Athearn blue-box, on the other hand, doesn’t have the fine features and you’d might as well just overpaint it. In fact, it might be worth applying a primer first so you don’t need multiple coats of paint to cover up the previous lettering.
Even if you hide the original lettering with paint at certain light angles the thickness of the lettering will always show under the paint.
Good. This is quite prototypical.
ROAR
I have achieved decent results either way. My first coat is usually auto primer from a rattle can. That will cover anything. If the old paint is really thick then I’ll strip it. If the old paint is thin and in good condition and the molded in details (rivets) show up clearly, then I just paint over.
For those of you that strip the paint, what do you use?
In the past, I found methyl hydrate effective in removing most model paints, but many of the newer paints are quite resistant to it. 99% rubbing alcohol does work on some, but for the others, Easy-Lift-Off, from Polly S usually does the trick.
Another old method for paint removal was brake fluid. While it can be very effective, some plastics are easily (and severely) damaged by it - Atlas is one of which I’m personally aware. [banghead]
For all-metal models, lacquer thinner is tough to beat.
Wayne
That rather highly depends on what you’re intending to model.
If you’re repainting because it’s the only way to get the car for the particular railroad you want to model, and you couldn’t find an undecorated model, you DON’T necessarily want anything to be showing through.
Only if the car you’re working on is SUPPOSED to be secondhand from the original railroad that the model happens to be lettered for is it desireable for anything to be showing through from beneath the paint, and stripping is advised.
Hello,
Can you tell us what it is specifically that you are planning to paint? I generally prefer to strip paint, HOWEVER, there are some scenarios where you can paint over a prepainted surface (I’ve done so with success) but it depends on what you have as there are a number of factors involved.
I have done a significant number (over 25) of car repaint jobs in the last several years and cannot recall one where I contemplated just “painting over” the existing paint. It is better to remove the old paint and allow the details (rivets, bend lines, seams, etc) to be brought back “to the surface” first, then proceed with a light or dark primer coat, as you apply a new paint scheme. In one recent job, the existing model (swap meet/ used) was black with white lettering. When I removed the old paint, then repainted it, the detail was more vivid than was the case with the initial factory- applied paint job of decades ago. There are at least two significant other reasons for removing the old paint:
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the age of the plastic may be such that there is some physical shell degradation which has occurred as time has allowed the plastic to “dry out” and the initial paint to have worn in places. This is better repaired first, and then remedied with fresh modern primer and paint.
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repair of the original styrene plastic is better accomplished by doing that repair/ glue work on the plastic, not through an intervening surface of old paint, for a better repair job. Often, viewing the base plastic damage will influence the way the repair is made- in a different manner than was originally contemplated.
Cedarwoodron
I have found that, on the cheaper models, such as old Athearn blue box models, the original paint is quite thick. The shells of these models have fairly good details, but they are obscured or otherwise hidden by the thick paint. I stripped and repainted an Athearn SW7 for my freelanced layout. When I stripped the paint I saw details that were not visible before the process. The new paint job was thin enough to preserve these details. I would always advise stripping before repainting, just for that reason.
On some paints, the 90% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol simply does not do the trick, especially as thick as some factory paints are. What has been the most effective for me is Pine Sol. The nice thing about using Pine Sol is that you can clean it up for it’s intended use again (cleaning floors, etc.) by straining the paint out of it by running it through a piece of old rag.
On many of the post 1990s models, which have a much thinner layer of factory paint than model railroad locomotives/cars produced in previous decades, it’s possible to get good paint results on prepainted vehicles in some limited scenarios. For example, if you have a unit that is in a neutral color and has small silk screen logos and lettering then cleaning, prepping, and painting can be a snap. Here are a few “paintable” examples:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ZrOaI2rZL._SX342_.jpg
http://www.homauchchunk.co.uk/Athearn-BL%2040'%20Boxcar%20JERSEY%20CENTRAL%20LINES%20-%20CNJ.jpg
Normally I prefer and recommend paint stripping, but with experimentation I have successfully painted over factory finishes. Again, key factors that help the most are: Neutral color and small lettering and logos.
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Wash the model with a soap that’s free of moisturizers (original Dawn works well).
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Carefully wet-sand the surface with an Ultra Fine Scotch Brite Pad (3M 7448) with light strokes, then focus on the lettering. They usually come right off without a hitch. Final wet-sand the shell with horizontal strokes
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Wash, clean, and inspect your shell.
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Mask and paint as normal.
This also applies to scale road vehicles as well. Anyone remember my buses? The yellow sections were painted directly on top of the stock green color with no problems:
[IMG]http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii315/tonythesantana/mis
Here’s a Athearn SP SW7 I simply painted over so,yes it can be done.
Way back in 1972 in Lake Geneva, WI, I saw a CNW E-8. When I got closer, the “Kansas City Southern” lettering and striping was clearly visible. The KCS had used “Scotchlite” for the letters and striping and the CNW just threw yellow paint over it. I stopped worrying about stripping models at that point.