Okay I know this is model railroading 101…I have several locomotives I’ve bought off Ebay and the white paint is flaking off plastic handrails. I have read MR magazine and other online sources with all sorts of exotic ideas to keep paint from flaking off. But what I need is to touch up handrails. Is there any paint out there that will not flake off plastic?
The paint used in Radio Controlled Cars bodies is alleged to resist flaking off plastic handrails. It comes in white, black, yellow, etc. I have used it with some success.
Pactra RC acylics and laquers by Testors would be the brand listed in Model Railroader.
If you can find the color you like, Krylon makes a new paint called fusion that works well on plastic.
I spoke with the Badger Air Brush reps at the Springfield (MA) show a while back, and they said that their “Model Flex” paint would work well on plastic handrails provided you make sure that the paint goes all the way around the railing. They also said that like anything else plastic, you have to wash the the handrails first to remove any mold release, dirt, oils, etc. in order to get the best adhesion.
I’ve also heard of the Pactra paint for ABS bodies. However, you are limited to only the basic colors unless you want to start mixing and matching.
Paul A. Cutler III
Weather Or No Go New Haven
I use Tamaiya model car paints - also meant for the clear palstic bodies of such cars. having had one of the off-road cars painted with this paint - it took a LOT of damage to chip the paint off. The trick on a handrail is to get the paint to flow completely around the handrail so it forms a skin all the way around the rail. Nothing is completely impervious to chipping, the best solution is to handle your locos as little as possible and never pick them up around the handrails. The more detailed they get, the harder it becomes to handle them - this is where a cradle like the one Peco sells comes in handy - run the loco onto the cradle, pick up without ever touching the loco itself.
–Randy
I use Parma “Faskolor” paint for lexan model car bodies. It’s flexible, inexpencive, a water-based acrylic, and is available in a rainbow of colors, a double plus. --------http://www.parmapse.com---------- sorry, forum compatibility issues prevent me from using hyperlinks, so you will have to copy and paste url
Few paints will adhere to thin flexible plastic that changes shape regularly. Paint, by it’s nature, doesn’t stretch, twist, or bend well. You can change your paint for repairs, but in the long run, a more productive approach may be to change your handling of the locomotives.
For me, it is an extended process just to get a locomotive out of the box and packaging without breaking it. Then, during run-in, I am looking at the unit carefully, finding and remembering how and where to grab it without damage. It changes from loco to loco, and I have to remember each one.
Rolling stock too.
Many locos can be picked up by the fuel tank, with the fingers and thumb arched to avoid contact with handrails and other details.A very few don’t like this, and require other procedures, which get complicated quickly. Slow and careful is really the best advice.
Not crashing them into stuff helps too.
There was an article in MR several years back about using the flexible additive they use on car bumpers when they paint them.
Here’s a link to some additives … the 16 oz size looks to be the best deal … probably a lifetime supply for 20 bucks.
I haven’t tried it because a good coat of Modelflex paint does the trick for me – it may still flake off some over time, but when I pull the loco in for maintenance, I’ll just touch up the paint and it’s good until the next time maintenance rolls around. [swg]
That was probably my article back in the '90s about painting a Reading N-Scale U30C. Thanks for remembering! I’ve since switched to clear automotive plastic adhesion primer - a spray can cost me about $4.99 at Pep Boys and works great as long as you put the finish color on within ten minutes of the platic prep stuff.
Steve Troy
Joe,
your right itscalled adhesion promoter. I finally got some and used it. So far no chipped plastic hand rails it dries clear and is a primer.