I did a search on this topic and came up with some good info. Apparently folks paint the handrails while they’re mounted on the loco. Here’s my situation. I have an Athearn SW7 cow and calf w/o handrails. I bought metal handrails from Athearn. Should I paint before mounting? And should I use an acrylic or an enamel? Thanks for any help.
the goat
I would paint then while there off. Because if the loco is alredy painted, you don’t want to get the paint on it. (Unless the loco is unpainted, then paint them while there on.) I would use Enamel, or laytex. Acrylic don’t stick to medal.(Unless your loco is unpainted. Then use Acrylic)
Paint with your choice of paints after installation.
The trouble with Athearn’s metal stanchions is many times the 90 bend needs adjusting so any bending w/ pliers will ruin the paint. Also the pressure needed to install will marr or chip the paint. Once the shanchions are installed and rail placed, you need to crimp the top curve tight around the rail- also wrecking the paint. Then CA the joint after stanchion is placed vertical.
I have found that clipping a touch off the mounting “lug” will allow for easier installation- no chance off bottoming in the hole and not flushing out to the walkway. Also I’ll choke up on the 90 bend and sharpen the turn. This will also ensure a tight walkway fit.
Most Athearn shells I will do now will have Smokey Valley stanchions and rails bent from .015 brass.
Liek said above I ALWAYS paint them after they are on. And as said again Athearns need adjusting after they are put on. I install them. Then I make sure they are straight, then apply a very small amount of glue to the tops. That way you don’t have to bend or crimp them with pliers. Then I paint them with a VERY small brush. It’s easy to paint the whole rail without getting any on the body.
Thanks to all. My course is set.
the goat
I paint them after they’re installed. I used to use Floquil, but have since switched to Polly S.
Nick
I paint the metail railings after installation, 'cause installing them will chip the paint. I put some masking tape on the hoods, just in case my hand slips. On the metal railings, start by cleaning/degreasing them. I use alcohol for this. Then I did a first coat with Floquil Zinc Chromate Primer, followed by a finish coat of white (B&M bluebirds had white handrails). This has stayed on and looked good for several years now.
The plastic handrails, which may come in the newer kits, are made from a slippery engineering plastic which doesn’t take paint well. Net rumor has it that a paint intended for plastic race cars (Pactra?) will stick, but I haven’t checked it out.
David Starr
I usually mount the hand-rails first ,then use a fine brush to paint them. Most of the time I use testors paint on them. Works pretty well.
I see most of you guys paint them on after. Well I should know with Athearn. I got some really bent up railings from a junker kit. The only hand rails I have painted ar the plastic, and the acrylic paint wouldn’t stick. I will have to look back at this, because I need to order some handrails from Athearn for my SW1500.
I’ll say this again: For the plastic (Delrin or acetal) handrails you can use Faskolor (flexible acrylic paint) or Tamya’s acrylic paint for Lexan R/C car bodies, but you’ll have to mix any color other than white and yellow, or you can prime with Napa # 7223 clear flexible primer and use any of the model paints solvent or acrylic, however, the solvent paints work best if you mix the primer in with the paints.
If you’re going that far, I’d order Smokey Valley handrails. They’re made of brass and can be soldered. put the stantions into the plastic with a light soldier touching the stanchions, so the plastic melts around it. Then solder the wire to the stanchions. Then paint with good ole’ fashion lacquer. Practice first. It takes a while to get it right. Don’t ask me how I know. But with practice, they come out great, in scale, and solid as a rock.
I much prefer the Athearn metal handrails to the ones commonly offered nowadays by most manufacturers. While a testimony to the die-maker’s art, engineering plastic is not a good choice for this application, and is, in my opinion, a concession to modellers who are either unable or unwilling to assemble durable handrails. While the Smokey Valley handrails mentioned by snagletooth are more accurate, the Athearn handrails do a credible job, are easy to assemble, and are very durable.
To get good results, sharpen the factory-made bends in the handrails themselves: they’ll not only fit better, they’ll look better, too. Also sharpen the bend at the base of the stanchions, and smooth away any burrs where they were cut: this will allow them to be easily pushed into the mounting holes and ensure that they stand perpendicular to the walkways. After you have test fit the handrail portion on the locomotive to ensure that the bends are all in the correct places, remove it to install the stanchions. Lay one stanchion on your work surface with the portion that needs to be bent over to retain the handrail facing up. Position the handrail in the cupped section of the bend in the upper end of the stanchion (make sure that the bends in the handrail that insert into the body shell are pointing up - basically, we’re looking at the walkway side of the handrail as we assemble it). Use your fingers to press down on the handrail on either side of the stanchion, then, using the square nose of a pair of pliers or other suitable tool, press the bent portion of the stanchion around the handrail. Continue installing the rest of the stanchions, then use your pliers to squeeze the wrapped-over portion of the stanchions tightly around the wire handrail, moulding them to the curve of the wire. Next, slide the stanchions to their approximate positions along the handrail, then insert the ends of the handrail into the appropriate ho
for handrails,isn’t it the case that oil-base enamel has more tooth and grip and staying power, and acrylics can chip on delicate, hard-to-hold paint areas like handrails? I’m using acrylics for the base coat on my engines basically because of the fumes/safety issue with airbrush painting (and it seems all right with larger, flat areas), but for small-scale detail brushwork on stuff like handrails, I’m using an oil base paint.
“Tooth” is not in the paint, it’s in the surface you’re painting. All surfaces have microscopic holes which is what all the paints “grab” on to. That’s tooth.
You should always protect your color coats with a clear finish coat no matter what type of paint you use. Enamels do seem to be more chip resistant on metal surfaces and acrylics are more chip resistant on plastic surfaces, but both hold up well when clear coated. If you’re painting the modern plastic handrails, the acrylics hold up a bit better that enamels, but if you really want paint to stick to them, see my previous post.
Modelmaker, thanks for this…it seems my using the oil base for detail is unneccessary and perhaps not even as good for plastics, and I’ll try the acrylics there. Will save me a bit of money in the long run. Cool.
I think you made the right choice. I based my opinion on the fact I use metal handrails. My own way, right Laquers always work better on metals… You’ve decided to go with the plastic handrails. That’s fine. Acrilac( ok, my spell check ain’t on, OK?) always works better on plastic, but it cracks easily if there is ANY hint of oil on it. Wash it real good. Oil will ruin ANYTHING plastic. Let us know how it turns out.
Snagle…for now, I’m just using the handrails that come with the piece. I have so much on my plate, I’ll get to detailing my locos after I get into building my new layout. I’ve got like a massive project on my hands in the next few months. [;)]
Thanks~!
Well, as I’m sure you’ve read. it all depends on the hanrails you use. I prefer metal or brass, obviuosly. Not becuase i think there better, just I’ve had so much experience with them, I know what to do. There is a nother matter concerning plastic, which I fail miserbly in doing. It’s a totaly different game. “the young and adventerous”, if you will. Laqcours dont work, but acriquils do, IF done right. they seal almost like plastic themselves and are very open to bending. But you MUST prep the plastic right, or it will peel like my overly white skin after a day in the sun. Good luck in your choice. nither are wrong, just two ways to go about it.