So basically I got a brass engine with a very well done factory paint job, but the original owner had to weather it. Very poorly at that. It looks like the guy sprayed brown paint all over the engine haphazardly.
I was thinking of trying to soak it in 70% or 91% isopropyl alcohol to see if the original paint could possibly be saved. Its highly unlikely the weathering paint will come off without also removing the factory paint.
Any suggestions? What are some weak paint strippers that might be able to remove certain paints but not others?
Unfortunately, true success depends on something you have no control over… did the previous owner put a clear gloss coat on the model before he weathered it?
If he did, your idea for weak solvents and patience should work.
If not, you will not have much of chance for success.
Decades ago, I weathered my first train set with artist’s oils diluted with turpentine. The weathering was fine, but I eventually decided that the set meant more to me as heirloom keepsakes as opposed to being part of the equipment roster. So, I posed the question to the MR Staff and they suggested gently scrubbing with Q-tips and dish detergent. I was skeptical at first, but it worked, I was able to remove most or all of the weathering without damaging the original paint. It’s a labor-intensive process, and would be especially so with a detailed loco, but worth a try.
Test on an inconspicuous area first, but… If the base was good and solid and the dirt artist used artist’s oils, you may be able to remove the weathering with a brush dipped in odorless thinners and then blotted almost dry.
Long ago, I built a model Jeep, painted it with enamel, and a year or so later, weathered it with artist’s oils. About five years later, I decided the weathering was too heavy and took most of it off that way. I don’t know if a wetter brush would have caused trouble, I worked very carefully and slowly.
And when I was almost done, dropped the cursed thing and broke it.
Yes. You can work with thinners or mineral spirits. There will be a point where if you work too hard it will remove the base paint, but working slowly should be able to remove the weathering coats.
Doing so however will dull the finish of the factory paint, you’ll notice where you rubbed. It won’t look factory new, but the faded areas would represent weathering…just not the bad weathering you’re removing.
No clue. Upon closer inspection, the entire boiler is painted that tan brown (which seems to not want to come off), and then there like a dark brown/black that covers that (which comes off easily).
It looks like they tried weather it, then realized what theyve done and tried to reverse it by adding more black over. But it ended up like this mess. Real shame too, cause it is clear there is the factory paint under it. There’s no decals, but rather the lettering is done with paint and one of those rubber pads. And the clear gloss over the black and graphite smokebox looks really good.
I see decal haze around the ‘‘NEW YORK CENTRAL’’ (look for the decal’s edge above and down the ends of the NEW YORK CENTRAL). So why not clean all the paint off and repaint and decal it again.
Wow it looks like ‘‘Ballast’’ on the tender side when the photo is enlarged.
I see you say “not a decal” so you should know, it’s in you hands.
Didnt see that until now, I was too busy looking at all the paint spots. Either way, I find it extremely likely this was factory painted, if you look at a like new one of these Key L-2a mohawks, it has a similar paint scheme.
Also, considering the quality of weathering, I have troubling believing he painted the very well done original black and graphite paint underneath this.
If that loco were mine, I’d disassemble it and put the tender and boiler/cab assembly in lacquer thinner to strip it, then re-paint it. The original paint looks to me to be not far-removed from a dip job, as it’s all the same black. And yes, that tender lettering is definitely done with a decal.
Depending on how thick the paint coat is already, I might try to fix it first before stripping it. Clean it as best you can and then try a couple of very light passes of black with an airbrush. That might just tone down that abominable weathering job into something tolerable.
The reason I suggest the above is that in my experience getting all of the paint off with paint thinner is not always a slam dunk, especially if it is an old paint job. I have spent many hours removing stubborn paint from brass shells. Once you start with the thinner, you are committed, and if you draw a bad hand, it can be a long slog. Of course you may not have an option here, but I go to the thinner as a last resort.
I know the look from some of my early attempts, although mine were boxcars not steam locomotives. If it was done with an airbrush it looks like the paint was dry almost before it hit the surface of the model, hence the splatter effect. But it also looks like a spray of isopropyl alcohol and perhaps some color added such as india ink was too heavily applied, perhaps followed with a similarly too heavy and wet application of DullCoat or other fixitive.
I do not suggest trying to remove, if you seek to preserve the underlying paint. No paint remover or removing method known to me can read your mind about what you want to keep and what you want to remove. I suggest trying to cover up.
Do you have those little wedge shaped pieces of rubbery foam that can be found in the beauty/make-up department of your local drug store? It comes in sheets and you just pull off the wedge you need.
They are excellent for applying chalks and powders. I suggest an application of a mix: black, very dark gray, and perhaps bits of a rust color chalks or powers. Work it over and around the worst parts. Then DullCoat which will as usual undo most of what you just did - it is a repetitive process until you learn how much to over do things that will make it past the DullCoat application. With care I think after a couple of applications you will in essence tone down considerably the bad weathering. The cover up does not have to
