Hey guys, I was recently given a box of old trains from a friend that no longer wanted them. Some of the locomotives that were in the box had been weathered (or tried to be) and I would like to know what’s the best way to remove the weathering without taking the factory paint off with it. I tried warm water with soap mixed in but the progress was very slow.
Here are some shots of one of the locomotives…
Is there a faster way or is it back to the sink for me…[(-D]
Thanks for any help!
P.S. Still trying to understand the “lets cut holes in the shell” idea…
It may be easier just to replace the shell, or completely strip and reapaint it.If If that person used water based paint, soak it in warm soapy water for a day.
Someone else may be along with a better idea but I don’t know what.
I’m wondering if that might be a water-based paint. If so, possibly soaking it in warm water and an ammonia-based soap for a day or two might loosen it up enough so that it could be removed with a soft toothbrush. Unless it was Dull-coted after he used the paint on it, in which case I think you’ll probably end up having to strip the shell.
I notice you’re in Roseville. You must use Railroad Hobbies, right? Neat bunch of guys over there–I do a lot of shopping there, Mike runs a really great store, IMO.
Try Laquare Thinner, avalible at automotve paint supply store I don’t know about around you, but the drums around me come in 5-gallon quantitys Check first and it tends to be alittle on the pricey side and it can eat certain plastics. Try on a scrap shell first.
Not smart, it will cause health problems. Prolonged exposure can cause neurological and physiological effects. Find something else to clean your hands with.
NO!!! Laquer thinner will cut most, if not all, factory paints, as well as damage the plastic. You just want to remove the weathering.
I’m not sure what brand loco you’re dealing with. That can make a difference, as can the paint to be removed.
Warm water, and dish soap works on some water based paint. As can windex/ammonia and water.
I’ve found Easy-Off (with about a half hour soak) will remove some paints, without damaging the original paint, on Bachmann locos. It does eat the decals, though.
I’ve used Kresto painters hand cleaner (from the auto paint supply store) to remove lettering, stripes and such from equipment without damaging the base coat. But be careful…some paints (acrylic maybe?) came completely off in short order (but that was the plan). [:D]
Isopropyl alcohol works well on some paints.
Try any/or all suggestions in an inconspicuous spot to test.
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I had the same situation, many years ago I had weathered several Gilbert freight cars with artist oils. Not that the weathering was all that bad, but I wanted to return them to “new” since they were my legacy trains, and that ruled out trying drastic measures.
Anyway, I submitted the question to MR and their suggestion was to use mild detergent with Q-tips… and it worked. Granted, it is slow, but progress is noticable and steady, and the original finish is preserved.
Since preservation was my main concern, this was a good solution. If I was willing to refinish the shell, I’d probably choose whichever was quicker and easier.
The “lets cut holes in the shell idea” you were asking about was probably a start to detail the shell to match a specific locomotive from a picture by altering the sand filler hatch and the doors in front of the cab. The sand filler might be replaced with a like detail part. The hole in front of the cab could be filled with some sheet styrene. If you haven’t done any detailing or kit bashing you should consult some books on the subject, practice on a sacrificial shell then tackle it or get somebody trustworthy and experienced to do it for you.
All plastics are not the same. I’m sure the “auto plastic” you are referring to isn’t styrene if it stands up to lacquer thinner. If you trust it so much, post a picture of one of your plastic loco shells that you used it on. You might get away with carefully using it on one thing but it can have unpredictable effects on paint and plastic. I’ve seen a little bit of lacquer thinner have little effect on one kind of paint on a top coat but it crazed (wrinkled) the paint under it. Styrene composition will also very from manufacturer to manufacturer and from production run to production run with the same manufacturer.
P.S. Just so you know, “Hay” is food for livestock made from dried cut grass, while “Hey” is an interjection.
