I found a good deal on a couple of Athearn RTR SP SD45s that I’d like to get but I already have both of those road numbers. Has anyone had any luck removing the factory numbers without damaging the paint under them?
John
I have had good luck with a pencil eraser and Microscale Micro Sol. I leave the Micro Sol over the letter/numbers I want to remove for a few minutes and then put the pencil eraser to work. Might take a couple of applications but it has worked for me.
I used 3M Wetordry Polishing Paper to remove the factory lettering on my Athearn CNW SD40-2 I bought- it is a synthetic paper that works like very fine grit sandpaper.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nordique72/3849591526/in/set-72157613703429876/
The nice thing is that the paper is very soft and pliable so working around small details and corners isn’t so annoying- I taped a small bit of the paper to the end of a q-tip and lightly went over the numbers and lettering I wanted to change. With a finer grit (I used 400 and 800 to remove lettering then smooth the areas I was working on) it doesn’t damage paint or take it off unevenly- There are places online you can buy it from- one sheet of each grit is more than enough for a long period of time. I got my set over 5 years ago from a metals class I took in college and I still have plenty left. You can get the whole set of six cloths for 8.00 if you look in the right place.
Mine were B&M bluebirds. I brushpainted B&M blue over the old numbers and it matched perfectly. I then decaled new numbers on top of the paint.
I’ve used 3M automotive scratch remover on a wooden Q-tip. It’s available at auto parts stores and equal to 1500 grit sandpaper. Take your time and it will leave you with a polished surface ready for decaling followed by a coat of Dullcote over the entire engine for a perfect finish. Has worked well on Athearn, Kato, Atlas, and P2K to mention a few. The process is technique sensitive, so take your time and good luck!