I received my order of these products to complete my modern train station. I am using the Walthers City Station and am currently working on assembling and detailing the structure. I ordered some SS Ltd. benches to go inside the station. I have a couple questions.
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I know these things have to assembled. But first, they have to have some filing work done to them. What glue should I use? These appear to be white metal or something.
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I want to paint these up to look like wood. How would I do that?
This is a Scale Structures model:
Well, OK, it’s not one you’d expect to find in a train station. I painted it with cheap acrylic paint from a craft store, and glued it together with CA. The wash bucket is part of the set. Again, it was simply painted with cheap acrylics.
For station benches, you might want to spray it with satin finish after painting to make it look “varnished.”
CA or 2 part epoxy is best for metal to metal gluing. I prime my metal stuff before painting. [2c]
Either CA or two part epoxy will do a good job bonding white metal castings together. You will get a better glue bond if you prep the surfaces as if you were going to paint them. After all the filing and fitting is done, a good wash in hot soapy water followed with a clean water rinse. Then you might etch the surface by pickling the metal in a mild acid. I use supermarket vinegar. It puts some tooth in the surface that helps paint and glue stick well. Don’t touch the metal parts with your bare hands after cleaning them, the oil in finger prints can be enough to cause the paint or glue not to stick.
For a “bright” wood finish simulating varnish I’d use a woody brown gloss paint, or put a coat of clear gloss over a flat brown paint. For just painted wood, use any paint you like. Big John Dalton, a famous poster to rec.models.railroad and now deceased, maintained that the hobby acrylic paints from Michaels or Wal Mart were every bit as good as Floquil or PollyS. And a lot cheaper. I have used them a few times and found them quite satisfactory.