I have came up with a track plan for a new layout and I have been deciding on which way to go for locos and cars. I have decided to go towards the custom painting department. I was thinking on getting a bachmann spec. 4-8-2 light mountian undec (n scale) and installing a sundtraxx decoder and getting the con cor undec hevywheigts and painting/decalling them in frisco colors.What all will I need for this? NOTE: I planned on doing the loco in the 1522 road # and the cars in their “red sceam”.
Step one, old paint off.
If you are buying painted and lettered cars then you need to remove the old paint. Alcohol (the stuff in a can from a hardware store) or commercial model paint stripper (I’ve used Scalecoat stripper) will work. Some people have also used Drano or brake fluid. Be very careful since many of the chemicals are hazardous, flammable (alcohol), caustic (Drano) or poisonous. Do NOT use furniture paint strippers. They are liable to disovle the plastic on the shells.
Step 2, new paint on.
The best method is an airbrush. That requires an air brush and an air source. You can buy a model compressor or a tool compressor or use an air tank for filling tires or cans of propellant. For any of the air sources you will need a regulator. Teh air tank can be filled at a local gas station and then used at home. If that’s too many bucks then you will have to brush paint. Buy good brushes. El cheapo Testors hobby brushes or kiddie paint set brushes will give you kiddie paint set results. Buy a brush for general painting and a small one for details.
You will need paint. I suggest acrylics since they clean up and thin with water. If you are doing stripes of multi colored cars, then you will need masking tape. The regular tan type will work but sometimes the adhesive is too strong and it will pull the paint off. The blue low tack type or drafting tape may work better. A piece of wood is good for a burnisher to get the tape absolutely, positively down on the car sides. if there is even the slightest crack under the tape, the second color will bleed under the tape and ruin the first color.
Step 3, prep for decals.
Decals need to be put on a glossy surface, so you need a gloss coat. Glosscoats are sold by the same compa
Thank you, Dehusman
Now, why would I need to take the “primer” paint off the cars? The loco I’m leaving black and just decalling it and painting the roof red http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=30605&nseq=10 . I was thinking of using their red “scheme”. I’ve been trying to find pics, I’ll ask on the prototype forums what colors they where. As for decals, where can I get them small enough to decal the loco?
If it’s a painted but unlettered model, then all you have to do is give the shell a wash with some grease cutting detergent (like Dawn), coat it with a glosscote, (Testors Glosscote will do), decal, (as described above) and seal with the finish of your choice, (gloss, semi-gloss or flat).
If it’s unpainted black plastic, then the model should be painted (black), then glossed and so on.
The drying time for acrylics is about an hour, so you can recoat in an hour, you can decal usually in 3-6 hours, you should wait to handle a newly finished loco for a couple of days as it takes 2-5 days for acrylic paints to fully harden (cure).
Above all, practice painting on old cars or scrap plastic untill you get the hang of working with the paints, don’t be in a hurry to paint the loco, several light coats are always better than a heavy coat of paint. Practice, practice, practice. Good Luck!
Ok, I found out that a 4-8-2 wouldn’t work so plan B RUN! just kidding, I couldn’t resist. My real plan B is custom pain and F7 and do freight then add passenger latter. What shade of black will I need to paint the F7?