AMCDave,
Thanks for sharing your method, you have done some really nice work. I really like the Santa Fe Cat Whiskers!
Here's an MTH Premier ES44 that was originally a Norfolk Western heritage unit- I used 800 grit wet-sandpaper and lightly sanded away the lettering. The blue paint worked well as a primer in my opinion. Then i used Scalecoat II black, with Model Masters pure white for the upper area by the numberboards. Decals were custom made by Microscale. I actually painted 3 for a 3-unit multi-unit consist. My favorite engines in my fleet-
Your NS engine looks great!! I never even gave the white a thought, thanks for pointing me in that direction. Did you apply gloss over the Scalecoat II?
OK, i'll chime in here with my two cents worth. To strip or not to strip? On 95% of what i paint i do not strip it beforehand. Why? Because the factory paint is usually sound and stable.
i do, however remove all lettering and numbers as suggested above. i use 1200, 2400, or 3000 grit wet/dry sandpaper (available at NAPA or other auto parts stores) and sometimes 3M green scrubbers. Start with the finest and work to a more coarse grit as needed so not to damage the underlying paint any more than necessary.
Primer - yes, but don't use automotive or household primers found in rattle cans. Assuming your not using an airbrush please use a hobby primer in a rattle can (Testors - about $7 or Tamiya - about $10). The reason for this the pigments are more finely ground and the solvents and drying agents are formulated to the pigments and have less chance of damaging model work; this does a better job of preserving detail.
Hobby primer - understood, thank you. If I did not strip it (is there a benefit to not?), for the LV, would I have to sand the stripes too?
For painting (assuming you're not using an airbrush) the brand is a matter of personal choice. For big jobs i use Scalecoat II (acrylic) in rattle cans. For small (one engine or car) i use thinned Scalecoat II in a Preval sprayer (available at ACE, TruValue, NAPA, etc.). Works great without the expense of an airbrush, compressor, etc. - means more money for trains!!
At this moment, I do not have an airbrush. Would this qualify as a "big job"? Meaning, I wont have to thin the Scalecoat, will I? Also, do you finish over the Scalecoat with anything?
Masking -- Tamiya brand without question. Sometimes it's helpful (after applying and burnishing the tape) to seal the edge with a light coating of Dullcote to further prevent bleed through.
Not too sure what you mean here.
Bob Delbridge,
Glad the topic got you motivated!
Now another question, how do you get the decals to go into the tiny grooves of the doors, latches, ect.?
