Currently planning the decals for this box car and wanted to ask the forum masters how to treat the areas which will be under the decals. The car is painted flat brown.
Was thinking about brushing Microscale Gloss on the areas where the decals with be placed?
I saw that Microscale recommends airbrushing the gloss, but I try to minimize my airbrushing (hassle to clean).
Some background on this box car project:
This 50' box car started out as a BNSF Lionscale (former Weaver). It became a "learning" car while I tried different methods to remove and eventually patch out the original graphics.
The printing method which Lionel uses (UV-cured ink) proved indestructible to both 100% isopropyl alcohol and easy-off oven cleaner. The easy-off would take the paint off, but the graphics remained.
Next I decided to patch out the graphics with brushed black gloss enamel paint. That didn't work well, I needed to put a lot of paint on to hide the graphics, and probably didn't mask it well enough as I got some runs.
What you see here is a repaint with flat brown and a "metal look" craft paint on the roof. From reading some posts on a RR weathering forum, apparently overspray of the car body paint onto the roof is very realistic. The texture looks galvanized to me.
When held in the right light, you can still make out the the embossed graphics from Lionel. My previous patches are also very evident. It is supposed to be a "used" box car, so I am OK with that.
Trucks are Weaver with IM wheels.
