Hi everyone, as stated in my previous posting (RTA Bi-Level re-paint project) about being unable or impatient to find Metra bilevels or locomotives (F40PH's)... I've decided to make a 2nd attempt at custom painting.
This time, I picked up a nice MTH Railking CSX F40PH (broken up from a RTR set) from a local guy via the bay. Good runner, low scale miles and time on the clock. I decided to paint this into a pre-metra RTA powder blue paint scheme. I had a Bachman Spectrum HO model on hand to go off.
So, using the forum, I tried the 91% alcohol method of attempting to strip the paint.
48 hours in...
MTH paint: 1
91% alcohol: 0
My other "test subjects" guinea pigs including a william F7A dummy, 2 x Lionel switchers were also in the vat of alcohol. The Williams F7A literally peeled off. The lionel stuff, the striping came off easy.
Lesson learned: Wet Sanding with 600grit goes a long way. I scuffed my F40PH down and smoothed out the color transitions of the CSX paint scheme. The CSX lettering was sanded off. Then I went back over with 1000grit, followed by 1500 grit automotive wet/dry sand paper.
Masked using tamiya tape and frog tape.
Then I experiment/practiced air brushing with painting the lionel switcher shells and the williams f7a dummy. I still need more practice using an airbrush. Either I'm not thinning the paints enough or my airbrush is too cheap to handle the railroad acrylics (el-cheapo Harbor Freight).
So I learned to stick with what I feel comfortable with: rattle cans for now until I can figure out my airbrush.
So here are pics of my practice pieces as well as my F40PH. At the end, I decided on a modified Metra 40th Heritage paint scheme (minus the orange top). I think it turned out well considering I used rustoleum plastic paint and a little luck. I could have found a more powdery type blue but I'm happy. Considering this unit is run a ceiling level type loop, I think it definitely fits the bill... for now.
