Well, now that I have emptied my magazine on Arbour models, how about brass engine painting? Anybody here do much of this? I have done quite a bit of brass painting, but always have a few problems. The biggest problem is painting wheels and side rods. I have difficulty in getting paint to stick well to these items. The wheelsets and side rods are usually plated. I have tried soaking in vinegar, as I do the bare brass parts, but it does not seem to etch the plating as well as it does the brass. I am always a bit hesitant to soak insulated wheelsets, especially drivers, in etching liquids for fear of damaging the insulating material. Paint will stick to the wheel sides, but I still get spots that chip off and show the plating underneath. Anybody had any experience or have any advice here? Thanks!! Fred W.
I haven't painted any brass engines (yet), but I do paint a lot of brass and aluminum passenger cars and I find the Badger modelflex straight out of the bottle works fine. Certain colors such as red and yellow may need more coats, but usually cooperate in the end. The secret as far as I can see is to have clean, bare metal and to not try to get it all done in one coat if it's being contankerous!
Like you I have had my share of headaches painting brass loco's. The official wisdom is to dismantle the running gear and then paint it. I found that just a wee bit daunting. I found a product out of the gunsmith industry that blacken the bright rods and wheels. It's a cold blueing process that you can apply with a small brush or q-tip. The parts come out a semi gloss bluish black. Its called Brass Black. Test it out on a piece of scrap to see if you like the way it turns out. Good Luck
Thanks for the idea Chris. I remember there used to be a model RR product that would blacken metal, it was called Hobby Black, I think. I will see if I can find this again, or go find a gun store. There are none here locally, the liberals ran the only one out of town. I do not have any qualms about dismantling the running gear, I have done many, as well as built some really onery kits. But getting paint (I use Floquil) to stick to the plated parts has always been a pain. Thanks again for the idea. Fred W.
There is another product called Black-N-It used by the tool and die and model shop industries, that turns brass and copper jet black. You get it at professional tool and supply stores like Briggs-Weaver, Exchange Tool and Machine etc. This is NOT a gun bluing, it is really jet black as sin! It is a two step process. You dip the item in a Strong oil, wax, and finger print remover, rinse with warm water, then apply step one (copper sulfate) that plates a thin copper "skin" . the last step turn it jet black. If you want a high gloss, rag buff the item first, if you want a dull matte finish, vapor blast, or sand blast lightly, then apply the copper and "black". Just follow the instructions, but do NOT touch the surface with your fingers until after the whole process is finished. [ 12. May 2003, 05:38: Message edited by: watash ]
