Greetings all. I just returned from a trip to the train store to pick up some more track for Thunder Ridge. While I was there I found this little guy: It sure is an ugly little thing, but guess what I bought it for? $15 big ones. Yeah, yeah, you're thinking, "You got ripped off!" Well, not so fast. Check out what was hidden under the shell! All the brass contacts and motor appear as if they just came out of the factory. Not a blemish or hint of discoloration. And it runs perfect. So anyways, I figured, I'd strip the paint and try my hand at a complete custom paint job, right? So wrong. Instead of striping the paint, I pretty much just melted the shell. Oh well, a brand new shell will be in the 15 dollar range, and even at 30 bucks total, this little thing is a deal. So that's where I need the help. What model/manufacturer of shell do I need? The fuel tank says Kato, but I never knew them to do a high hood. I then thought it might be of the Atlas/Kato team, thinking this was a SD-35, but none of their shells match the fans on the top. While stripping the paint I revealed the factory Black Widow paint, which I cant find from Atlas in this type of loco either. Any ideas? I appreciate the help.
I was going to say SD9, but SD7 works too. I assume it's an old Atlas/Kato. It's too bad you tried to strip the paint, because it had a pretty good SP paint job going. Looked like it'd been through the ringer. Just like the real ones.
Yeah, I definitely got ahead of myself. When I took the shell apart I noticed the sliver of the Black Widow paint underneath, so that's really what I wanted, a Black Widow. Unfortunately, obviously, my paint stripping went a little too heavy. Ok, extremely heavy! Good news though, since I only attempted and ruined the body shell, I found replacements for just 5 bucks instead of having to pay 15 for the whole shell assembly. Hopefully I can get some new facts on paint stripping so that I can strip the sill and cab better. So who's got some tips on paint stripping?
I'm gonna guess the repaint was with an enamel, but for factory jobs, all you need to do is get a rubbermaid tub wide enough for you to roll a model over in,m and long enough for the model, and pour in some 91% Isopropyl alcohol. Unfortunately, enamel paints and your pretty much screwed. You CAN use Easy Lift Off to do it with, but even that is smoetimes more "Proof: Here's a Fool!" then "foolproof"... Just asked the guy writing this post who melted a Walthers Skytop rearwindow... One thing you might be able to do, if the shell is sturdy enough, is smooth it down with a series of fine sand papers. Start with 1200, and work through 1500. If you can smooth the body, wash the sucker good, then you can repaint it. You can do your basecoat in enamel, then if you can find them, do any later coats in acrylic paint. That way. of you mess up the detailing, or it bleeds through the mask, you can use a paint applicator with the isoprpyl alcohol to wipe up the top layer without completely taking up the paint on the model. Or better yet, if you repaint entirely in Acrylics, then you don't have to use the ELO and melt shells.
I don't use anything but Chameleon paint stripper anymore. ELO has cracked a few shells for me, I've never tried brake fluid but have seen several models destoyed/melted by it and some people like to use Alcohol.
I tried 100% acetone on this one.. It worked great, but I think I just applied it too speedily. Will I be able to adjust my application of acetone? I have a whole bottle now. :/
Mark, If you're careful, you can use Pine Sol to remove factory-applied paint. Simply dip an old toothbrush in a small cup containing Pine Sol, and scrub away. You can also soak the shell for short periods of time (an hour or so should be fine). As I recall (it's been years since I used this method), Pine Sol is fairly caustic on Plastic parts if left too long without washing it off.
Never use acetone, MEK, or lacquer thinner to strip a plastic shell. The shell will melt every time. Pine Sol would be a safer bet. And BTW, that was an SD9 shell you melted, the class lights are centered over the number boards on an SD7...
:tb-ooh:Acetone is the stuff in plastic cement that melts the plastic together. Definitely don't use brake fluid either, I used to use it years ago until I tried it on a Kato GP38-2 shell, I ended up with a spare GP38-2 mechanism and since then the brake fluid stays in the cars brake system where it belongs.
It's threads like this that remind me of just how nasty some of the stuff we keep around the house can be. Acetone, paint stripper, Pine Sol. Yikes.
Just to agree with everyone. Acetone? ACETONE? GAH!!!!! Acetone will ALWAYS destroy plastic. NEVER use it. I've had good results in HO with Pinesol. And on really stubborn stuff Pinesol with a bit of Brake fluid in it. (I've got a bit of mad scientist in me.)
If the worst should occur and you melt the walkways, Atlas has a complete SD7 shell which includes shell, cab, sill, walkways, horns, window glazing, headlights and number boards for $8.75 + S&H. Still not a bad deal if you have to go that way.
Eeks. Sounds like I really messed this one up! The acetone is packaged in a bottle of Finger Nail Polish. I purchased it because I thought I read somewhere that finger nail polish was a good paint stripper. Well, see what happens when you assume. Thanks for all the tips on paint stripping. Actually, I was browsing around the Atlas Parts catalog last night and as Inkaneer pointed out I can pick up a fully undecorated shell for cheap. I dont suppose anyone knows if other shell styles will fit the mechanism too? Maybe with some slight modification? Wheelbase/truck style differences doesn't matter as I'm all freelance, so as long as the result passes as a loco. Oh, and bnsf971, thanks for the clarification. The first SD9 I compared it too had a cab extension on the roof, making me think that was the difference between the 7 and 9. But later on, I found many SD9s with out that cab extension, confusing me again. But now I know.
Just to be clear, Acetone is fingernail polish REMOVER. It makes an excellent paint stripper. Unfortunately, it does its job a little TOO well on plastic...
Yeah, finger nail polish is in fact paint (a form of lacquer I believe). Nail Polish Remover is Acetone with a scent and a moisturizer. Its a hydrocarbon just like the Plastic is, so it will react with the plastic.
sd9 the engine you have is kato made. the shells on the atlas parts list are china and kato . the china shell not fit the kato mech. without major modification to the mech.
Er, yes, that is what I ment to type. I had thought I read that finger nail polish remover works for paint stripping. Unfortunately, it works a little too well.
Could you elaborate more? From the photos posted on the Atlas catalog the shell appears to be identical to the shell I have. Same number of tabs along the bottom and in the same places.
I've used brake fluid to strip paint off plastic models. It works most times but don't leave it over night. After a few hours I used a very soft tooth brush with warm soap and water. Art Muroff
