I am about to receive some unpainted chassis, can i brush paint them or should I get a spray can. any advice would be much appreciated. It seems the manufacturer is too busy posting to this forum too paint them
Colonel, it is usually a thinner better paint job when applied by spray. Several very light coats on the bottom first, from all four sides from slightly above to get inside all the cross work will be first, then turn the frames over after drying, and spray the top side. A brush applies a thicker coat all at once, and can easily cause 'runs' expecially in corners. If the frame work is to be one color, and the tires black, you may wish to remove the wheels, or paint them carefully with a very small pointed brush. Painting the wheel hubs first, will help.
Yes, then rinse in hot clean water. Use a hair dryer to air dry, then rinse in isopropyl alcohol. If lead, or aluminum, lightly spray with zink chromate as a binder, then paint. You are working in N scale, so thin the paints to almost like gasoline. The thinner will evaporate, and the build up of pigment will be thin enough to color, but not enough to cover up detail. Remember, the brake hoses can be sewing thread of the correct color, so do not have to be painted. Use tweezers and just touch the end of the thread to a little glue on a tooth pic tip, then touch to where that hose end goes.
At a friends home, I tried air brushing and spray painting out of a can black on something similiar. The air brushing was far superior in its look. I was using Testor's spray paint in a can - black - and had troubles with it; I will never use it again.
There is on the market, (at least in the UK,) Tins of spray paint designed for the modeller, it's called CITADEL COLOUR. I very often use their Black which is called CHAOS BLACK. I sprayed all my MDC shays (kits) with this black, and it leaves a very nice slight sheen to it. It dries in 1 hour, and is an acrylic paint. Most roll game players, war hammer etc, use these paints.
In Canada we are lucky to have a company called Canadian Tire. They sell small cans of automotive laquer in a great variety of colours. I spray my N gauge diesel shells with it as well as passenger cars and it does a great job. I spray three thin coats and get a neat finish
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Paul Templar: There is on the market, (at least in the UK,) Tins of spray paint designed for the modeller, it's called CITADEL COLOUR. I very often use their Black which is called CHAOS BLACK. I sprayed all my MDC shays (kits) with this black, and it leaves a very nice slight sheen to it. It dries in 1 hour, and is an acrylic paint. Most roll game players, war hammer etc, use these paints.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Hehe, I couldn't help but laugh when I saw this post. My other expensive hobby happens to be Games Workshop products (of which Citadel Color is a line). I actually have never used their paints on my train stuff, but it does come out quite nice on their line of products. You can find it at any gamers store.
I've been painted since 1990 and all i ever used for spray was Testors. I also use alot of Polly-s, Pactra, and Scale Coat. I buy alot of Testors Spray, And the Flat Black I use is more then we all drink water or any liquid a day!!!!!! The last time I bought a crate from my local hobby shop it lasted me less then 2 weeks!!!!! And I haven't had any trouble with it. I do alot of my own mixing of color to get the desired shade I want and use my air brush. I use my "brush bottles" of paint for building weathering and such, besides touch ups. I think the best paint that i've used so far is the Scale Coat, the color it says to be and the shade it shows on the cap is the truest i've seen. Most times colors on caps are done by computer and it makes the shade to its judgement... like Testors. But Scale coat actually stamps the color they make right from the vast of paint what ever the color. But guys if your going to use Testors A word of advise..... Buy "Testors Model Masters" its a better a way better grade of paint by Testors, I even buy Testors Model Masters brush paint because of its high grade. And the spray they make is way better as well the spray can actually works for a change...... [ 12 March 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
John has good advice since he paints and repairs as a business and does lots more models than we do. Where we may paint occasionally, we do not get the practice he does, so we do not learn the tricks of the trade that make a professional look to our work. Our paint of any one color probably dryes up in the bottle before we get back to it again. It is just like the CEO of BLMA who makes some of the finest highly detailed addon accessories around. He is professional, so it is very difficult for us to compete with someone who does something all the time. It helps all of us to be allowed to know some of the inside dope. Thanks guys.
Watash, and others, I thank Watash for the personal comment, I take that as a compliment, and hes right in the last 2 weeks I've done right around 50 cars and 40 loco's. And as a profession in the hobby I got one moto "The Job Is Never Done Till It Satisfies Me". And that being that fact of the matter if it satisfies me i'm almost sure it will satisfiy the owner. I wouldn't let go of a item till its right, and if not right I work till it is at no addional charge. I was taught the things I know from a fellow thats 94 or 95 today and he has his own bussiness today still but he no longer does the N scale or HO because of his age. He does the O scale and G scale still though and Since he taught me we (him and I) made an agreement, If I get O scale work or G scale I send it to him, and if he gets N scale, or HO scale work he sends it to me. And in different ways we supply each other with different types of parts and things etc... And once a month we get together and figure out "New" ideas to build and maybe even sell. He builds in O, and G scale and I do alittle helping and the same goes for me in N, and HO scale he'll help some. Hes a very good machinist for one. If I need something machined thats the man I call on the phone or visit. And within a week I have what I needed machined. But as the story goes "If quallity can't be given to those who want it from a decent respectfull bussiness I have no respect for that bussiness". And for a reasonable price that fits in almost anyones wallet. I'm not here to make a killing in money from my hobby. I'm here to give the knowledge I have to others by means of their trains. I only make enough money to support myself and my hobby........ Thats good enough for me! And a BIG THANKS to Watash... That really got the spirit going...... Thats just to add to my will to keep going and do as I was taught "Work for the money you make, and give the best for the money" [ 12 March 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
That was the way I was raised too. But today's prices just boggle my mind! Dad and I made engines to order for Dr. Gambrell and ORR's Toy and Book store for several years, and the prices then were like $500.00 for a finished engine painted and running, but not decaled. Those engines were "equalized on the drivers", not sprung, and some, like a 4-8-8-4 had two Pittman DC-70 motors in them. The track weight of that one was 6 pounds not counting the tender. Today I have seen some of the "Brass", and it is something I would have been ashamed to have to say I built that. I digress. Make your Pit carefully and take your time, it will work fine.
Watash, I own 4, Rivarossi 4-8-8-4 Big Boys all customized to EM-1's in B&O. The first one on my Rivarossi parts guide and scratchbuilders bible shows this for all them. The first one is probably the oldest around anymore it has the stock number of 1254/2 and dates to 1969. It still runs like a scared jack rabbit and is unchanged mechanically. All thats done to it is the customized body and paint job. 2 other ones I have stock numbers for them both are 1254/3 and dates to 1971 to 1972 and one is still original to this day and runs great, the other I repowered with OMI Electric motor. and runs great as well and it will run better once I get the double flywheels in it. and the last one I have is stock number 1545, and dates to 1972 to 1980. And its totally repowered with an OMI motor, and runs great as well. But the first 2 loco's i've mentioned probably costed around $30.00 new. The 3rd loco I mentioned was around $59.00. The last one I mentioned was around $129.00 or so. I didn't pay those prices for them because I wasn't even thought of when they were made. But anyway I got $50.00 in the first 2 loco's and $75.00 in the last 2. Just to buy them. That don't include all the work i've done to them. I truly believe in giving the work to others as they would pay for. If any of those 4 loco's belonged to anyone else, they'd be exactly as they are now not one difference. When I do work for others I intend on using this prefernce: I take the loco or car as if it were mine and do the work no differently. And if i'm satisfied with the results then I know the real owner will be. And if i'm not satisfied i'll work on it till it is. On the prices I listed for those loco's I bought would still exist today for new ones I'd probably have the whole collection of B&O EM-1's by now!! From road number 7600 to 7629!!!!! I'd have 30 of them. But the rise in cost of living and life has put a far more demand on such things. Thats why things are outragous today. The price of $30.00 for a loco in 1969 to one in todays world for $289.99 is about the same its like back then $30.00 was hard to come by as today with $289.99 is hard to come by. Its all got to do with greed your deffinatly right!!!!! Make something cheap and make a killing from it. thats todays moto. I bought a Rivarossi 2-8-8-0 EL-5 B&O for $188.88 and it runs great too and to the fact it will pull about 80 cars on the level and not get hot or anything. Thats where the flywheels in it show up. They contribute to the preformance big time. But not saying its a better loco compared to the old timer Big Boys I have now no. Those to me are standard to the age. As flywheels are standard to this day in age. You know what bothers me the most between any of the loco's i've mentioned is???? Its the fact that the 2 first Big Boys I talked about will heavy haul no problem and not over heat. And are way heavier than the EL-5 and they all pull about the same amount on level track. I see exactly what your saying Nothing really is better or worse, its the fact that you bought an old one thats suppost to be equal to junk and the new one is to be "BETTER" Where is that better???? I don't see why people say that because of the fact that the older ones do tend to get a bad name but in 30 years or 40 the new EL-5 I got will get the same treatment because of the new stuff in years to come, and in reality its no better. Its just made from less costly material and sold for the price of time it took who ever to build it. To me thats ok in ways because the "engineers" that built it aren't getting the credit that the guys like us do from setting and making one with all exspensive materials and in year to come like 50 years from now the ones we built will still be huffin smoke from their stacks and those ones that the people made that were said to be better will no longer be running!!!!!!! So who really are the true "engineers" that built good engines? Well its us!!! The ones that actually set and build them better and stronger to last for years and years to come to me thats getting my moneys worth. When you got a loco thats 30 years old or more even 20 to 25 years old and still is running. Thats quallity and all you've done to that loco is keep basic good maintenence on it all those years to insure that it'll run 20 to 30 years later or more. Thats my style of craftsmanship. Then when I do that type of work in years to come when i'm gone people that get to see what i've done will say "now thats a guy that took quallity to the 9th degree" and look its still going strong today. And i'll have a name to match my work even though i'm not alive to "live it up". Thats not the idea its to show that people really do appreciate good quallity items no matter if its a train or a automobile or a telephone. Thats the way I was raised.... To give decent quallity in your work and get payed for what ever quallity of work you do. If your working habbits are lousy then exspect a lousy pay check and if your work habbits are at their tops in degree then get a top degree pay check and what ever you may get respect it for what ever type of work you done. Don't exspect more for less.......... [ 13 March 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
I think by now at least one of the Brass makers may have learned how to make an engine that is not only beautiful, but runs well and is heavy also. I never see any reviews about them or hear anyone comment as to comparison in quality, running etc. [ 14 March 2001: Message edited by: watash ]
Watash, I own one Brass loco as I posted in another toppic A shay 3 truck, but its the only brass loco I have, and it weighs right around 4 and a half to 5 pounds and runs great. I can't compare it to anything else though being the rest of my loco's are in fact plastic. As for running its great and has no traction band on the wheel treads and the looks are great its modeling exactly after the Western Maryland #6 3 truck 150 ton Shay. Now all I have to do is give it a paint job being that I bought it unfinished. Its an older one out of the early to mid 1970's. And was well taken care of as well. All its ever got to my knowledge is basic maintenence. I see no signs of anything changed on it. I had it all apart and the motor is the orginal that was put init from factory and it still runs as quiet the day my freind bought it (you can't hear the motor run at all)!!! A very quiet running loco and very powerfull at 4.5 to 5 pounds and pulls great as the weight permits. To compare it to another would be hard for me to do because its the only one I know of in my area. And plastic wouldn't even have a chance compared to it. And whats sad is the friend I bought it from we compared it to one of his mallets in brass and its better than them as well. Its wierd to say but he sold a better running loco to get the money he needed because hes like me and loves his mallets and didn't want to part with any of the ones he has so.... I offered to buy the Shay at the same price he was selling a small brass mallet for and he didn't want to part with the mallet I knew that but anyway I told him I'd buy the Shay instead so he could keep his mallet. We done the deal and closed it in 5 minutes and hes happy to have all his mallets and i'm happy I got a Shay that i've wanted to model the Western Maryland #6 [ 16 March 2001: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
Watash, I'm sorry I told you a lie!!!! That Brass Shay I have isn't from the early or late 1970's! Its out of the early to middle 1960's!! Sorry about that I went and got into talking to my friend I bought it from and I asked him if he knew the year it was manufactured and I was wrong it was in the early to middle 1960's. I can't say an exact year because he wasn't exactly sure of the year but he knew it was bought in the early '60's so.... But a well built loco thats forsure and nothing like todays Brass that i've seen....
