In an earlier thread, I asked about metal kits... and I took the plunge and bought a couple of "simple" wagon kits.
I've got them, and looks simple enough to me. However, I tend to paint the pieces before I put them together, especially those parts that will be difficult to get to once together.
1) what kind of paint do I use ?
2) any preparation I should do ?
3) primers recommended ?
4) what happens to paint when I solder it? Or should I paint after I've put it together?
To answer 3) & 4) first, paint bubbles and burns if you solder too near it, so you do put it all together then paint. For a wagon kit, this shouldn't be too difficult, in terms of hard-to-reach areas, although
*when* you progress to loco kits you do need to consider how you are going to paint it, in terms of how it can break down into sensible size chunks.
Now that's out of the way, 2) naturally comes next, and is perhaps the most important stage. Lots of people have lots of different methods, and I'm sure other people will offer their methods, and of course you can choose what suits you. Here's the gist of what I do -
1 - have a good scrape around to get rid of any excess solder. If you are John Hayes, you can miss this stage!
2 - soak the model in limescale remover (I use Limelite), then scrub with a toothbrush to remove any traces of muck.
3 - rinse well under a hot tap to get rid of any traces of limescale remover!
4 - dry thoroughly in a dust free area.
As to paint type, I prefer to use a Halfords primer of an approriate colour. There is a lot of snobbery about using car aerosols, and in some cases rightly so, but with practise the Halfords brand can be used to give a very fine mist coat with absolutely no loss of detail. Whatever you do, don't use CarPlan aerosols, because they spit and splutter and generally make a mess (are they still around?) Halfords cans give a nice gentle waft of paint rather than a blast.
For the top coats, I use either Halfords aerosols again if I can get the right colour, or airbrush Precision Paints. Personally, I don't get on with Railmatch paints, but a lot of people do prefer those. I definitely don't like either Railmatch or Precision Paints aerosols, as I find the pressure is far too high and find it very difficult to get a fine coat. I need to be three miles from the model then find it difficult to aim! Airbrushing is by far the best way to paint though, as you have much better control and can get paint into smaller areas without smothering the whole model.
What you should definitely do with any form of spraying is to wear a proper face mask and work in a well-ventilated area.
Anyway, there should be some pointers for you, and I hope others can offer their methods so you can pick what suits you. This is the same principle as building locos - I don't like the Tony Wright way, but do like the Iain Rice way!
[ snip of general prep which is close enough to my method to not be worth confusing the thread with alternative suggestions ]
Agreed. However, don't make the mistake of purchasing a primer which is labelled as having "gap filling properties" or similar. Whilst arguably useful to deal with bodged car repairs, it will nicely fill in the detail on your model :-(
Additional safety precaution; make sure someone knows you are spraying and checks on you frequently. Then if overcome by solvent fumes they find you before its too late (shouldn't happen with decent mask and adequate ventilation, but be safe!).
Look for a mask with a filter labelled for organic solvents, not just a dust mask. You can get such things with a rubber mask (looks a bit like a gas mask without the eye pieces), though you may have to purchase the solvent canister to go with it. Also wear eye protection. Both often cheapest from industrial safety suppliers.
There's an article on a cheap DIY spraybooth in the most recent Scalefour News (get a friend who is a Scalefour Soc member to lend you their copy). Potentially useful, though you still need the mask.
Broadly, paints fall into two categories, enamel and acrylic.
- Enamels are harder to use and harder wearing.
- Acrylics are easier to use but are softer and tend to wear with handling.
Whichever way you go, spray painting is generally far better than hand painting. - Aerosols work well but are ultimately expensive and limited in range and technique.
- Airbrushes are expensive initially and give results dependant on skill and experience.
This depends upon the material! For plastic I wash the model or components in warm water with dish washing detergent using a toothbrush and then rinse thoroughly in warm water. For brass, the same applies but the surface needs to be rougher to ensure the paint keys in. An etching undercoat paint makes a good base but is only available from specialist suppliers.
For plastic I use ordinary automobile aerosol undercoat in either grey or red oxide. I think black and white may also be available.
It curls up and dies!
You have to decide on an item by item basis which method is indicated.
I use enamel paints where possible (they are what I've always used, and so am most familiar and comfortable with them).
I also nearly always brush paint.
1) For the weathered model, brush painting *vertically* can take you some way to achieving the preferred result.
1a) To get depth, sometimes I will paint matt black first, then very lightly "dry brush" the top coat. Works well for figures, still practicing for rolling stock.
2) For an even, matt finish, then I apply many, many coats of VERY thin top coat. Very thin means mostly white spirit and hardly any paint. Works best for flat things (coach, wagon sides, not steam loco boilers). Lots of patience required waiting for each layer to dry, but it is totally streak- and dot-free.
Try out various things and see what you like. You can always strip the paint and start again if necessary.
Have you tried the Iain Rice way of painting loco chassis?
IIRC, he solders two wires to the motor and wraps the motor and gears in masking tape. Then applying power to spin the wheels, he sprays the whole thing black............................
I've never had the nerve to try this. My normal method of chassi painting is to build the chassis as far as I can by soldering, sometimes including brakegear, fit the wheels to check if it's true, remove wheels and the spray the chassis. Reassembling the chassis and fitting last few bits to be handpainted.
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