Large Scale Central

Paint and LGB Plastic

Modeling
#13

Oh dear, Richard, getting that thing stripped is going to be a job.

And that brings up the paint stripping question …

Back to talking spray can primers:

I’ve never had something from LGB and whatever plastic is their favorite flavor, but have painted Bachmann, HLW, G scale trains, other scale trains, model rockets, wargame miniatures, and plastic models, in their various plastics, styrene, ABS, polycarbonate, polyester resin, and who knows what else. (but nothing in a spray can sticks reliably to those little 1/72, 1/76, OO/HO scale army guys from Airfix, they are polyethelyene or something like it)

My 3 favorite hardware store or automotive store spray can primers are, in no particular order: a white colored one from Rustoleum they call a Bonding Primer; good old cheap flat white enamel from Walmart’s store brand works surprisingly well for me, and both Krylon and Rustoleum have played well chemically on top of it; and, then, yes, it says “Filler Primer” but Duplicolor’s automotive primer in grey has worked well for me and gone on pleasantly thinly for something named “filler”.

Back to surface prep, sometime way back, late 1970s, early 1980s, I got started scrubbing models and miniatures with a soft tooth brush and things like Clorox’s Soft Scrub cleanser or other brand equivalents.

If I had the health and money I’d get a couple LGB cars to experiment on myself. (if I had the health and money there are a lot of things I get or do, but that’s a topic for another place and time)

#14

For stripping plastic in the past I have used good old fashioned brake fluid, I have never had it attack plastic but sure as hell lifts paint.

I have just painted an LGB coach body I just rubbed it lightly with fine sand paper then applied a cheap spray can primer then over coated it with some left over paint I used to spray my aluminium flyscreens.

Have you considered a plastic etch primer possibly like this one its used to prime plastic car bumpers. https://www.plastikote.com/products/Primer/Etching-Primer.html or this one https://www.plastikote.com/products/Primer/Plastic-Primer.html

#15

Ditch the rustoleum and get krylon …release agents have nothing to do with it because the car was already painted at the factory so this is a repaint.I’m sure it’s washed fine and yes perhaps some sanding tooth would make it better but I doubt it. If you would like to try a test on the other cars stick one in the fridge overnight and see if the primer cures/adheres.

#16

Well, this hobby is proving be a lot about trial and error and learning…

I have two of these LGB cars…both purchased at the same time. After reading about mold release agents from some of you I decided to try putting on masking tape on the second car. I ripped the tape off and the primer paint did not come off like the first car. I then remembered when I got home and opened both up I was surprised that one was dirty/dusty like it had been on display. The other was pristine. So I’m now wondering if the dirty/dusty one had been cleaned at some prior time. I will continue to do a little tape test on the second car but the paint so far does not come off…hopefully I’m able solve this through simply stripping the first car back to original paint and then cleaning the heck out of it before applying new primer.

Will certainly let you know what I find out.

Richard

#17

Good luck

#18

On facebook there are several guys that dip their locomotive shells and cars in 91% alcohol for about 24 hours or so to remove the old paint before repainting them.

#19

A couple of tips -

Avoid most household branded detergents when cleaning prior to painting, they contain oils and other surfactants that will leave a residue that will act as a barrier to paints. There is a UK brand of washing up liquid that uses the slogan - “The hands that do dished can be soft as your face…” How ? Lanolin. In the UK we have a basic unbranded household cleaning agent called “washing soda” (not the caustic kind!). If you are going to wash the surface use this.

The other tip is regards to mild abrasives, like toothpaste, the problem with some of these is that rather than abrading the surface you end up polishing it - car paint restorers fall into this group too. MicroScale make a product sold as plastic polish that is this stuff repackaged at a massive profit. Use a 1000 - 1200 grade/grit wet and dry to “key” the surface to be painted.

#20

Some of those mild abrasives, yes. Things like the cleanser I mentioned will visibly un-polish transparent parts, and observably destroy the reflective shine of plastic model parts fresh out of the box.

Oh! On the alcohol - if you have done kitbashing or scratchbuilding with acrylic plastics, it is understood that alcohols and acrylic plastics get along rather poorly.

I can’t remember they exact whys and wherefores of it but the info is out there on the web.

#21

This is all good information. However I believe in Richards case the problem is within the “Primer” manufacturer that he chose to use …however this is ONLY my opinion from past experiences.

#22

" Rooster " said:

This is all good information. However I believe in Richards case the problem is within the “Primer” manufacturer that he chose to use …however this is ONLY my opinion from past experiences.

I agree

David Maynard said:

… As for “plastic” paints, I have had limited success with them. I just use the regular Krylon primer…

#23

Is it the alcohol that might make certain plastics brittle?? I’ve never used it before…was also thinking of brake fluid…thoughts?

#24

Again, I appreciate all the help and suggestions. My first task will be to remove the primer I did on the one car that wants to peel. As I mentioned in a previous post the other car is solid and the primer does not come off. So it is something about that one car. I’ll keep you posted…I’ll also go with Krylon since our local Ace carries an abundance of it.

Richard

#25

I know it’s pricier than Krylon, and a much smaller can, But I use Testor’s model paint on all my train projects, and have yet to have anything peel, it’s designed specifically for hard plastics.

#26

Funny …If you tried for this effect you wouldn’t be able to do it !

#27

Sean said:

Funny …If you tried for this effect you wouldn’t be able to do it !

Oh, ain’t that the truth!

#28

Mike Wlez said:

I know it’s pricier than Krylon, and a much smaller can, But I use Testor’s model paint on all my train projects, and have yet to have anything peel, it’s designed specifically for hard plastics.

Yes. But since I am a cheep bast person, I have used Krylon for decades. If I properly clean my work, the paint sticks just fine.

#29

Nice truss bridge.

Maybe not for y’all, but for me out here in farm burg, acquisition of Testors paint is an issue.The closest actual hobby shops are at least 2 hours away and with my health the current mess it is I can’t drive for 2 hours to get there. There is mail order and I do use Squadron and Walthers. But in the main I’ll see what they have in spray paints that might do what I want well enough here in our little 3 mile wide burg at Walmart, Snapp’s Hardware, and the couple of auto parts places.

#30

Took the plunge and tried an old product I had in the cabinet called “Goodbye Splatters”. It took all of about 20 seconds to soften the Rustoleum Primer…I worked quickly with a stiff nylon brush and then ran it under hot water. A toothpick was helpful in the corners and in the crevices. Product didn’t seem to harm the plastic but again, I worked very fast. When the paint was removed I scrubbed the model clean with dish soap…Hopefully all of this will allow for a repaint using Krylon instead of Rustoleum with better results.

As far as “Goodbye Splatters” I can’t find any reference when I Google it. Perhaps its the early rendition of Goo Gone or something…well whatever, it seemed to do the trick.

Richard

#31

“Goodbye Splatters” is something I have never heard of. Sure hoping this time is successful for you after all the hassle.

#32

“Goodbye Splatters” - wasn’t that an old movie about a boy and his dog? A real tear jerker.