Morning all!
This afternoon I am planning to do some painting. But, before I do, I want to ask if anyone has experience with painting directly on top of a finished USAT car? I intend to prime then paint (rattle cans), but do I need to strip first?
What about with Bachmann stock?
Thanks all!
With Bachmann stuff, I’ve sanded lightly with 400 grit or steel wool to give the paint some bite. Then prime and paint.
I repaint a lot of factory units. I sand the factory decals and anything else that needs sanding.
Then clean the car with contact cleaner and dry it with a dish towel and hair dryer.
I prime it and check to see if the decals still show. If they do repeat step one.
Another coat of primer (if needed) and then the top coats.
The final being flat coat after the new graphics are applied.
And yes, I use rattle cans of various brands, including Tamiya.
I gave up the air brush years ago. Too much work, cleaning after each coat, and then realizing you forgot to paint a separate piece of the car.
This was originally a yellow LGB passenger car. Repainted with new color and decals.
No need to strip the whole car but if you are talking about the CSX boxcar, the logo will very likely be seen through the new paint. Get some 91% Isopropyl alcohol and 600 grit waterproof sandpaper. Puddle the alcohol on a portion of the CSX logo, wait a few mins, wet the sandpaper with more IPA then sand to feather the edges. With a bit of work you can remove all the graphics in this manner.
It is, indeed, Dan! Thank you for this. I am not too worried about the old logos, but maybe some work to them is a good idea.
Thanks for the detailed reply, John. I will reference your method this evening, Im sure.
Pretty much what Dan said…However when I did my USAT stuff (back in the day) about 13yrs ago. I preferred using Superclean Cleaner-Degreaser | SuperClean Brands with the sandpaper method you just gotta watch the ribs when sanding lightly. I personally think a picture says 1,000 words so …
I’ve painted models since I was a kid, and yes I have changed my painting methods over the years, this is mainly due to the paint manufactures and the makeup of todays new paints on the market. Since Scale Coat and others are gone from the hobby paint market, I find myself using other paints that are available to be used with very good success. First let me say I do not strip my models for repaint, I do sand out the lines and printing, or as painters would say, feather edge the lines out that would be there. This way when you repaint you will not see the old printing, etc. show up when you repaint with new paint. I myself in most cases do give the model a light primer base coat, this is so when you repaint with the new color your model will look equally covered, that is the color will look uniform all over. I apply the paint I would say three coats are usually what I do, a light tack coat, a cover coat, and the last coat a cover coat probably a little wetter so all will flow out to an equal eye pleasing coat. Most of these coats are around 10 mins. apart, depending on the weather tempters and if the other coat has tacked to take another coat. I will say this is a learned process and it is not going to be like painting the lawn chair on the patio and if you get runs, dull spots, who cares, but most are usually given close scrutiny by other modelers, and I would like my models to stand the test of other. Last, I would like to say 80% of models are painted with Rust-Oleum X2 paints, I still use the air brush on colors that I need special colors and some striping. One last thing, using spray cans paint no two color and paints spray the same, each time to spray don’t expect all paint to flow and dry the same. Practice and years of painting has taught me a lot and each time I paint I pick up something new. Note, I use only Enamel paints, Testors Enamels in the hobby colors when I need a special color, that water base stuff is too hard to work with and doesn’t give good results, good for brush painting.
I have removed decals by soaking a cotton ball in the purple power stuff
