Large Scale Central

What do you use

Modeling
#1

I have read a whole bunch of posts on stripping paint from cars. I am ready to get going stripping a B’mann combine I picked up for cheap. It is a kit, not a production model, that has been painted with I don’t have a clue. I bought a jug of brake fluid for the job, but was wondering…

“What kind of pan do you use?”

The dollar store variety are about 1 inch too short for the car. They would work fine for freight cars. I am thinking a small kitty litter box. Any other suggestions/recommendations??

Bob C.

#2

Bob
Make yourself a box out of cardboard that is just big enough for the car and then line it with a heavy duty trash bag and filler up.
I don’t use brake fluid any more and now use 91% rubbing alcohol from the drug store. The brake fluid causes the plastic to craze and give it a white powder finish.

Rodney

#3

Rodney,

I seem to remember that being said before, but qualified by the writer stating that it was caused by leaving the car in the brake fluid too long. Another comment here, I purchased these cars for $20.00 with the express intention of experimenting with them to see what works and what does not. It was a lot of (2) coaches, (1) combine, (4) homemade hoppers from Garden Railroad mag plans, (2) flat cars from Garden Railroad mag plans, and (3) log skeletons from Garden Railroad mag plans. For the price, the trucks and couplers alone were worth the price I paid.

So far on the Combine I have body mounted the 1:20 couplers (mated to the K27 height), removed the original lighting and 9V batter box, rewired the light circuit to use two 2032 3V batteries in parallel hidden inside a small vertical boiler loaded in the combine. I will be painting the inside of the roof a very pale gloss yellow to use the flickering LEDs found in the holiday votive ‘candles’. Six in a car, I think will do the trick. Wife bought me a bunch of them with the intention of lighting passenger cars after Christmas.

The color the original owner painted the cars is a bright ‘Fire Engine Red’. YUK!! This calls for a repaint in a more orange tint yellow for the body and black for the trim. Body decals will be black. I will still have to go to Stan for the roof decals, but they can be whole sheets of the same stuff.

Sorry I don’t have pictures. I tend to work on my projects sort of hodge podge, usually working several at the same time on the same work surface (end of the glass dining table at the moment). My bench in the garage is a bit too cluttered and it is getting just too hot to work out there (high was 85 and after yesterday’s deluge the humidity was up there). I will try to get some shots, even if I have to set up a card table just for pics.

I like the container tip. Simple, CHEAP, and totally disposable. No fuss, no muss. Thanks for the tip on using rubbing alcohol, I will give it a try on one of the cars.

Bob C.

#4

Bob

The alcohol is a little more work than brake fluid but being that these were painted from kits, the paint will probably come off in a whole sheet of paint skin. With Bachmann factory paint, it takes a night of soaking. When I was using brake fluid, I was leaving the cars in over night and still had to do a lot with a stiff brush around the cast on details. I also have used Acetone to remove the lettering from AMS cars without damaging the car paint but it takes the lettering and paint off on the Bachmann cars. On the AMS cars I gloss coated them and put the decals on them. With Acetone you have to be careful cause it will attack some plastics.

I would like to see your “candle” lights. I need to do something like that with all my AMS passenger cars.

Rodney

#5

Randy, If I get this right, the first pic is of the Votive Candle on my matte board and the second is with lights out and the ‘candle’ lit.

(http://www.gscalejunkie.com/GeneralPics/CombineBash/Votive_Candle_01.JPG)

(http://www.gscalejunkie.com/GeneralPics/CombineBash/Votive_Candle_02.JPG)

I completely dis-assemble down to component parts. The LED I mark the + (cathode I think) with a red magic marker so I don’t forget which lead is which. I save the plastic flame, and the small switch. I was going to use it but have done it another way. I will post some pics of the combine progress in the next day or so. Bob C.

#6

Thanks Bob, now I know what you are using. I’ve seen those and thought about trying them.

Rodney

#7

I’ve had good results with a product called “Super Clean Multi Purpose Cleaner.” It comes in a purple quart sized (946ml for those who care) spray bottle. It will clean your automobile engine, but is supposed to be gentle enough for more mundane projects. Wear gloves and eye protection. Either spray, brush or sponge it on, wait a few minutes, then I use a toothbrush that has a rotating head. No, I don’t brush my teeth with it later, either. The paint comes right off. Cleans up with dihydrogen monoxide.

#8

On any LGB product that was made in China, the alcohol interacts with that cheap plastic and makes it very brittle.
I tried it on the Vandy tender that came with the SP Mogul. Just a wash for weathering, and the end beams, steps and a
few other parts just crumbled.

#9

Bob: your method of working sounds like mine. I gave up on my basement workshop because it’s dark, inconvenient, cold, and has too low a ceiling. I hate it. The floor down there is loaded with boxes full of stuff 'that I’ll use for railroad models someday…"

Then I put a work surface in the den, but as of a few years ago it got piled high with my raw materials.

I tend to work on several projects at a time as well. Just recently I have resolved to complete them all, one at a time, and change my ways, working on one project a a time right up to its completion. Don’t know if I can, but I have done a couple of weeks of this - finished 6-7 of 'em in quick succession and it feels really great.

By far most projects are railroad-related, but there are always household improvements and repair jobs as well. Any excuse to fool with tools!

Now I too use a corner of the dining room table. There are tracks through the backyard, there are trains on shelves, in cupboards, and even in drawers in virtually every room of the house. It’s become a lifestyle… I feel for my fabulous, heart of gold, infinitely-patient wife… :expressionless:

#10

Here is my approach to the multi-projects, multi-tasking problem

(http:///P1/Storage01_s.jpg)

…

(http:///F-PIX/WorkShop.jpg)

…

(http:///P1/WorkBench03_s.jpg)

Your mileage may differ. :wink: :slight_smile:

#11

I could mess that place up real quick…

#12

Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Here is my approach to the multi-projects, multi-tasking problem

(http:///P1/Storage01_s.jpg)

…

(http:///F-PIX/WorkShop.jpg)

…

(http:///P1/WorkBench03_s.jpg)

Your mileage may differ. :wink: :slight_smile:

A clean work bench is a sign of an empty mind. :lol: :smiley:

#13

Not a desk in sight, those are well organized work benches. :stuck_out_tongue: :stuck_out_tongue: :smiley:

#14

For stripping paint off plastic I use brake fluid and it has always worked fine for me. Lucky I guess. I have an AristoCraft cab that has been sitting in the stuff for three or four years and it’s still fine! Why? I’m too lazy to finish that particular job…

#15

I was about to post you a pic of my workbench, HJ, for comparison’s sake, it would’ve been good for a laugh!
But my camera just DIED. Really! Can’t raise a thing here… Too bad… I guess one glimpse of my workbench was just too much for it…

#16

well, that you all don’t get the wrong impressions about us germans by HJ’s workshop - here is mine. (pics taken about a week after a general cleanup)

(http://kormsen.ko.funpic.de/bahn/forumpics/werkbank1.JPG)

(http://kormsen.ko.funpic.de/bahn/forumpics/werkbank2.JPG)

#17

I like that Korm :slight_smile:
I’m working on getting a work shop, but progress is slow :frowning:
Have a building, but have to move it about a mile. It’s too big for conventional methods like a rollback truck.
And I’m too broke for a house mover :open_mouth:
Ralph

#18
Korm Kormsen said:
well, that you all don't get the wrong impressions about us germans by HJ's workshop - here is mine. ........
Hey Korm,

My workshop is more along the Swiss habits than the German ones. :smiley: :smiley: :wink:

#19

Here’s my 2 cents on this subject. I use 90% alcahol to strip the paint off my models. I let them soak overnite and use a small brush to rub the paint off. Haven’t tried it on LGB stuff so I have no comment on weather it makes their plastic brittle. I usually strip USA and Aristocraft models with good results. I place my models in one of those wallpaper buckets. Mine is around 36" long x 6" wide and around 4" deep. After I’m done I put the alcahol back into their containers and after a few days all the gunk will settle to the bottom of the bottle and I can re-use it again.

#20

Thanks all for the input. I have gotten a couple of real good ideas.

@Mike - a suggestion, before you pour your alcohol back in the bottles try a conical coffee filter. The alcohol is thin enough to flow right through, but should catch most if not all of the particulate paint. Great idea for the wallpaper container - is it the metal one or plastic?

Bob C.