I have a Model Power metal caboose, ATSF #999023, which I want to strip, repaint and add window panes. Can I treat this as I would a styrene model? Or is there something special I have to be aware of?
Bear "It's all about having fun."
What kind of metal is it made of?
.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
You will need to apply a coat of primer. Auto primer works fine.
Simon
I have no idea what kind of metal it is. If all I have to do is prime it before the final coat, then I suspect that stripping is not necessary.
Does anyone think that Model Power had brass cars? I suspect they didn't, in which case it is some sort of pot metal. If you are stripping it you may want to soak it vinegar.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Model-Power-Metal-Train-Santa-Fe-ATSF-34-Metal-Cupola-Caboose-RTR-HO/163211202628?hash=item2600255044:g:yFwAAOSwol5Y2xyL
If it's beat up and chipped I would strip it.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Actually, Henry, it is not beat up or chipped at all. If I can get away without stripping it, so much the better.
I remember the Model Power line of metal cars - an entire train set with an F7.
You can use different paint strippers with metal than with plastic but I'd be concerned about whether there are non metal parts such as plastic bushings and the like that might just disintegrate and need to be removed first.
Dave Nelson
Hi Bearman,
Do you have any photos that you can post? What will your new paint scheme be?
If the factory paint finish on your metal caboose is smooth and not "thick", then you can get away with applying primer. I'm assuming that the Santa Fe heralds and numbers were silksreened and are not decals.
Respectfully; two points about primer.
1) Apply it on as smoothly as possible. This is why I prefer thinning and airbrushing it on, as opposed to rattle cans. If applied smoothly enough, it acts as a sealer and you won't have to sand it.
If the primer is a bit textured or rough, finish sand (wet) with a fine grit, such as 600 and higher. I've had good success with 3M #7448 Gray scotch pads as their flexibility makes going around curves, corners and tight spots easy without penetrating through to the bare surface.
2) Check for hiding. Give the primer time to cure so you can be certain that the SF heralds and numbers don't "bleed through" as even silkscreened shapes can show through a paint job.
High Greens
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
https://imgur.com/a/iHsW7LX
As requested, two images of the caboose, a side view and an end view. The white box on the end view delineates the plastic parts of each end and including the black triangle just above the white box. The body, the roof and the undercarriage are all metal and black. Everything that is black is going to remain black except for the roof.
Everything that is red, yellow or white, ie, the body, is going to be painted white, except for the cupola and the roof which will be painted hunter green. The windows are holes and I intend to glue some clear styrene inside the body over the windows. I will also change out the couplers to Kadees.
The ATSF herald and numbers are not decals.
The one thing I like about this caboose is that it is significantly heavier than the styrene variety and runs great. I just have not run it all that much, which is why it is in great condition.
I have 6 cabooses (cabeese?) and only 3 can be on my layout at any one time. When I am finished with this one, I will have 3 cabooses bought used by the Maricopa & Gila River RR. That is my story and I am sticking to it.
I picked an old 1950s metal caboose at a swap meet several years ago. It seemed to have been painted-quite heavily- over its original factory paint. My process was yo use Super Clean to soak and remove all paint. I may have also used 91% alcohol as a second bath. After washing with dish soap, I patted it dry the let it completely air dry for two days. I smoothed any burrs with micro files then used standard light gray primer on it- one coat only. After that air dried for a day I proceeded to mask and paint it, then decals were applied and shell was dull coated after that
Since the frame was metal, I followed the same process and finished the frame with flat black. At the end I had placed a thinner more opaque paint coat on it and the work has held up well since yhen. Super Clean is my go-to solution for paint removal on metal and styrene. I get the big 2 liter containers of it in the auto section at Walmart. I find the 91% alcohol useful where paint us settled into crevices and inside corners and use a stiff toothbrush as a cleaning tool.
Cedarwoodron
Cedarwood..., to be clear, did your method strip off the factory paint as well?
Yes- I went down to bare metal due to the heavy paint load I found on the shell. I should add that I also primer gray painted the shell interior as it was a good interior color and also protected the metal there as wel