Hey Y'all!
I've been working on my brass Alco. Haven't figured out the driverain yet, but I've made some progress on the aesthetics.
When I got her, the brass had this brown color all over. I'm guessing this was 40 odd years of crud since there was no indication of any previous attempt to paint it. Soaking the shell in different solvents, I've managed to turn the dirty brown into a nice satin gold color. Tempting to leave it this way, but she really needs to be painted black.
I'm looking for a relatively inexpensive semi-gloss black that wouldn't cover up the details on the loco. I'm not loooking to create a museum quality piece, just something that looks decent. (I'll probably be the only one who will see it anyway! :-) )
Thanks for any suggestions!
Amanda
Hi there. One of the big questions is how to prepare the surface and prime the brass. Here is a thread you may want to read:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/258257/2895717.aspx
I'm sure many will join this conversation.
Simon
For painting brass, or any metal for that matter, the trick is to get the paint to stick to the metal. This involves surface prep, and paint choice. Surface prep involves getting every trace of grease or oil off the metal, and then etching the metal surface. Degreasing can be done with solvent, on metal you can use just about anything, alcohol, paint thinner, acetone, MEK, no solvent will attack metal.
Then etch the bare metal with a mild acid. I use super market vinegar 'cause it is easy to get, but any mild acid witll work. Don't use the srong acids like battery acid 'cause they will start to eat the metal. The etch roughfens up the metal surface which gives some tooth for the paint to grab onto.
Follow up the solvent treatment with a good hot soapy water clean and a clear water rinse. A pass thru a kitchen dishwasher will do a fine job. Then a very though dry, at least overnight, two nights is good.
I use rattle can auto primer from Krylon or Rustoleum. This stuff is used by real car mechanics and they demand to best stick-to-metal chemistry known to man. Use dark gray under dark colors, light gray under light colors and red under red. Apply a good thin coat, hold the can about 18 inches back from the work and move it slow enough that the paint goes on slightly wet. Let the primer dry overnight. Then apply any top coat of your choice.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Monon RailroaderWhen I got her, the brass had this brown color all over. I'm guessing this was 40 odd years of crud since there was no indication of any previous attempt to paint it. Soaking the shell in different solvents, I've managed to turn the dirty brown into a nice satin gold color.
Counter intuitive as it may seem, starting in the late 1960s more and more brass models were actually painted a brass color to make them look more uniform (and disguise the solder joints). At the time modelers were split about the painted brass: some regarded it as a good primer, other stripped it off and started fresh with a primer coat.
This may be that brown color you noted. Earlier brass models were "raw" brass which looked great when fresh, but even in dealer's cases took on a gunky tarnished look that probably did not help sales. I suppose the brown you noted might have been tarnish. In either event you are down to raw brass and ready to prime. While I hate cleaning my airbrush, if you intend to airbrush the final color I'd airbrush the primer too, for uniformity of surface texture if nothing else.
Dave Nelson
Rattle can primers can put out too much paint. Sometimes it just depends on the can.
If you've not used an airbrush, there is a leaning curve. If you are too far away the paint can partially dry before it hits the model and can look powdery. You should practice on a couple throw away cars before you shoot your first brass engine.
I don't think cleaning an airbrush is hard or time consuming, but it should be done.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Amanda, you may or may not be aware that Brasstrains.com puts on a video series. One of the things they show is painting brass.
dknelsonCounter intuitive as it may seem, starting in the late 1960s more and more brass models were actually painted a brass color to make them look more uniform (and disguise the solder joints).
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I have stripped several brass models, and never had brass colored paint come off of them.
Did this continue into the Korean productions?
Most of my brass is freight cars from the 1980-1990 period. I have about a half dozen brass steamers, only tow have been painted.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Many folks have many ways of painting brass and most work quite well except for the rattle can and use of Testors Dullcoat from the can. I began painting brass around 30 years ago and was taught by most likely the best ever...Bobby Hunter. I began using Ditzler auto lacquers combined with both Scalecoat 1 & 2. I learned complete disassembly, priming and baking, and of course how to strip and prepare a model for finishing. During this period I discovered Floquil and was amazed that it actually dried within a few weeks so I became a fan. I never liked baking a model for obvious reasons. Then I became quite tired of trying to reassemble early Korean models, so I just removed boiler from frame, front and rear loco and tender trucks and painted those without disassembly. I quickly discovered that I could get a better finish and final look by airbrushing drivers while spinning. If rods were to be shiny, I'd just remove paint with a fine brush and Q-tip. Then the big issue....priming. I soon learned that excessive priming can cover fine details, so to give the paint a good grip, I just sprayed a very light light tack coat on the boiler and tender shell with my base color..mostly of course black as I only paint steam. This light coat became the grip needed to hold paint and did not cover any fine details. I know Floquil is no longer available, but I have a lifetime supply and then some. I also know that there are many fine paints on today's market.....I just have not yet tried them as Floquil works so well for me.
I made mention of Dullcoat in a can. OK for wood models, but for brass...be careful. Talc being added to clear lacquer is how a flat look is achieved. Those spots you may have noticed after Dullcoating your new and beautifully finished masterpiece are excessive talc stains.....not fixable.
HZ
I believe today's best substitute for Floquil is Scalecoat II. I prefer acrylics myself. Protopaint, Badger, Acryl, Valejo are all good with a good primer. In all cases, I would suggest that you practice on old cars first...
I used Floquil starting in the mid-'50s, but locomotive painting at that time was confined to brush-applied black. I continued to use Floquil after finally getting an airbrush in the early '80s, but when I finally learned how to airbrush Floquil's PollyScale, it became my paint of choice, both for airbrushing and brush painting.It's main benefit for painting steam is its quick (to the touch) drying time, which allows me to apply all of the five or six colours needed to do most steam locomotives, without need to stop other than to change paint bottles on the airbrush. No need for masking, other than using a piece of cardstock to shield nearby surfaces of a different colour.While I still have a fair amount of PollyScale left, I've been doing some locomotives using Scalecoat I, mainly to get used to its properties. While the coverage is good, the slow drying times are definitely a drawback, and what formerly could be done in less than an hour now takes more time spread over a number of days. During the winter, when I have to heat my paint shop (located in my garage, about 100' behind the house) just to get the compressor warm enough to operate, this becomes a real issue.
Brass....
...plastic version from the same class as the one above....
...brass....
I have about a dozen locomotives to be painted (if I ever get them modified to represent the prototypes I'm trying to model) and I'm guessing that the PollyScale will run out before they're all completed. Perhaps a more suitable paint will appear before that happens.
Wayne
I painted this Brass locomotive , using Testor's Model Master gloss Black Laquer and Testor's Model Master Silver Laquer. When I fimnished painting, I let it set for about an hour.
I then pre- heated our kitchen oven to 140 degree's, and stuck the shell in on the upper rack. I let it "cook" for about 15 to 20 minute's . I then removed the locomotive, and placed it on a shelf, and left it "Un-disturbed" for about 3 day's
After the 3 day's had passed I decaled it. Then I Gloss-coated it with Testor's Glosscote.
DO NOT DECAL BEFORE BAKING !!!!!!! ( Decal's hate heat ! ).
Rust...... It's a good thing !
Hey Guys!
Thanks for all the replies and NICE looking locos.
Got a strong cup o' coffee this morning and went to work on the frame. Spent an hour scraping out all the "Play-Doh" holding the motor in place and pulled the trucks. Now I have a bare frame, it appears the beastie has been painted before... at least there's some sort of black gunk all over the undersides.
Goo Gone seems to have a little effect on the stuff. Later today, I'll try a bit of paint remover in an out of the way spot.
With the "motor bay" cleaned out I have a few ideas about re-powering although I haven't ruled out reusing the Sagami with a better mounting.
Off to the store for dinner fixin's! :-)