Steel Mill Paint.

[Anonymous]

Oh what have i gotten myself into now!!! Well ok here is where i stand. I spent the last 4 months Kit/Scratchbashing a Walthers steel mill. I am very proud that you almost cant tell its a Walthers...Looks more like the real ones. Anyhow, i have the whole thing finishes (well sorta its in about 8 sub sections) but i need to paint it before i actually put the thing together. So here i am ready to put the first coat of paint on it a few minuits ago...and since i figure what the real ones look like there is no need to get really detailed with the base color since most of that will be weathered away anyhow...so i went the El-Cheapo route and bought the Testors (areosol) spray cans of their enamal paint. OH WHAT A SCREW UP THAT WAS!!!!!!!!! The enamal doesnt wanna stick to the model...it ran like hell and so did i....well for the paper towels to get as much of the screw up off as possible. Ok so now tell me...so i dont have muster up any more four letter words than i already have (and i am a trucker so i know a TON) what is the deal? Should i NOT use enamal? Or is enamal ok...just with an airbrush (god please dont tell me i have to get that thing out now). HELP ME PLEASE...this thing needs some paint and i need a vacation from it... [:)][:)][:)][:)][:)]

Johnnydash9

[coalminer3]

You may want to try an acrylic-based paint rather than the enamel cans that you used. Also, give some thought to washing everything with a mild detergent, rinsing it well and letting it COMPLETELY air dry b4 you start again. It's amazing how oil, etc. from your skin can mess up a plastic surface. Brush painting works great on stuff like this because you can lighten/darken things w/o having to fool around with the !@#$ airbrush (I understand how you feel about that). Try a hidden spot before you paint the entire strucutre to make sure it will work.

I recall going around the mill where my father-in-law worked and everything was very dark, grimy gray, tinged with black and with rust, with a generous overlay of red dust (iron) and black dust (coal). I told him I was glad I didn't have his job and he said he didn't want mine either (LOL).

You may want to consider painting/weathering the structures a little lighter than normal depending on the lighting youhave for your layout. If you don't the details will get swallowed up. The Walthers book on steel making has some good color picures to study.

Hope this helps. Good luck

work safe

[Anonymous]

Testors paint is like all thinner. You have to apply it very thin and allow it to tack before appling another light coat. It takes 4 to 10 coats to do a good job. You are better off with rustolem or kryalon in my opinion. On a steel mill I would do as coalminer says above. FRED

[Anonymous]

Thanks Coal...Fred...the only thing i can think of is...gee, how i must sound like a total novice LOL. I have painted many MANY things before...i just (gets a very disgusted and evil look on face) HATE farting around with that DOD GAMN airbrush LOL. (must be why half my locomotive fleet is still running around in primer). Ok anyhow, i did give washing it some thought....the only thing about that, that bothers me is how detailed i got in some areas...i am just afraid that soap, or water will get down into some areas and will end up making a mess later on down the road. So i think since i have 3 days of Hometime left before i have to go play in traffic again, i think tomorrow ill try acrylic and see what happens...hey if i get lucky IM PAINTING IT ALL...HAHAHAHAHAHAAH. Thanks for the advice again guys...
play nice out there...

Johnnydash9

[EMDSD40]

I HAVE 2 BLAST FURNACES, COKE WORKS,ROLLING MILL AND ELECTRIC FURNACE SHOP. I PAINTED ALL WITH TESTOR MODELMASTER PAINT USING A PASCHE AIR BRUSH. WIPED THEM DOWN WITH ALCOHOL ON A LINT FREE RAG FIRST. SPRAYED THEM FLAT BLACK FIRST WITH A TINGE OF RUST AND THEN SOME DIRT/GRIME. THEY LOOK JUST LIKE THE MILLS AROUND HOME-PITTSBURGH THAT IS!! I PUT OVERHEAD CRANES IN THE CRANEWAYS, LIGHTS IN ALL THE INTERIORS, WAY UP IN THE CEILINGS. WALKWAY LADDERS AND RAILING ARE PAINTED YELLOW. ALL BUILDINGS ARE FEED BY LIVE TRACKS AND ROADWAYS, THIS HAS BECOME AN IMPRESSIVE PART OF MY LAYOUT ALTHOUGH IT DOES TAKE UP 5X6 AREA.GOOD LUCK AND BY THE WAY I USED AT LEAST TEN 2OZ BOTTLES OF FLAT BLACK ALONE TO PAINT ALL THE STRUCTURES.