Guys,
Thank you for your encouraging comments. The photos look dark because I'm still an incompetent "Yutz" with digital cameras and taking shots indoors. I will photograph the shells in the sunlight and post them here.
Hello Flashwave,
The black base is what the Alclad Metalizer reflects. I noticed that some of the early 1940s Budd and ACF cars had a "whiter" appearance to them. For that effect, a dark grey base would be better to use.
Gappleg..
I visited several scale model forums on the web. I read more than once that some modelers, ironically, had trouble with Alclad's gloss black. I didn't want to take the chance. I remembered that in the 2003 MRR issue where a modeler metalized his N-scale RDCs, he stated that he used the Scale Coat II gloss black as his base, so that's the route I took. I actually prefer acrylics, however on one of the websites I visited a skilled modeler who had experimented with various basecoats stated that for metalizing, solvent base on top of solvent base seemed to yield the best results.
BTW: David is on the mark with the 50/50 thinning ratio. However, for clear coating Alclad, Polly Scale Gloss Clear works just fine, which is what I used on the Rivorossi cars that I metalized a while back.
The key to clearcoating the Alclad is that the gloss Clear be "thined" an addtional 15% to 20%. Too thick and the metalzing effect will be lost.
Gappleg, you worked on the prototype Metros?????? Man! I wish I knew you then. Did you take any photos? If so, please post them.
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
Jerry SP FOREVER http://photobucket.com/albums/f317/GAPPLEG/
Hmm, smooth black undercoat - what was the pressure you sprayed the Scalecoat II black at (also, did you thin or not).
Just asking, as I brought some scalecoat gloss black & some Alclad, gonna paint a few things, and I'd like to get it right the first time, so let us learn from your mistake.
(Don't fee bad, I've spazzed out plenty of times in the paint & finish section of a project - that's why I'd like to learn)
-Morgan
Their looking good Antonio. Keep us posted on your progress.
Charlie
MP 53 on the BNSF Topeka Sub
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
Hello Crew
I've always liked the Budd "Metros" as they were America's fastest regularly scheduled passenger trains from 1969 thru the early 80s before the self-propelled MU units were bumped off in place of AEM-7 hauled Metroliner Service trains. The first units delivered in 1967-68 wore the Pennsy Keystones but Penn Central got the credit for getting them into service. Inspite of some glitches, the service was very popular.
These are "long-out-of-production" Bachmann Amtrak Metroliners that I bought new in a set back in the early 1990s. I won 3 more in ebay within the past 2 years. They were used but in very good shape. To be blunt, the drive in the powered car is junk. But the body shells and underframe detailing look decent when compared to the prototype photos.
So far I've metalized 4 shells.
1. First, I removed the shells off the underframes and removed the pantographs.
2. I cut out the one-piece blue plastic window on each car (man, that was a chore! ).
3. The 91% alcohol bath! , Bachmann's paint floated off within minutes. I followed up with a toothbrush scrub and then a wash with soapy warm water.
4. Next day I sprayed the shells in Scale Coat II Gloss Black that I picked up at my LHS, Happy Hobo Trains (thanks Kevin).
Happy to report that the Alcald II went on very smoothly with no problems. I used a Badger dual-action Universal 360 airbrush. Air pressure set between 12 and 15 p.s.i. Sprayed in long strokes. May be difficult to see here, but the 1st coat of Alclad is very transparent and appears dark.
After a 15 minute wait, the 2nd coat was applied to each shell.
The Alclad reflects the base color. The smoother the base.....the smoother the metalizer appears.
Thankfully, so far it's going well. I'm a long way from being finished. The next step will be to apply the gloss clear coat for decals followed by a final gloss coat. This will tone down the sheen "just a wee-bit" to a realistic appearance, imho. The cab sections will have to be painted white and hopefully I can find some black PC "worm" decals. The tricky part will be that red stripe around the cab as pictured below on the prototype.
To honor a kind gentleman who is a member of the Suncoast Model Railroader's Club, I will do one of the Metros in the Pennsy Keystone scheme. He's a Pennsy fan to the core and cringes at the mere mention of the Penn Central name.
I hope to post the finished results on another thread. I still have to weather underframes, paint interiors, illuminate the interiors, and repower the lead car. Mark Newton suggested a good solution with the Bull Ant power truck on a thread one year ago.