yes, Dave, thanks...I had carefully separated and marked the grabs ( there were 8 different types) on the styrofoam before I used auto primer to prime the grabs...After which the styro looked a little like the surface of the moon. Fortunately I had separated the grabs enuf so i could distinguishe each group of them. The acrylic paint had no effect, though...
Mr.Mick
MrMick:
Glad we could help.
One thing to be aware of when using styrofoam to hold the grabs is that some paints like lacquers might dissolve the foam leaving a sticky mess on the grab irons. I would test the paint on the foam first before sticking the irons into it.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
The locomotive had 26 grab irons - it is an RS-11 - providing 70 HP/grab iron.
I stuck the grabs into some styrofoam and spray painted them. After I painted the shell, I cleaned the grab iron holes out with a #78 drill and installed the grabs; I started using taped needlenose pliers, that pretty much destroyed the paint on the flat part of the grab, so I switched to a pair of stamp tongs, worked much better.
Touching up the grabs where the paint was damaged took less than five minutes using a #0 fine tip brush; when I installed the grabs I used a .030" piece of plastic to space them away from the shell; afterwards, I used a piece of cardstock in a similar fashion as a mask when I touched up the grabs, and that protected the shell paint from inadvertant specks of paint.
The tips and info that I received above were a significant factor that allowed me to perform the work with great success. Thanks to all, again.
Mr. Mick
rrebellMinor paint splots on the body can be touched up.
That is certainly an option. In fact I did that with a number of grab irons on my caboose fleet as well as several other projects. However, in many cases it still doesn't result in a really accurate separation of the colours. Either you are left with a spot of body colour on the grab irons or grab iron colour on the body, and then there is the issue of paint build up which further reduces the 'crispness' of the joint.
Ultimately both methods will give decent results. The additional accuracy achieved by pre-painting the grab irons verges on rivet counting, but so what? If you like it, do it.
My preferred order of operations with grabs is to drill only in bare plastic, so I can remedy a mistake easily and properly test the grabs install before painting. Next, I poke the grab wires into a piece of foam core, so a portion of the tips remain unpainted for later installation with super glue. After painting and dealing, THEN I install the grabs.
This way, any touch up is minor and hole cleaning, body painting and decal application remain pristine.
I generally paint my grabs (usually Tichy brass wire or DUI steel wire) with spray paint after a light primer coat, then let theme dry for several days, finishing with Dull cote.
I bought an inexpensive set of 12 variously-tipped artist brushes at Walmart (craft aisle near stationery aisle) that allows for better control of any touch up paint, if such is needed after installation.
I also wrap some masking tape around the ends of a pair of tweezers or small needle nose pliers, so the painted grabs are protected when inserting into located holes.
CEDARWOODRON
I usually install as many grabs as I can without interfering with decal placement or masking for color changes. The grabs I don't install, I pre-paint (spray) and touch up any scrapes or nicks caused by installation tools.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Minor paint splots on the body can be touched up. One thing I have done myself on really complex paint jobs is pain in two medias. If you use a thinner based enamel for the shell, you can paint the grabs later with an acylic and just wash off any mistakes, sometimes just a damp pointed q-tip will work.
Thanks for the input from everyone - especially Dave; I think I will install the grabs after I airbrush them and take my chances with paint damage on the grabs rather than paint spots on the body.. I appreciate the suggestions.
I did a fleet of cabooses a while ago and opted to paint the grab irons after they were installed. It worked out ok but not great. If you look carefully you can see small amounts of yellow paint that got onto the face of the shell beside the grab irons. Click on the picture to blow it up:
In the future I will paint the grabs first. That will give a much finer delineation between the colours where the grab irons meet the body.
You are correct that the paint on the grab irons might get chipped a bit during installation, but it is easier to touch up the grabs rather than to have to paint the whole grab in place. A layer of masking tape on the jaws of your pliers or tweezers will cushion the paint.
Also, you can set the grabs into a piece of cardboard and spray them instead of brush painting them. That will give you a thinner, more consistent coat of paint without blobs, and it will be much quicker.
So, my advice is "don't do what I did...do what I say".
A couple of points:
- You might have to drill the holes a wee bit larger than the plans call for to accommodate the added thickness of the paint (i.e. one drill size larger). You don't want to have to force the grabs into the holes because that will greatly increase the risk of damaging the grab iron paint.
- You don't want to apply glue to the outside of the shell to secure the grabs, so install them while the interior is still accessable. Use Gel CA so it will fill any minor gaps around the irons, and so it won't bleed through the hole. The stub can be clipped off once the glue is dry.
- Use a shim to keep the distance between the grabs and shell consistent. A piece of .040" styrene works fine.
My experience is that painting grab irons after installing will lead to paint on the body. I would paint the body, clean the holes, paint the grabs, install the grabs and touch up paint the grabs if needed.
If you have better fine motor skills than I have, you could do it either way.
Good luck
Paul
It depends. If you plan to install decals over it, or it is in between some complex painting (like in between 2 different colored paints), then you want to install them separatly. But if you are painting the whole engine 1 color, per say, then you can leave em on and paint it all together.
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Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO
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I am planning on painting an undec locomotive that came with user-install the grab irons. The grabs are a different color than the locomotive body. What is dictated by experience as the generally better approach: install the grabs, paint the body, then hand paint the grabs, or paint the body, separately paint the grabs, then install the grabs ( and possibly mess up the body paint cleaning out the grab holes)?