Wanted a few thoughts on removing applied graphics. I have an Atlas hart ballast car. New. It is the Erie paint scheme. Want to strip the road name and reporting marks but not make to much of a mess of the paint. Nothing that weathering can't hide anyway. what is the graphics an ink or paint?
Removal ideas for removing the road name and reporting marks?
shane
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
I have used 70% (and the 50% that WalMart sells - that's why it's so cheap!) isopropyl alcohol applied with a mini brush (NOT a Q-tip, the fine cotton hairs get mixed in with the surface too easily. However different paints soften way too quickly with alcohol resulting in an "oh no!" moment. Maybe diluted with distilled water?
Don't use 90% isopropyl -- too strong. And I use "pure" isopropyl, not "rubbing alcohol" which has some additive it seems.
I have also used DioSol and other decal mild solvents with some success, again NOT using a Q-tip or similar cotton swab. Pine-Sol is also a mild solvent. CitraSolve is pretty strong solvent. Fingernail polish remover is way too strong.
Another implement for the rubbing part that works is an artist's tortillon or blending stump.
Do you have a junker car in the scrap box you can practice on?
Dave Nelson
I have a pile of makeup applicators I got for weathering and such. Plus a bunch of junkers. They are old tyco and such so they paint is rather different . I have diosol. Wasn't sure if that would be too strong. I have acetone. I know that would be an insta oops. Didn't think of alcohol. Have to try that. how about an ink eraser or pink eraser? I know it will polish the paint,but I have to clear gloss it anyway to apply the decals
NVSRRhow about an ink eraser or pink eraser? I know it will polish the paint,but I have to clear gloss it anyway to apply the decals
An ink eraser is of course actually a paper-grinder-upper and in common with the now nearly forgotten "typewriter eraser" is likely too abrasive. An eraser meant for pencil may well work. In fact you can shave it away to a size that suits the small surface area you are dealing with. That is why I like using a tortillon, which is tightly wound up stick of paper (paper is lightly abrasive as anyone who has gotten a paper cut can tell you) that comes to a point sort of like a blunt pencil. Unlike an eraser it leaves no residue. Actually the slight shine a tortillon leaves and that a pencil eraser would leave is as you point out, creating a good surface for a new decal without having to bother with glosscote. Indeed I use the tortillon to rub where I intend to apply an ACI label decal (a sort of bar code used on rolling stock in the late 1960s and early 1970s) -- to tiny an area to want to use glosscote but you still want a smooth shiny surface for the tiny decal.
I know some guys use erasers to remove lettering without any liquid solvent at all. I think it depends on the lettering. I will say this: when the liquid solvent no matter how weak starts to "work" it tends to happen fast. So don't be just rubbing away without paying full attention or you'll be down to bare plastic surprisingly fast.
For removing small lettering, such as BLT. dates or re-weigh data, an X-Acto chisel-type blade works well. Use the knife at 90º to the surface, with the non-bevelled edge leading.
If I want to change the roadname on a car, it's easier to drop it into a container of suitable paint stripper, and redo it completely.I'd guess that about 80% of my freight rolling stock has custom paint and custom lettering (and, in most cases, added details).The bulk of the remaining 20% are from Accurail, as they offer a wide variety of roadnames (although I often change BLT., re-weigh, and re-pack dates to better suit my layout's late '30s era.
Wayne
I too used rubbing alcohol. You also can try a pencil eraser or gently rubbing off with the back of a hobby knife. Whatever you do, go slowly.
If it's factory decorated, Solvaset with a rubber pencil eraser will work. Apply Solvaset, rub a little, more Solvaset, rub more. Little pressure, take your time.
I use Microscale's Micro-Sol myself with a pencil eraser for removing lettering. I did run across a set of lettering (some Roundhouse Thrall cars) that were so stubborn I think I ended up CAREFULLY using some automotive sandpaper (1000 grit or so IMS) to remove them.
Do what real railroads do. Make a masking tape box around what you want to eliminate and paint it black. Then decal new info in white
ndbprr Do what real railroads do. Make a masking tape box around what you want to eliminate and paint it black. Then decal new info in white
For some reason I couldnt get those to work. Doesnt matter cause I discoverd the weight data is in the wrong place anyway. At this point it is a repaint job. Just have to find Hart ballast car data and alphabet lettering in white.
Shane
Try a battery powered eraser, or an electric eraser if you can find one.