Attuvian1That's correct, guys. The shells were factory-painted.
Thanks for the clarification.
I would say this is just a touch-up-with-a-brush kind of task.
Like I said, I prefer to paint details a slightly lighter color. Vallejo Model Colour number 862 Black Gray is my go-to for black parts.
Your personal preference might be different.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
That's correct, guys. The shells were factory-painted. But came without the details that mark the later RTR Intermountains and Genesis units. I also have a handful of those and want to get them all in the same ballpark.
John
maxmanI guess that I thought he wanted to add grabs to an already painted model.
That is also what I was thinking since the models were described as "Black Widow F Units."
This is something I have only done when the ladders and grabs do not match the body paint color.
-Photographs by Kevin Parson
If I were to try to color-match, I would use a slightly lighter color to make these details highlighted.
I guess that I thought he wanted to add grabs to an already painted model.
Yes, if the entire model is to be painted, then air brush or can will do the job.
Lots of grabirons here....
...especially with a dozen of these re-worked cars...
I have quite a few of these, too, but they'll all get painted with an airbrush, yoo...
...these are some re-worked MDC cars, with their round hatch covers replaced with a generous amount of sqare ones from a newly-released Bowser kit from several years ago (English's Model Supply offered the extra parts for a very reasonable cost), so I decided to replace the over-size cast-on grabs with phosphor bronze ones from Tichy...
This semi-scratchbuilt gondola is one of several that I built using Tichy flatcars as the starting point...
...but built this one as a cinder car, which required adding a "steel" floor over the Tichy "wooden" floor, which required some rivets to keep things in place...
...here's a shot of one of the real ones...
...and my finished version of the model (but not in black)...
Quite a few years ago, I bought 15 or 16 body shells of Fowler boxcars that had been sold with incorrect lettering, and when the manufacturer offered to replace them with the correct lettering, the hobby shop put the returned body shells on their "used table" for two bucks apiece.I wasn't worried about the incorrect lettering, but the free-standing grabirons (plastic of some sort) were overly thick, which lead me to remove them.In order to replace them with metal grabirons from Tichy, I used Evergreen styrene rod to fill the holes where the thick grabs had been located, then used a suitably sized bit in a pin vise to drill holes for the metal grabs.
As best as I can recall, each car required 78 drilled holes, as I also replaced the oversize plastic grabs on the roof laterals...
The only time that I need to brush-paint grabirons is if they've lost paint from sliding around within their boxes, or have lost paint due to a side-swipe or mishandling.
Wayne
Attuvian1What do you guys suggest as for the brand
Vallejo, applied with a sable brush.
Attuvian1Do I need to clean any stock or manufacturing surface film off these items for best results?
I have never cleaned off grab irons.
I think these need to be hand painted.
I have the sneaking feeing that I've asked this before but can't get any confirmation from either my brain or the forum search engine. I'm about to install a bunch of grabs and lift rings on about a dozen Stewart and other Black Widow F units. They are Cal Scale and Detail Associate parts and are unfinished steel(?). As I don't have an airbrush, mine will be done with rattle can white. Two questions: What do you guys suggest as for the brand (I'm thinking of simple Krylon from HD) and whether gloss, semi, or matte? And, do I need to clean any stock or manufacturing surface film off these items for best results?
Thanks,
Attuvian John