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Query for NYC caboose kit builders

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Query for NYC caboose kit builders
Posted by tstage on Saturday, July 1, 2023 9:17 AM

Greetings,

Background:

I've started assembling & painting the AMB NYC Lot 732 "long" wood caboose kit that I purchased a few months back.  Things are coming along slowly (particularly drying times) but that's allowing me time to mull over interior detailing & paint schemes or slight alterations to the kit - e.g. horizontally hand-drilling out the flared portion of the smoke jack (see below):



 [For anyone interested, the hole OD in the smoke jack above is 3/64" (0.047").  I used a #75 drill bit for my pilot hole and moved up two drill bit sizes at a time (i.e. #75, #73, #71, etc) until I got to 3/64".  I'm pretty happy how it turned out.  I'd really like to go a little bigger.  However, the hole circumference is already touching the top of the vertical stack.]

Per the AMB assembly instructions, I primed and pre-painted as many of the parts as possible before assembly.  However, I've found that touch-up is still required to the end grain of some pieces because the paint doesn't get into the laser-cut opening very well prior to them being cut from their frame.  This is particularly true of thicker pieces.

I had a slngle spray can of Scalecoat 1 Boxcar Red amongst my box of paints that I had purchased years back to use specifically for painting a NYC caboose.  Unfortunately, it looks like I may end up running out just shy of painting all the pieces-parts.  That's left me in a bit of a quandry since Scalecoat is yet another model paint company who has dropped out of the mix and any remaining supplies has long-since been snapped up.

For future caboose projects I'll have to decide on an alternative paint color to the Boxcar Red.  Tru-Color TCP-221 seems to be a decent match.  At some point I'll pick up a bottle, paint a primed sample, and compare the two.  I'll also need to pick up and learn using an air brush, which is a topic for another discussion.

Query:

That said, I was wondering if anyone had (or you know of anyone who has) a spray can or bottle of Scalecoat 1 Boxcar Red laying around that they would be willing to part with and sell.  If so, please contact me offline at my email address.  Scouring the internet and eBay has churned up nothing so far - not a surprise.

I appreciate any help ahead of time in regards to my paint search.  Thanks for reading...

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

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Posted by doctorwayne on Saturday, July 1, 2023 11:22 AM

I have four bottles of SCALECOAT "red" paint, and will attempt to show you photos of each.  Three of them are Scalecoat II (Boxcar Red #2, Tuscan Red, and CP Tuscan Red, while the fourth one is Scalecoat I Flat Oxide Red.

I'll take photos of each, and then let you decide which (if any) meet your requirements.
This shouldn't take too long, but I'll need to get the photos into my photobucket account, in order to provide them for viewing.

I'll be back in a little while.

Wayne

 

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Posted by tstage on Saturday, July 1, 2023 5:32 PM

Thanks, Wayne!  No rush - Take your time.

Q: In your opinion, would the gloss finish of the Scalecoat II be equivalent to the Scalecoat I?  Or, would they be slightly/noticeably different?

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by doctorwayne on Sunday, July 2, 2023 2:42 PM

tstage
Q: In your opinion, would the gloss finish of the Scalecoat II be equivalent to the Scalecoat I? Or, would they be slightly/noticeably different?

I'm not sure, as I haven't used them very much at all.  I did take photos of all four bottles, but photobucket doesn't necessarily keep the pictures in the original order, so looking at the bottom of the bottles, it's difficult to know which one is which.
I did leave them in-order on my workbench, but it still remains difficult to know which one is which, even when looking at the photos and the bottles.

This one is SCALE COAT 1  Flat Oxide Red....

...while this one is SCALE COAT II (CP TUSCAN RED)

This one is SCALE COAT II TUSCAN RED...

 

...while this one is SCALECOAT II BOXCAR RED #2

I occasionally have used these paints, so the SCALECOAT I (Flat Oxide Red) is a little less than half full, while the SCALECOAT II (CP Tuscan Red) is about 3/4s full.

The SCALECOAT II, Tuscan Red, has not been used at all, so it is pretty-much filled to the top,

The SCALECOAT II, BOXCAR RED #2, is more than 3/4s full.

Feel free to pick your choice of the four Scalecoat colours, as I have more than a couple dozen of bottles of Floquil and even more bottles of Polly S and Polly Scale...somewhere around 60 or 70 of them, and a pretty good supply of various brands of paints in useable condition, despite being discontinued years ago.

I recently emptied all of my Humbrol paints from their little metal cans, and transferred matching colours into used (and well-cleaned) Pollyscale bottles, labelled to denote the Humbrol connection.

Wayne

 

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Posted by tstage on Sunday, July 2, 2023 4:16 PM

Wayne,

I REALLY appreciate you taking the time & trouble to photograph & post the bottles of Scalecoat paint you have! Big Smile I think I'll stick with the Boxcar Red so I'll email you offline and we can talk about it further.

Many thanks again...and a belated Happy Canada Day to you and your family!

Tom

[Edit: Email sent - Thanks, Wayne!]

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

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Posted by doctorwayne on Thursday, July 6, 2023 8:58 PM

I sent the paint on Monday, so I'm hoping that it will get there by the weekend.  At the post office, it was mentioned that sometimes "suspicious packages" may be scrutinised, and could be returned to sender, or simply confiscated, but  I'm hoping for the best.

If they send it back, I'll simply drive down to Buffalo, and mail it from there.

Cheers,

Wayne

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Posted by tstage on Thursday, July 6, 2023 9:08 PM

Thank you, Wayne!  I'll let you know when it arrives. Big Smile

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

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Posted by PC101 on Thursday, July 6, 2023 10:49 PM

@tstage, could you under cut/grind with a small dental bur the underside of the inside edge (yellow arrow) to make the hood look thinner on the ends?

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Posted by tstage on Friday, July 7, 2023 12:18 AM

PC,

If I had one, yes - I probably could.  A round tapered miniature file might also work.  Good thought - Thanks!

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by PC101 on Friday, July 7, 2023 8:48 PM

@tstage, It seems like when I think I have every tool that I will need at this point in my life...nope.

Yep, a tiny tapered file would work. I did not think of that at the time I guess because it would require work. I find that if I rotate my tapered files CCW it will not cut/dig in but still remove material very slowly. Turning CW will pull the tapered file in to the hole. 

I do try to use what I have, some times I forget what I have.

Below is the smallest tapered file I have.

Below are my very fine reamers. Notice the size of the hair below the white arrow.

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Posted by tstage on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 1:33 PM

Hi Wayne,

Wanted to let you know that the paint arrived today unscathed.  It was a little challenging getting the top off, as the paint had dried a bit on the lip of the jar.  But...I managed to get it off w/o spilling any of the precious cargo. Yes

Thank you so much for shipping to me, Wayne.  I really appreciate it! Big Smile

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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