I am about to decal my Santa Fe cars for my Texas Chief and California Special but I am undecided about how to go about preparing the cars for the decals.
For plated brass I always lay a coat of Tamiya X22 gloss down as decals need something to bite into. Then seal them with the same.
However these are plastic. I am not sure if they are actually plated with a metal or a paint like Alclad. I don't want to add an unnecessary step.
Any advice from experiance with these "plated" Walthers cars??
Thanks
SB
Hi, SB
I assume you are refering to the car name decals? I did mine directly on the plated surface with no prep work. However, I was using Microscale decals with a very thin backing sheet.
Walthers decals are hit-or-miss as far as their quality. Some have a very thick backing.
After placing the decal and giving it a light touch of MicroSol I left it alone and didn't cover it with any clear coat.
That was maybe two years ago and they have held up fine. You may have different results with the Walthers supplied decals.
I can post a photo later, as time permits.
Good Luck, Ed
Good news, I forgot to see if Microscale had a set. Would you happen to know the stock number of the set you used? You are right the Walthers decals are to thick.
Ed,
Great news, I forgot to see if Microscale had a set. Would you happen to know the stock number of the set you used? You are right the Walthers decals are to thick.
Hello SB,
Maybe this will be helpful. Yes, it is safe to apply Walthers and Microscale decals directly on top of the Walthers plated cars.
I "think" that the Microscale decal pack that you are looking for is:
MICROSCALE 87-114 Santa Fe Passenger Cars - Super Chief (1946-1972).
That is the set that I used to decal two cars (a Bachmann Full Length Dome and an IHC Pleasure Dome) that I metalized with Alclad II for my wife's cousin a while back. Here are shots of the units with the decals installed (my apologies for the photo quality):
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
You did a fantastic job on those cars! Love that Alclad shine. Simulates the real stainless steel look that Budd and Pullman cars had.
How do you apply Alclad shine?
Forgot to mention:
I normally use Microset and Microsol with no issues. Solvaset is a bit strong but, if used, it should be applied sparingly to factory plated finishes. Solvaset should NEVER be applied on top of Alclad II finishes.
To seal the decals, I usually mask around them and apply either a gloss or semigloss clear finish, depending on what appearance is being targeted (good-well maintained, or aged-weather worn). I use my airbrush but, on small decals, a quality paintbrush works nicely too.
I know this may ruffle feathers, but I won't use dullcote on passenger cars at all. Talc content, sometimes, can yield odd effects over modern metalizers. Although I use Alclad's clears and like how smoothly they flow out..... other brands such as, Vallejo, Tamiya, and Testor's gloss, semi-gloss, and flat clears can be applied over Alclad as well with good results.
Hello ATSFGuy,
Thank you kindly. I did this a few years ago and posted a thread. It's not difficult to use, but of key importance is to NOT be in a rush. Here is a link with a step-by-step tutorial that I posted a few years back:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/195132/2131266.aspx
Here is a link in which I experimented to see which finish would come closest to a prototype Budd unit's appearance:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/198137/2166063.aspx
For sealing the decals I have been using Alclad clears on my brass cars with fantastic results.They do not need a thinner out of the bottle. As most of you know adding and mixing tends to cause more issues. So anytime I can find a paint that is airbrush ready out of the bottle I am a happy camper.
The Klear Cote light sheen ALC 311 was a perfect match to my Hallmark Texas Special and Texas Eagle finishes. It goes down smooth and even. I have not tried the matt yet but I am sure it will work as well. I keep hoping for a plain clear coat as the Tamiya X22 gives me trouble at times.