Painting Passenger Cars

[csmith9474]

I am about to paint another passenger train and was looking for some suggestions for a good "stainless steel" paint formula. I have been using Floquil bright silver and would like something that looks a little better. I used glosscote to seal the decals for the last train that I did, and although it didn't look bad, I wasn't completely satisfied with the outcome. Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

[rexhea]

csmith9474,
Hang in there and AntonioFP45 should see your post. He has the exact info your looking for.

[:)] REX

[csmith9474]

You da man AntonioFP45!!!

[pcarrell]

Go to the mocel car and airplane paint section at your local hobby store and get "Testors Metalizers" paints. They come in many shades and I'm here to tell you that they make plastic look JUST like metal. They are easy to use too! [8D]

[csmith9474]

Oh, and thanks rexhea!! I didn't mean to forget you. I am still just a little disturbed by the whole suckin' and blowin' smoke unit post earlier.

[csmith9474]

I guess I should clarify that my biggest gripe was when I oversprayed with glosscote to seal the decals it dulled and blotched the paint a bit and I want to avoid this.

[AntonioFP45]

Hello CSSmith and Rexhea,

Guys, I'm humbled by the recommendation. I hope I can be helpful.

For VERY realistic looking stainless steel passenger cars, ALCLAD II CHROME is an incredible product. Not all hobbyshops carry it so you may have to call around. Be aware that this is lacquer based, not acrylic, so ventilation is a must.

Here's the procedure I use:

(1) Completely strip the passenger car shell. I use 91% Alcohol in a small pan. A few minutes after I see paint "floating off" I use a toothbrush and scrub the shell. Wa***he shell with warm soap and water. At this stage, your hands must be clean, no sweat! Use latex gloves if needed.

(2) Final-Clean the body and spray it with a high GLOSS dark gray. You can use Acrylic or Solvent based paints for this stage. For the dark gray mix 5 parts Gloss Black with 2 parts of a Gloss White. Make sure every square inch of the surface is covered with a smooth, glossy coat. Allow to dry.

(3) Apply Alclad II Chrome in light very thin coats. Do not try to "hide" the gray color all at once. Allow 2 to 3 minutes between each thin coat. By your 4th thin coat, you should see some amazing results! Your car will look like real stainless steel. Do not touch it, even after it's dry!

(4) Airbrush a high gloss clear. Allow to dry and then apply your decals.

(5) Airbrush semi-gloss clear to tone down the shine a little.

You're done!

I used this method on my Metroliners. I used a black undercoat originally, but the result makes it look darker, like an aircraft. With gray, the results resemble stainless steel.

[csmith9474]

I heard of people using the ALCLAD before and was a little apprehensive as I wasn't sure of the application method nor the result. I will definately give this a shot now. I typically don't buy anything painted so I won't have to fool with that step. I detail before painting so it makes prepping the cars for painting a pain, but I have tried detailing post paint and it can really mess things up. Thanks a million for everyone's help, with special credit to AntonioFP45.

[AntonioFP45]

Thank you.

I can't take the credit though. It was the July MRR, 2003, where a modeler used this method to redo a pair of N scale RDCs. They looked great!

Suggestion:

Though it costs extra I think it's worth the effort to experiment on a piece of scrap styrene or a "scrapper" model railroad car like an old Tyco boxcar or caboose to check results before doing the passenger cars. The secret to the Alclad II Chrome effect is THE UNDERCOAT, which is your foundation. So I experimented with various shades of dark gray. I used an HO Tyco F unit shell that I got free at a train show.

BTW: The reason for putting on "thin coats" is due to Alclad being a "hot" paint product. Put it on too heavy and the plastic may be attacked. That's why it's important to let the gray "foundation" coat cure properly as it also acts as a barrier between the Alclad and the bare plastic. Don't worry, though. Just take your time.

Check out this link and look at the results on the test panels. George McLeod used various metalizers.

http://www.largescaleplanes.com/tips/MikeMcleod/NMF/nmf.html

I think you'll be impressed with the test panels. Just my opinion, but I think Alclad II gives an incredibly realistic Stainless Steel appearance!

Let us know what you do, whether you use this or another metalizing system.

Peace and High Greens!

[Rotorranch]

Alclad Chrome may be too shiny, depending on what you are trying to accomplish. Alclad also has stainless steel paint, as well. Not as shiny as the Chrome. Might be what you are looking for.

I sell the Alclad paints at my hobby shop, and have had great results from all the Alclad I have sprayed.Depending on the effect desired, will determine the base color needed. Black base color is the recommended (by Alclad) color for their Metal color finishes. Other base colors will give you different results. Don't be afraid to experiment on scrap materials.

Your results may vary! [;)]

Rotor

[AntonioFP45]

Hello Rotorranch,

Alclad II Chrome is shiny, however, it dulls down after the gloss clear coat is applied and dulls down even more when a semi-gloss or satin clear finish is applied. I have successfully experimented with two of my HO Metroliners. One car I left in chrome while the 2nd car I dulled it down with clear. Difference is like night and day! When I finish 4 car set, I'll post the pictures on this forum. They will be in Penn Central.

You're correct about the black being recommended, however, as I pointed out above it is too dark for HO passenger cars (not as noticeable in N scale). The high-gloss grays are what work well in this case.

Don't take my word for it, though. Check out the Model Railroader Magazine article I mentioned above. Those N scale RDC cars look incredibly realistic!

Peace out.

[Anonymous]

i just picked up a bottle of floquil bright silver. it is good for headlight lens simulations. although it is a very bright silver, it may work for the stainless steel look you want. but test it first. good luck!!

matt arentzen,- northeastrailworks.com

[jimrice4449]

I'll second (or third) the Alclad. I did a Santa Fe high level El Capitan train (10 cars worth) and got great results. I used Tamaya gloss black for the base and Floquil Crytal Cote for the sealer. I went with stainless steel' One thing to watch for is to have the first car you do where you can see it as you do subsequent cars. The final appearance depends on the number of coats and you'll get better results if you've got a visible sample instead of relying on memory.

[csmith9474]

It is good to see someone else modeling the hi levels. I am doing a late 50's El Cap/Super Chief, and has it ever been an project so far. I have found a seemingly endless supply of the Detail Associates detail kits for the TSP hi levels. I wanted the yokes more than anything. I have also been able to acquire a set of the Microscale hi level decals. It should be interesting to see how the paint turns out as I am using a mix of brass car sides, Walther's, and TSP hi levels. There are also some Soho cars mixed in there as well. I hope a good primer will get me going with the plated brass. I want to get this done so I can move on to the Budd Sunset Limited. If not for Train Station Products I couldn't get half the modeling done that I do.

[kicksvette]

Just checked the Alclad website and found a hobbyshop about a mile from my house that sells the stuff. Gonna pick some up and give i a try. Sounds like it will be just what I need for my N E-5 shells with a Zephyr scheme. Need to look as shiny as the 9911 out at IRM.

[AntonioFP45]

Hi guys,

Check out this link: http://www.alclad2.com/alclad-home.html

Impressive work by modelers, especially on that DC10!

Enjoy!

[emdgp92]

Tamiya's "flat aluminum" is pretty close to weathered stainless steel. This stuff is actually a plastic-compatible lacquer. However, even though you don't *need* a primer for it, I still primer my plastic cars before I spray them. That way, there's less risk of chipping the paint.

[AntonioFP45]

Hey guys, something I forgot to mention.......

If you should decide to try out the Alclad Chrome method there are two versions. One is "Chrome" and the other is "Chrome for Lexan".

Use only the Chrome which is designed for styrene and similar plastics. The Stock Number is: ALC 107.

So go ahead and experiment! Try the Chrome and Stainless Steels versions.

Peace and High Greens

[nbrodar]

I use Polly S Stainless Steel or Aluminum. They don't shine like the Alclad does, but do have a pleasent weathered metallic sheen to it. The paint is a more fragile then regular Polly S, so take care when handling. I used glosscote to seal the cars.

Nick

[ModelTrainman]

What about that Bare Metal Foil stick-on stuff!

[AntonioFP45]

CRBlues,
Yes Floquil Bright Silver is nice for headlight simulations.......but one can go an "extra step" by drilling out "cast-on" silver lights and replacing them with MV Lenses which look very realistic.

ModelTrainman,
The Bare Metal Foil also works also and has been around for a couple of decades. Years ago MRR featured an F unit treated with the Bare Metal Foil, which was a real beauty!

However, for me, I just didn't want the hassle of going through the steps with applying the material from the foil, when with Alclad I just basically dump it in the jar and shoot and get just as good or better results in a fraction of the time. Since my hobby times are limited, I look for processes that work well and are time savers. With the Alclad II series paints, I got the best of both qualities.

Peace.

[csmith9474]

I googled Alclad and came up with this.....

http://www.swannysmodels.com/Alclad.html
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/tnt1/001-100/TNT009_Alclad/TNT009.htm

Some great info with great results. I like the look of the first guys planes. It is interesting what he had to say about the primer, though. I would never have thought to use Krylon gloss black and seal decals with Future. I suppose the results speak for themselves!

Has anybody had any problems with the primer they have used?

[Anonymous]

Take a look at this site and what they sell. Looks good to me.................... http://www.snjmodelproducts.com/examples.htm

[AntonioFP45]

Thanks for that link ATrain.

Always good to look at other options as well.

My only "personal" critique of the SNJ product is that buffing with colored powders may be required; which I'm not too fond of. This is why I wasn't crazy about "Paint Metallizing" in the past. With the Alclad II, it's now easier than ever.

[csmith9474]

I am trying the Alclad 2 stainless steel this weekend. The first process I am trying is the one using Krylon gloss black as a primer and Future as a sealer. I will post the results with pics Sunday (hopefully). Wish me luck.

I am also breaking in a brand new Paasche H with this project, too. I guess I may as well bring it in big. The owner of the LHS that I go to is also awaiting the results to see if he will start stocking Alclad, so I hope I get this right!!

[csmith9474]

Boy, is this ever becoming  a process. It didn't quite come out the way I expected, but I think I know where I went wrong. I was using too small of a mixing needle on the airbrush, and the "primer" went on a little rough. Still tryin'.......

[AntonioFP45]

Boy, is this ever becoming  a process. It didn't quite come out the way I expected, but I think I know where I went wrong. I was using too small of a mixing needle on the airbrush, and the "primer" went on a little rough. Still tryin'.......

CSmith,

That's good in a way though.  Better that any problems be caught at the primer stage.  Sounds like you're already got it licked.

Please, keep us updated with your progress!

[csmith9474]

I am still working on getting a smooth, gloss black base coat. I am going to try to find the Alclad black primer and test with that. It seems there are complaints about how good it is, but you would think they would make the best primer for THEIR finishes.

If all else fails, I do have Floquil bright silver on stand-by!

 

[AntonioFP45]

I am still working on getting a smooth, gloss black base coat. I am going to try to find the Alclad black primer and test with that. It seems there are complaints about how good it is, but you would think they would make the best primer for THEIR finishes.

If all else fails, I do have Floquil bright silver on stand-by!

Csmith, I may have mentioned this before but if you don't want to use acrylics you can get very smooth finishes with Floquil Gloss Black as well as Scale Coat II's high gloss black.  The key was just thinning it to the point where it layed on smoothly.   I had to play with the black a bit also. If the air pressure is too high..the paint will look too dry and rough.  Too low and the paint is gobby and runs. 

Don't give up........just a little patience!  The results are worth it.

 

[csmith9474]

As stupid as this may sound, I didn't even realize Floquil produced a gloss black. I know how to handle Floquil just fine!! Thanks.