How do I paint locomotive trucks?

[jimmo]

Thanks jimmo for the kind words.  I had a thread on this loco at this link, and a more up to date handrail build at this link.

I checked out the threads you provided links for. I had seen the one on handrails recently but I wasn't aware that it was you. Great stuff! The technique for making handrails actually looks do-able. If only I had the etching facilities...

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I've never had any problems with brushed on Poly Scale.

But then again, I also don't go around molesting my locomotives trucks on a regular basis.

[jimmo]

But then again, I also don't go around molesting my locomotives trucks on a regular basis.

If molesting is what's required to make shiny black plastic look like real locomotive trucks then I am Chester. 

BTW the question about brushing was for the adhesion promoter, not the actual finish.

[robert3985]

For those of you who don't want to completely replace your handrails and stanchions, but would like to paint them a different color, here's something I wrote back on 3 July, 2010 for TB:

Here's something that every model railroader should know who decides to custom paint plastic diesel power or any Delrin parts. Several years ago I was at an automobile paint store buying extra-fine grit sandpaper and I saw a metal bottle of something called "SEM FLEX" made by a company named SEM. It's a "flexing agent for acrylic lacquer and acrylic enamel" used to make whatever acrylic paint the body man is spraying on flexible bumpers (or whatever else) flexible. A bright light turned on in my head and I thought "this might be perfect for painting Delrin parts...like handrails!" I bought the one pint version, took it home and did some experimentation with it. I ended up adding 12 drops into my Floquil Pollyscale paint (full bottles) and marking the lids with the word "flex". I then sprayed several delrin handrails I was working on with the now flexible paint. The paint doesn't crack and flake off anymore, and it's a railroad color as opposed to Tamiya or Pactra paints. It also sprays exactly like non-"flexed" paint and cleans up just the same. It also works if you brush-paint the white or yellow parts of the handrails too, or if you need to color caboose ladders which should be red or yellow, but are unpainted black on your model. I'm assuming something similar or identical is still available at your local automobile paint stores. My pint bottle is still mostly full after all these years and will probably outlast me.

Other than my pint bottle is about 1/3 full now, and I'm using Scalecoat II nowadays, the info is the same, except that Floquil and Polyscale have bit the dust.

Of course, good painting practices are essential, which means a complete de-grease (I use Dawn detergent and a warm wash, and a full rinse, then blow the part dry with my compressor, then a quick brushing with Bestine in my spray booth) before applying paint.  Making sure the paint is still wet when it hits the plastic is essential because in my experience, airbrushed paint that's too dry give a pebbly surface (orange peel) and doesn't adhere nearly as well.

So far, my Atlas GP-9's retrofitted with black GP-7 stanchions and rails, then cleaned and airbrushed Harbor Mist Gray are holding up really good after several years of regular use.

I'll be painting the truck sideframes on all my Geeps Harbor Mist Gray in the near future (fits my time period), using a bottle of Scalecoat II with SEM FLEX agent in it I used to paint the handrails, and see if it works as well on the sideframes as it has on the handrails.

Here's a pic of one of my Atlas GP-9's which has been U.P.-ized:

[roadmonkeytj]

My experience with Badger Modelflex is that it is terrible on slippery plastics, especially flexible handrails.  It goes on like water, and when dry it flakes off like the film that it is.   But my hat's off if it works for you, I'd love to see some pics.


Ed

Ed - you may be on to a way to better create weathered flaking paint .... Apply a solid base then apply the Badger over it then perhaps a light air brush over the badger?

[peteski]

Ed - you may be on to a way to better create weathered flaking paint .... Apply a solid base then apply the Badger over it then perhaps a light air brush over the badger?

I'm not sure if I get this.  Badger (and pretty much any other) paint easily flakes of slippery truck plastic. So whatever flakes off will expose the shiny black plastic.  Not very realistic.

[Missaberoad]

I'm not sure if I get this.  Badger (and pretty much any other) paint easily flakes of slippery truck plastic. So whatever flakes off will expose the shiny black plastic.  Not very realistic.

I think the theory would be to apply a gloss enamel basecoat, with the hope being that the badger top coat flakes off just as easily...
In fact that's pretty much what he said 
 

[peteski]

I think the theory would be to apply a gloss enamel basecoat, with the hope being that the badger top coat flakes off just as easily...
In fact that's pretty much what he said 

The problem is that *NO* paint sticks really to the slippery plastic.  Plus, even if some other paint ends up adhering well to to the plastic then a coat of Badger will then adhere much better to that paint (since it is no longer applied directly over slippery plastic). 

[ednadolski]

I'm not sure I would rely on 'real' flaking as a way to simulate flaking paint vis a vis weathering.  It seems doubtful that the effect would be in-scale, but more so the paint would probably continue to flake off over time even after you have achieved the effect that you wanted.

Ed

[Catt]

I use the Dupli Color adhesion promoter straight from the rattle can.It not only allows paint to stick to the slippery stuff it leaves a nice flat finish  for weathering medium.The important thing to remember with the hand rails is to make sure all surfaces are coated with the promoter then do the same with your colour of choice.(Acrylics hold up a lot better if the paint film completely encompasses the railings)

[coosvalley]

Hey guys, this is what I use..NO primer needed(notice it is a primer), NO flaking of paint, even to this day...even on those slippery Geep handrails...

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=25931.msg260446#msg260446

[peteski]

Hey guys, this is what I use..NO primer needed(notice it is a primer)...

LOL! So you *ARE* using a primer. It just happens to be clear primer for polypropylene.   

[coosvalley]

 ..ya got me!