N Scale Rocky Mountaineer - original consist

[craigolio1]

Thanks Dwight.

The whole time I have been reworking this model I find myself realizing that I absolutely hate painting white models. I have a new respect for Soo Line modellers. Crazy people.

Craig.

[Sokramiketes]

I admire your perseverance.  By the second re-do I would have launched one of my models.

One tip, Tamiya white primer, the fine stuff, goes on great.  And since white is usually the first, lightest color to go on a model, I leave it showing instead of actual white paint.

Yellow is my nemesis.  Tru-Color goes on well, but the number of coats always affects the overall color. 

That Tamiya tape is #1 in my book.  Great stuff and consistent. 

[craigolio1]

I admire your perseverance.  By the second re-do I would have launched one of my models.

One tip, Tamiya white primer, the fine stuff, goes on great.  And since white is usually the first, lightest color to go on a model, I leave it showing instead of actual white paint.

Yellow is my nemesis.  Tru-Color goes on well, but the number of coats always affects the overall color. 

That Tamiya tape is #1 in my book.  Great stuff and consistent.

Darn it the Tamiya primer I used was grey!

The very first primer I tried was Rustoleum white and then I did a coat of Vallejo white as the Rustoleum was not as white as I wanted.  It all looked great until somehow the red of the plastic began to bleed through. I wonder if the solvent based Rustoleum some how drew it out? Anyway that model was decalled when the phenomenon happened which is what sent me down this rabbit hole. This loco has been white for about a week and so far so good.

Good to know about Tamiya white primer though. Thanks!

[craigolio1]

Oh and I almost forgot.

I got the final passenger car assembled. This is the baggage / dormitory. I believe it was Laser Horizons that cut the sides for me. They didn’t show them in their catalogue but this was apparently a standard PS design that they had plans for. I was able to confirm the correct window arrangement from a drawing in Rail Canada Vol. 4. The Rapido coach I used as a core had better doors though so I cut the sides off behind the doors and laminated the styrene sides on.

I should have test fit the roof prior to paint. When I went to assemble the car it wouldn’t snap down. I changed something in the fit when I added the sides. The solution was to file all but the four end nubs that engage the roof off of the car body. Then it snapped in at the ends and sat flat. So I glued it in place with a bit of solvent cement and it’s all good.

All it needs is some styrene windows and it’s done.



Craig

[peteski]

As a long-time plastic automotive kits modeler I like to make few comments:

Red and yellow plastics seem to bleed their color dyes into primer or into subsequent layers of light color paint (like white). While some models on automotive forums swear that it is untrue, many of us have experienced the color bleed.  There are many variables involved, and it is possible that depending on those variables some combinations of plastic/primer/color coat will not have any dye bleed.  Also, this applies to organic-solvent-based "stinky" paints.  Water-based paints should not have this problem (but they have their own set of problems like poor adhesion).

For stubborn bleeds use a barrier layer using silver paint or shellac-based coatings like Zinsser B-I-N primer.  Floquil also made Barrier coat, but that has long been discontinued.  Based on its smell it appeared to be also shellac.

The barrier goes on first, then primer, then the color coat.

Like Mike mentioned, when the color coat will be light color like white, yellow, light blue, etc., using white primer will result in the best color rendition and lowest number of coats required to achieve the desired color.

Whenever trying new paint technique or new paint combinations (especially mixing brands or types of paints), to prevent botched experiments (and paint stripping) on the actual model, it makes sense to test the technique on some inexpensive plastic spoons. Make sure to get the polystyrene spoons (recycling symbol "6" or "06")  Those will be the closest to the plastic used for model shells.

I would also suggest ditching the Frog Tape.  From the info I have gathered, its special Paint Block coating of sealing the edge only works with water-based paints. It has no effect on the "stinky" paints.  Even when used with water-based paints, the Paint Block coating that seals the edge is only applied close to the edge.  Rest of the tape just has plain adhesive, like  any other masking tapes.  And it is also as stiff as other masking tapes used for house painting.  Tamiya Tape (which is Washi tape) is thinner and more pliable, with better-sealing adhesive).

[Sokramiketes]

I think there's more of a distinction to be made, rather than just water based or solvent based.

Rustoleum, Scale Coat, Regular old Testors... enamels are "hot" for a long time.  They are more likely to draw out pigment from below, based on how long they take to cure. 

Lacquers, like Tamiya, flash off so quickly that they should not have the same effect.  When I really get rolling, I'll spray Tamiya primer, hold the model in front of a space heater, let it flash off, and return to coat again, or even mask, within 20 mins.  And they adhere well.

Then the water based stuff as Peteski notes, is so non volatile that it should be safe as well. 

[peteski]

I think there's more of a distinction to be made, rather than just water based or solvent based.

Correct. There are many "flavors" of organic-solvent-based paints (both enamels and lacquers) using different chemistries and "hotter" and "colder" solvents. That is why I recommend experimenting on plastic spoons instead of the actual model.

[craigolio1]

Good info guys. Thanks.

Touch ups were masked and sprayed today.









Still looks like garbage to me under macro photography but it looks good with my eyeballs. And I mean just standing still. Not moving, behind trees, with my glasses off and in the dark like before. So with this significant improvemnt I’m called it good enough and moving onto decals tomorrow.

Craig.

[craigolio1]

Today I soldered the handrails for the short hood.



And got all of the grabs in a piece of tape for painting.




Now to find some Big Sky Blue. I think it’s the only colour of blue I don’t have. I might just add some white to one of the many blues I do have.

Craig

[craigolio1]

Today was a big day for progress.

I started working on painting the handrails. Having many colours of blue I didn’t want to buy another, so to make the light blue I tested a few combos of blues and white. I settled on a 4:1 mixture of Polyscale D&H Blue and white. While I had the test mixture I used a sharpened tooth pick to apply it to the faces of the step treads.



For the handrails I’m using automotive plastic adhesion promoter to try and get the paint to stick better.



It has specific instruction that state you must apply the paint over it within 10 minutes. But that’s on a car bumper where it’s put on pretty thick. Out of an airbrush it would be a very light coat so I got everything ready. Airbrush cleaner, distilled water, paints, three eye droppers to mix and thin the paint, tweezers, gloves, spare gloves and of course all of the handrails.

The whole operation went smoothly.



In applying them they really held up well. Not a single Delrin handrail chipped or cracked. Compared to the brass grab I applied that even with tape covered pliers, all cracked. So they got touch ups after installation. I’ve started using canopy glue for grab irons. Much more working time than CA and more forgiving when it comes to mistakes.





Once the handrails were in I used a sharpened tooth pick to apply dark blue and white as needed where the handrails are on the side sills.





Here’s the front and rear. I applied a little to the ends of the coupler lift bars as well.





And that’s where I’m at. It’s officially ready for decals, which I plan to do Sunday.

Craig

[craigolio1]

Todays final act was to get the last two cars in the train on line.

The second Ultradome got trucks finally.




For the baggage dorm I cut and glued in styrene windows.

Finally since this used a coach as a core, it had seats in all of the windows. I cut the seat backs off and installed a divider in the dormitory section which, while not a proper interior, gives it the look it needs.

This car is now ready to add to the consist as well and with that, the consist is complete.



Craig

[BCR751]

Where did you find the plastic adhesion promoter? 

Doug

[craigolio1]

Where did you find the plastic adhesion promoter? 

Doug

Short answer. Canadian Tire.

Fun answer. The first can I bought was from UAP/Napa. It was by 3M and was quite expensive and huge. I decanted a bit into a bottle and then when the nozzle became unusable, I  tried to drill a hole into it to decant the rest into a jar. I followed best practice posted here but ended up with me and my tools covered in it. So, I used what I had saved on a few models. And then bought this much cheaper one at Canadian Tire.

Craig.

[craigolio1]

More progress today.

Painted a beacon



Did all of the decals. Not very many really.





And installed the beacon.



The next stage will be full coat, a decoder and assembly.

Craig

[craigolio1]

Correct. There are many "flavors" of organic-solvent-based paints (both enamels and lacquers) using different chemistries and "hotter" and "colder" solvents. That is why I recommend experimenting on plastic spoons instead of the actual model.

@Sokramiketes and @peteski , I had some time and was rereading your comments on the paint bleed I experienced.  This is the first time I have experienced the bleed through.  It would have been smart for me to test on something other than my model.  It's not something I due as a rule but maybe it should be.

The Shelac based sealer is interesting.  I wonder if that can be thinned to apply with an airbrush.  I've used a Kilz sealer before on walls.  Same idea.  It seals crayon and Sharpie, etc etc.  But it comes out far too thick for applying to a model.

So far the repaint is looking good on this model.  I used Mr Surfacer primer.

Craig