I have now ruined four Shapeways shells.

[C855B]

For years I resisted painting models. I know my way around an airbrush, or so I thought, but always there was the fear of "the last step" screwing-up a whole bunch of modeling work. This has come home to roost on the C855 project in a big way.

The first try was going great:



I was really happy with the results to this point. Then I was reminded the hard way that Tru-Color is a lacquer and can't be brushed over itself, when I tried to avoid masking the walkways. Flip side of the same shell, one big "oops":



The more I tried to fix, the worse it got. I'm not as bad with a brush as it appears, this is what happens with a "wet" brush dissolving the lacquer underneath, it becomes a gooey mess. OK, abandon ship, and start over.

So here's the "start over". There are three coats of Tamiya filler to fix the Shapeways defects, and that was looking fine. Then comes two coats of Scalecoat II. Not fine. Details filled-in and/or rounded off. It's awful, and has none of the crispness of the first try before it was royally mucked-up:



This is unacceptable. What hacks me off is I could not get Scalecoat to go down wet without piling it on, even after reducing to a "skim milk" consistency.

"OK, Mike, but this is only two shells." Yes, you guessed it, the two A-units were also subjected to two coats of Scalecoat, in their cases one white undercoat, and then the yellow. Same results, the details are blurred if not filled-in.

Aside from sharing my frustration here... I've got to be doing something wrong with Scalecoat, and could use some guidance. It goes on really thick, at least for me. Attempts at thin coats go on dry and are orange-peeled; fortunately I discovered that in testing. Otherwise, I'm going to do "what I gotta do", switch back to Tru-Color, and do the intense masking this kit apparently demands.

At any rate, I'm scrapping these shells. Game plan now is to start over, and for the B-unit it's a second re-do. At least the fellow on Shapeways makes the shells available separately, versus the full kits with extra bits. Saves a few bucks.

"Color" me  .

[peteski]

I would spray the walkways gray first and mask them using Tamiya masking tape. That is a very easy masking job (all flat narrow pieces).  Then leave the mask on and paint the rest of the mode (probably need to prime over the gray overspray so the yellow comes out evenly. When done, peel the walkway mask last.

Or even take it one step further, paint all gray first and mask it. Then prime the yellow surfaces and spray yellow.  The rule of thumb that dark colors shoudl be applied last can be broken for certain paint schemes. 

[basementcalling]

Didn't look like anything a little heavy weathering couldn't hide.

[davefoxx]

Mike,

At the pricey cost of the shells, why can't you strip and repaint?

DFF

[C855B]

You can't strip Shapeways' resin. All the usual (and unusual) methods turn it into goo. I've tried.

[C855B]

I would spray the walkways gray first and mask them using Tamiya masking tape. That is a very easy masking job (all flat narrow pieces).  Then leave the mask on and paint the rest of the mode (probably need to prime over the gray overspray so the yellow comes out evenly. When done, peel the walkway mask last.

Or even take it one step further, paint all gray first and mask it. Then prime the yellow surfaces and spray yellow.  The rule of thumb that dark colors shoudl be applied last can be broken for certain paint schemes. 

Certainly worthwhile testing this idea, Pete. I have some concern the primer will build thickness in trying to cover the gray, but if done strategically I might be able to use this to my advantage. Hmmmm...

[C855B]

Further thought... Dave @davefoxx suggested a while back I consider "paint decals" for the walkways. At the time I expressed concern about the decals not sinking enough into the treadplate profile. The scale treadplate discussion notwithstanding, this is becoming an increasingly attractive notion. I need to experiment with this, too. Lord knows I have plenty of test fodder at this point. 

[peteski]

Maybe try using Tamiya white fine surface primer?  It goes on thin and hopefully will be opaque enough to cover the gray. Try this technique on a plastic spoon first. I usually try new painting techniques on a plastic spoon instead of a precious locomotive shell.

[C855B]

I'm using the Tamiya white primer already in the smoothing process, three coats in the most recent iteration. My thought is to follow your idea with the walkway, spray that before doing any surface prep, mask, and then go through the surfacing process. That way there will be no "extra" primer to add thickness.

Where Dave's idea sounds good is there are some very tiny steps in six spots that are grey on top but yellow on the sides and underneath, and there are also reach issues with the end walkways. The decal may still be the solution in those locations. I've always said these things were Rube Goldberg contraptions, and the paint details with all the nooks and crannies from the tacked-on stuff certainly reinforce that notion.

[SirTainly]

I've stripped FUD using 'Fairy Power Spray' if you can get that in the US.

[Scottl]

Hi Mike, I'll second the concept of decaling the walkways and steps.  I do this quite a bit on locomotives to get sharp edges.  I have even painted clear film and cut it to suit my needs with success.

[Lemosteam]

Further thought... Dave @davefoxx suggested a while back I consider "paint decals" for the walkways. At the time I expressed concern about the decals not sinking enough into the treadplate profile. The scale treadplate discussion notwithstanding, this is becoming an increasingly attractive notion. I need to experiment with this, too. Lord knows I have plenty of test fodder at this point. 

@C855B if you talk to the designer, he/she may be willing to make a scale electronic drawing of just the walkway surface(s) which would give you the outer perimeter lines and the inner perimeter lines in the form of a DXF file that can then be used in a vector app to create the decals. Fill in the space with the right gray, separate into a rh/lh or front back or side/front/other side/back set of decals.

I know I would if someone asked.

[thomasjmdavis]

Just a thought, but has anyone tried soaking in Bestine as a paint remover? 

[C855B]

I miss Floquil.

[Chris333]

I miss Floquil.

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