Passenger Car Metalzing to a Realistic Stainless Steel Finish with Alclad 2

[FP45Tony]

  Hi guys!  I posted this on the N Scale forum but thought that perhaps it would be appropriate to post here.  I've been experimenting with Alclad for 4 years and have maintained a dialogue with Mr. Tony Hipp of Alclad.   hope this will be helpful

Please note that this procedure is different in that it will not get you the "NICKEL PLATED" appearances of brass cars that we've seen since the 1970s.  Gray colored base coats help avoid that.  The appearance will be similar to that of the beautiful HO California Zephyr cars from Broadway Limited (minus the yellow hue) that hit the market a couple of years ago.

The two Budds below were metalized with Alclad 2 Chrome, and lightly weathered. However, a different base color was applied to each car. Amazing what a difference the foundation makes!  I was made aware that there have been ongoing "web" arguments with how the sheens of Budd, Pullman Standard, and ACF appear.  The answer is that it's varied due to age, care/neglect, weather, etc. Add to that, photos in books/magazines are often edited. In some photos, Post WWII Budd and PS cars look almost "white", yet in some other shots the sheen appears quite dark.

But instead of making this issue a brain-buster, we should try to keep this simple.  A friend of mine prefers the "worn, whitish-gray look" that so many corrugated passenger cars had just before Amtrak.  My point to him was that railroads like the Santa Fe, Southern, and SCL had many cars that still had a beautiful darker stainless steel sheen to them, which can be viewed on railpictures.net.  That's my preference. However, based on my experiments, I respectfully suggest that anyone can have both by using the base colors I've experimented with below.

1) Walthers Budd Diner refinished and decaled into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad scheme. Diner name: St. Petersburgh (ex-ACL).   Base foundation color underneath Alclad 2 #ALC-107:  NEW YORK CENTRAL DARK GRAY. I'll talk more about base colors later on this thread.

Indoor:    

Outdoor:        

OK, now here's a photo of a prototype SCL passenger train with Budd cars: (photographer: Martin K O'Toole)

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 Weather worn effect:

2) Rivarossi Budd Coach metalized and decaled into Seaboard Coast Line Railroad scheme.  Coach prototype number: 5211 (ex-Seaboard Air Line). Base foundation color underneath Alclad 2 #ALC-107:  NEW YORK CENTRAL LIGHT GRAY.

Outdoor Photos:  

[FP45Tony]

Here is the updated procedure that I've been working with for metalizing plastic shells:

I no longer use black for a foundation base color, as in the past: Based on my experimenting, I now use either New York Central Dark Gray (deep sheen effect) or New York Central Light Gray (faded sheen effect).

1. After paint stripping your shells, wash them thoroughly in soapy water. Scrub gently with a soft toothbrush. Dawn or Ivory Liquid soaps work very well and leave no residue.

2. Make sure the surface is SMOOTH and doesn't feel slippery. It's preferable not to scuff the surface unless absolutely necessary. If so, "very lightly" scuff the surface in a horizontal direction with either a 3M gray scotch pad (available at most Home Depots)or 3M 1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper.

3. Mask off the interior walls and all window openings. Final clean the surface with wax/grease remover.

4. Air brush needle size should be either medium or fine. Apply 1 to 2 thin coats of high gloss gray paint to the exterior. For Scale Coat paint, Mix 1 part thinner to 1 part paint (50/50).  Air Pressure for Scale Coat 2 set at 20-25 psi.  Practice applying the gray on scrap styrene or junker rolling stock first. The key here is that the final finish appear very smooth and slick. If you're using an acrylic, apply 1 to 2 gloss coats of clear. Allow the finish to cure thoroughly. With SC-II, I now give it 3 to 4 days. For acrylics, it's good to play it safe and wait at least one week.

5. Alclad II Chrome step: Airbrush needle size: FINE works best! I no longer recommend "medium" as in the past. (for Paasche, fine would be a #1 needle) Air pressure: between 12psi and 15psi. The fan width should be very narrow. Air brush distance to shell: 1 to 2 inches. Stroke Speed: medium speed. Not slow, not fast.

5a.Lightly spray each of the sides and roof in long strokes, as if you were using a slim paint brush. Do not dump it on! If you missed a spot, don't worry. Catch it on the next coat. After your first coat, wait 10 minutes. Yes, it looks transparent-dark gray, don't worry, that's normal.  Wait 10 minutes. Remember, if you dump it on, you'll be gritting your teeth. (yes, ask me how I know!).

5b. Apply your 2nd Alclad coat, same technique as above. Make sure you get into the little crevices around the diaphrams (I don't bother removing mine). After you finish this 2nd coat, WALK AWAY from the shell and don't look at if for at least 15 minutes. Come back and check it out. If it's still a bit dark, apply a 3rd thin coat of the Alclad. You'll likely be smiling when you finish. Don't worry if it looks too shiny. If a 4th coat is needed, apply it with a slightly faster stroke.

6. Wait 1 to 2 days. Apply even coat of acrylic based Gloss Clear coat. This will tone the shine down slightly. If using solvent based clear, wait at least 3 days. For clears I prefer acrylics.

7. Apply your decals. You can use Microset normally to move decals into postion, however, apply the Microsol lightly around the decal edges.

8. Now for your "sheen effect" : Apply another thin coat of gloss clear to seal your decals. Your model's finish should be similar to my Walther's finish.

8a. Decision time. If you want your cars finish to appear more "aged" then add another coat of gloss clear, and so forth until you get the weathered sheen desired.  Don't over do it or you'll wind up with a finish that looks similar to a floquil silver .

However, before toning down the sheen too much, check photos of the prototypes. The Santa Fe, Atlantic Coast Line, Southern, and CB&Q did a nice job of maintaining their streamlined cars' overall appearances like these prototype shots of the SCL Silver Comet just before the Amtrak era.

[FP45Tony]

Just wanted to clear up questions I've gotten regarding which Alclad metalizer to use as there is a point that might cause confusion. Basically, "Why Alclad Chrome and not Alclad Stainless Steel?"

A modeler told me that he purchased Alclad's "Stainless Steel" formula (#ALC-115) and was not too happy with his results. His thinking when he purchased it was "OK, this is stainless steel paint". Well, yes, that is correct!

OK, there is nothing wrong with that Alclad formula. It does resemble stainless steel, HOWEVER, it's more of a brushed or satin finish.   It's what you see on many of the stainless steel appliances sold in stores today.

What's different for us is that we are painting passenger cars to appear with a highly polished "Reflective and/or Mirror" stainless steel finish. The Budd and the Pullman Standard company both prided themselves on the polished mirror-like reflective qualities of their streamliners.

IMHO, to imitate this highly reflective finish, it's a better choice to go with the Alclad #ALC-107 forumla, instead of the #ALC-115. YES, THE 107 BOTTLE SAYS CHROME. In the scale model automobile/truck world, #107 is well known for the deep chrome effects on scale model bumpers, air cleaners, engine valve covers, tail pipes, etc.

However, on our passenger rail cars once you begin clear coating the #107, ( with gloss or semi-gloss clears) this chrome formula tones down to more of a polished SS finish. Acrylic and lacquer based clears do the job nicely.

Apply one gloss coat to apply your decals on. After installing your decals, spray a smooth, wet coat on the shell again. You're done, if you want that "brand new look". To age the finish, add additional clears but don't go overboard!

The sheens on the cars below were toned down with 3 to 4 thin coats of acrylic clear for a "faded but decent condition" appearance.




Hope this has been helpful

http://www.alclad2.com/finishes/highshine.html

[FP45Tony]

The reason I now suggest that gloss gray colored base coats be used instead of gloss jet black is is due to the research I've performed regarding Budd, Pullman Standard, and ACF streamliners which can drive passenger car modelers crazy sometimes.

As was pointed out by modeler/photographer CMarchand, if you look at a lot of the publicity photos of streamliners dating from the 1940s-late 50s, the streamlined cars almost always looked perfectly uniform, either very light or very dark due to lighting conditions and photo editing. But then, look at the photos taken from railfans and one will notice that even when brand new the corrugated streamlined cars from the "Big 3" varied with ACF being the "whitest", Pullman Standard the darkest with a slight bluish hue, and Budd right in between. This was confirmed by passenger car expert, James Langston (who works for CSX as a manager). So this was not just a case of photo film quality or camera lens filters, as many of us had thought.  I pointed this out on other forums, and now some of those passenger car modelers are doing their research as well and some of them are giving this method a try.  

I started experimenting with a variety of dark and light gray tones and discovered that I was able to more closely match the varying finishes on the prototypes; from "well taken care of" like the Canadian's VIA Budd cars, to the extremely worn out appearance of a car "almost ready for the scrapper".   My preference, of course, is the polished appearance of SCL's cars. SCL maintained their high quality service right up until the end.


One thing I forgot to mention is that for those that state that the effects may be too shiny:


THEN, I usually point out prototype photos like these:



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Check out the YOU TUBE link below.  I tip my hat to the Canadians for taking such good care of their Budd cars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlX2RF9UWQ0