The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

Good job. One tiny suggestion: the SC in the car's reporting marks, as you did it originally, looks a tad odd (even as a patch). Do you have any plain block lettering similar to the car number to use instead?

I don't know.  I went through my small decal library and have some N scale decals left over from my N scale days.  There may be something in there that I can piece together to make new reporting marks.  I was going through the decals, because I need tiny SC lettering for the marks on the ends of the car near the roof, too.  I'll check tonight.

DFF

[DKS]

I don't know.  I went through my small decal library and have some N scale decals left over from my N scale days.  There may be something in there that I can piece together to make new reporting marks.  I was going through the decals, because I need tiny SC lettering for the marks on the ends of the car near the roof, too.  I'll check tonight.

If you want to do another custom decal run, I can make a whole bunch of different reporting marks at various sizes. Just say the word--won't take but a few minutes. Then you won't have to piece anything together--they'all all be one piece.

[davefoxx]

If you want to do another custom decal run, I can make a whole bunch of different reporting marks at various sizes. Just say the word--won't take but a few minutes. Then you won't have to piece anything together--they'all all be one piece.

Thank you!  I'll see what I have and let you know if I need to do that.

DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Make sure to do some N ones for us too!

[davefoxx]

I think I found some decals that I can use for the reporting marks.  I only need an “SC.”  Interestingly, a quick search on the internet did not find a road that already is using SC. Great!  So, I’m going to use the S and the O from this N scale Seaboard System logo.  The height is really close to the height of the road number.  I think I can turn the O into a reasonable C.



The patches are in place on this side and the car ends:



DFF

[Point353]

Is there anything in your decal stash that would allow you to add a "shop" date for the re-lettering job by the SC?

[davefoxx]

Ugh.  Car is a total loss.  My clear coat over the decals had some weird reaction and the finish was so cratered that the car cannot be salvaged without a complete stripping of all paint.  This is the same clear coat that I used to seal the car after the washes last night.  I catch a lot of flak for not weathering cars.  This is why.   

DFF

[dem34]

Ugh.  Car is a total loss.  My clear coat over the decals had some weird reaction and the finish was so cratered that the car cannot be salvaged without a complete stripping of all paint.  This is the same clear coat that I used to seal the car after the washes last night.  I catch a lot of flak for not weathering cars.  This is why.   

DFF

What kind of clear coat are you using?Is Alcohol used in any part of you're process?

Monroe washes are their line of powders suspended in IPA. IPA reacts with Clear Coats.

[Chris333]

If all else fails, put it in the lake 

The weathering do look good though.

[davefoxx]

If all else fails, put it in the lake 

The weathering do look good though.

Not anymore.  I’ll have to completely strip this car.  I used Krylon Crystal Clear, which was okay over the Monroe Models washes.  The alcohol was completely evaporated, and there was no weird reaction on that coat.  But, when I applied the second coat over the decals, it’s as if it reacted with the prior coat.  It was okay over the decals.  Don’t know why this happened, and the instructions say recoat at anytime.

DFF

[dem34]

Not anymore.  I’ll have to completely strip this car.  I used Krylon Crystal Clear, which was okay over the Monroe Models washes.  The alcohol was completely evaporated, and there was no weird reaction on that coat.  But, when I applied the second coat over the decals, it’s as if it reacted with the prior coat.  It was okay over the decals.  Don’t know why this happened, and the instructions say recoat at anytime.

DFF

Weird, maybe get a scrap pieces of styrene and do some science following the same steps with some variation?

[ChristianJDavis1]

Not anymore.  I’ll have to completely strip this car.  I used Krylon Crystal Clear, which was okay over the Monroe Models washes.  The alcohol was completely evaporated, and there was no weird reaction on that coat.  But, when I applied the second coat over the decals, it’s as if it reacted with the prior coat.  It was okay over the decals.  Don’t know why this happened, and the instructions say recoat at anytime.

DFF

I just had the same thing happen with a workable fixative, using pan-pastels weathering powders. Everything looked good until it dried, and everything had a "frosted" effect. I managed to save some of the cars (I did a big batch all at once), but some of them are still "frosted." Re-applying it would fix it in some cases and make it worse in others; last time I use anything other than dullcote. Hopefully you can find some sort of solution.

[DKS]

I never use Krylon on cars. Too risky--lots of strange interactions. Sometimes it reacts with the plastic, and totally ruins the car. Dullcote is all I'll ever use on cars, and even then there's a reaction on occasion.

[Steveruger45]

Ugh.  Car is a total loss.  My clear coat over the decals had some weird reaction and the finish was so cratered that the car cannot be salvaged without a complete stripping of all paint.  This is the same clear coat that I used to seal the car after the washes last night.  I catch a lot of flak for not weathering cars.  This is why.   

DFF

Bummer.   Good know, but I’m wondering which Krylon crystal clear?

“Colormaxx clear, flat crystal clear”.  Or.  “Colormaster acrylic crystal clear with durable cover max technology”.

I haven’t had any problems with the latter.  I haven’t used the former, yet.

Thanks

[LIRR]

When I was in N scale, I painted and decaled 2 dozen locomotives for my L&N layout. I didn’t do it the way you’re ‘supposed’ to....gloss coat before decals, dull coat afterwards. An earlier attempt showed the gloss coat went on to thick and softened/obscured detail of the shell. Dull coat made it worse. So when lettered the fleet I applied decals directly on the paint - no gloss coat. Lots of solvaset. No dull coat, just light weathering with powders. Never a single problem with decals separating or falling off. Of course you need to be careful when handling not to touch the decals. Try one this way.

On my current HO layout, the only decal work has been renumbering, and i weather with powders and do not apply dullcoat afterwards. Again, it goes on to thick and basically ‘erases’ half the weathering effect.