Painting and finishing models

[Kevin NormanParticipant @kevinnorman48306]

I am well on with my Sweet Pea and have just completed the cylinders , when is the best time to start on the painting?

Also the parts such as con rods which will remain unpainted how do I treat these

[Kevin NormanParticipant @kevinnorman48306]

[Chris TriceParticipant @christrice43267]

Not sure how complex a Sweet Pea is but there’s a logic to building it to completion and checking it all works before disassembling the finally completed parts into manageable sections, degreasing/cleaning and then painting before final reassembly.

[Sam StonesParticipant @samstones42903]

Hi Kevin,

I know virtually nothing about loco building, but for what it’s worth, from recent experiences with my brass skeleton clock, I’d like to add my two penn’orth to what Chris suggests.

I made absolutely sure that the clock ran properly and kept reasonable time, before I pulled it apart for cleaning, polishing, and lacquering. An excess of oil on clocks (and I’ve been told this several times), is a no no, so having been over zealous with the slippy stuff, a strip down was very necessary. By the way, I’d also learned my lesson about using WD40 for long term lubrication. It had dried completely, and caked much of the metal work with a hard brown coating.

Unlike painting, which no doubt will have an up-lifting effect to your engine, the lacquer on my clock is an attempt to slow down the tarnishing. In the process of lacquering (shellac in meths), the bright polish has actually been reduced a little.

The other benefit of leaving the `decoration’ until after a suitable period of operation and strip-down, is that various sliding and rotating parts will have had a chance to run in. The `debris’ from running in can therefore be cleaned away without soiling any of the painted surfaces.

Good luck with your endeavours,

Sam

[adyParticipant @ady]

I read an amazing article on painting locos…and I’m darned if I can remember where it was. It was someone who won a gold medal, and it was a wee green LNER job and the article showed some of his work.

 

I think it was this guy.

 

Chris Vine

 

Jaw dropping workmanship and attention to detail, even for someone not remotely interested in tarting up a loco to the highest standards (like me) the guy had turned the subject into a serious master modeller discipline.

 

After reading his article I got the impression that you can’t live long enough in this life to acquire all the skills necessary for a perfect model.

[Kevin NormanParticipant @kevinnorman48306]

thanks for your help Chris & Sam , as you say it is logical to get everything in running order before painting

 

bregds Kevin

[Chris TriceParticipant @christrice43267]

If you find you have to modify anything or move various fittings, it would mean stripping your paint and redoing it so best to leave things until everything has been finalised. If there’s a chance something might rust before you get a chance to paint it, use either any number of rust prevention coatings or put a single layer of something like Halfords grey primer on which can be easily stripped off again in cellulose thinners when the time comes to paint properly.

Edited By Chris Trice on 18/09/2011 09:47:24

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

Sugest you get Chris Vines book

“How not to paint a train”

very worth reading

[Author]

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