Repainting Lima GUVs - to prime or not to prime?

[9C85]

The finished article...

[Torper]

Excellent.  I do like your weathering as well.

 

DT

[Geep7]

An excellent bit of modelling there. Some of the old LIma models do scrub up well with a little bit of work.

 

If I may, could I suggest that flush-glazing them will help with their appearance. Shawplan laserglaze would be best (if you can get hold of them), but even the South Eastern Finecast vac-formed glazing will be an improvement, if you want to go that way of course.

[9C85]

Thanks. I am trying to stick to a budget which would keep the cost of the finished article lower than that of simply buying a new Bachmann example.

My 'fixed' costs are Kadee couplings, which in fairness I would have to fit to a Bachmann also, so that can be discounted. I put Bachmann bogies on the Newspapers model, which were about  £11 a pair, and I have just looked at Laserglaze Windows  , which would cost £7 per coach. I try to limit the purchase price to about  £15 including delivery on eBay. So a re-bogied, reglazed model would cost at least £33 before paint and transfers. I am not sure what Bachmann GUVs are going for but they may be more appealing if I was spending  £33 on something I could make a mess of 

Having seen my Newspapers GUV next to my Lima/Hornby GUV with original bogies, and from the viewing angle I have, I can live with the original bogies. I would probably have to buy new wheelsets which would be around  £8-10?. I might try laserglaze on the Express Parcels GUV, and I am contemplating rebranding it to Newspapers as there were a few sets in my Railtec Transfers. 

I have had some fun creating the Newspapers model, but again I think I have had some beginner's luck. 

[9C85]

 

I have had a bit of a setback with the GUV.  I wanted to airbrush all my stock with Roof Dirt to weather it a bit more. I also had a bit of blue overspill on the GUV roof from when I changed it from the original maroon livery. 

I masked off the bodysides with ordinary decorator's masking tape and when I removed it, it took nearly all of the transfers with it 

I had varnished the coach after applying the transfers but, with the benefit of hindsight, I should have done the roof before the transfers, or at least covered the transfers with paper before applying the masking tape.

I will probably remove the remaining transfers (thinners/T-Cut) and apply some more before varnishing and trying to blend in some new weathering. But that is a job for the 'one day when I am really bored' list.

[Squirrel Rail]

That’s a right sod when it happens- even with low tack tape it can still occur. Good luck with the rest of it!

Edited July 31, 2020 by Squirrel Rail
Word missed out!

[Torper]

For modelling purposes I'd suggest Tamiya masking tape. It's not infallible but it's more suitable for delicate tasks than ordinary decorators tape.

 

DT

[Mick Bonwick]

When airbrushing a roof you don't necessarily have to mask off the sides. If you cut a length of 1mm board to a width slightly greater than the height of the side  and longer than the coach, it can be propped against the side while you spray. It is heavy enough to not be moved by the air flow.

[drgj]

You can unclip the roof and windows from the body by pressing the latter in slightly. They act as clips for the roof.

 

Dave

[9C85]

 

I have spent this evening removing the remainder of the 'masking tape removed' transfers from my repainted GUV and re-applying some Newspapers transfers to it. It's the one on the right in the photo.  While I was at it, I thought I would apply Newspapers transfers to one side of my other GUV  (the other side is Express Parcels). I found it less stressful this time - probably because I was buoyed with confidence after replacing a leaking trap from under the bathroom sink

I have watched several YouTube videos on the subject and what finally dawned on me tonight is that if you add water to a transfer, you can get it to slide again into the correct position - you would think that they would put that feature into the product name? 

I have a Lima GUV in fictional Theakston's livery on its way to me now. It will be another member of my Newspapers fleet but I have run out of Newspapers transfers for the moment, so it will just have decals on the right hand side. 

For the two GUVS pictured, I need to varnish the transfers and apply a bit more weathering to blend them in.  As a previous comment said, I am lucky that there probably isn't a level of grime that could be classed as 'too much' for 1980s parcels/newspaper stock.

[9C85]

Yet another setback.  I was really pleased with the placement and application of the transfers I did tonight  I gave them a light coat of Testors Dullcote and it looked good.  I waited about half an hour to give another coat before wrapping up for the day. I don't know if I applied the second coat too soon but I noticed the Newspapers transfer on the previously Express Parcels van was lifting slightly.  When I tried to fix it back down with a cocktail stick, it moved and scrunched up so much that it was impossible to put right.  I ended up just scraping it off.

The other decals look OK so it will still pass as a Newspapers van but I would like at least half of the stock in the Newspapers train I am putting together  (which will be 6 coaches) to have the appropriate branding. 

 

Edited August 4, 2020 by 9C85

[9C85]

The latest mini project for the layout. Nine quid off ebay 

[9C85]

And another one for the works.  This one cost a tenner.

 

[9C85]

On 04/08/2020 at 08:24, drgj said:

You can unclip the roof and windows from the body by pressing the latter in slightly. They act as clips for the roof.

 

Dave

 

I was halfway through masking up my two latest acquisitions when I remembered your tip. I thought I would give it a try.

I am always wary of breaking things by pressing in the wrong place.  Eventually, one of the windows on the Theakston's coach budged and a gap appeared on the roof line.  A bit more gentle persuasion and the roof came off. Now I know that the windows are one piece, I would be a lot more confident to do it again. 

As a comparison, it took about half an hour to mask all the windows on the left hand coach, and about 5 minutes for the Theakston's model.

Thanks again for the tip.

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Try some Shawplan Laserglaze on the yellow one you'll not look back.

 

Mike.

[JDW]

Some nice work here @9C85. For first attempts they are pretty impressive. Painting is something I never enjoyed, and still find hard, but like you have taken to giving things a go and seeing where it leads. Your approach has worked well, making small improvements to things that don't cost the earth is a good way to start. I started with things like tidying up the livery on some Hornby 142s, and a simple repaint of a Bachmann 158 into WYPTE version of Northern Spirit colours (by cheating and using the Transpennine one, so I could just follow the lines of the original livery). 

 

I'm working on the original Northern 156 now, in lilac and white. It's a more complex livery but by breaking it down into simple bits it becomes much less daunting. I don't have the patience for an airbrush so have used aerosols so far, and results have been variable, but that probably has as much to do with me as with the can.

 

Answering your original question about priming (a bit late I know!) definitely, always prime. I had a disaster recently where I thought I'd get away without it, the surface was clean, and plain white plastic. As soon as the paint hit, it was obvious I should have primed, and I ended up rubbing it down and starting again. 

 

As someone else said already, good masking tape is a very good investment, and has paid dividends. I second Tamiya, it's not too expensive and is very easy to use. Make sure it is neat, and properly pressed down especially around rasied detail, use the back of a blade or your fingernail to get into the corners, and try not to spray towards it so the paint is driven underneath - preparation is key, as the saying goes!

 

Looking forward to seeing more of your scruffy parcels vans emerge from the workshop...

[9C85]

Thanks @JDW. I have had to let the layout take a bit of a back seat over the past few weeks, which has probably been a good thing, as it has allowed me to appreciate what I have done so far.  Without trying to sound smug, the whole thing is looking way better than I expected it to turn out. This is undoubtedly due to the help and information I have found on this forum.

[9C85]

On 25/08/2020 at 18:46, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Try some Shawplan Laserglaze on the yellow one you'll not look back.

 

Mike.

I have emailed Brian at shawplan this morning  but no reply as yet. I used the email address link on the website, if that is still correct?

[9C85]

OK... Wheels. The blue GUV I recently purchased is still fitted with Lima Pizza cutters.  I had 4 axles of Peter's Spares 12mm Lima replacement axles which I used on the Theakston's coach.  I have tried Peter's Spares again but they are temporarily out of stock.  Anybody know how long 'temporarily ' can be for these wheelsets?

I have just seen some Hornby 12.6mm wheelsets advertised, but I am sure that I have read that their axles will be too long for the Lima bogies?

I could always shell out again for the Bachmann Mk1 bogies that I used on my first conversion, but I am trying to keep costs down.

Any suggestions? For me, more stock from Peter's Spares would be my preferred solution. 

[9C85]

3 hours ago, 9C85 said:

I have emailed Brian at shawplan this morning  but no reply as yet. I used the email address link on the website, if that is still correct?

Reply received. Laserglaze ordered 

[Enterprisingwestern]

11 hours ago, 9C85 said:

OK... Wheels. The blue GUV I recently purchased is still fitted with Lima Pizza cutters.  I had 4 axles of Peter's Spares 12mm Lima replacement axles which I used on the Theakston's coach.  I have tried Peter's Spares again but they are temporarily out of stock.  Anybody know how long 'temporarily ' can be for these wheelsets?

I have just seen some Hornby 12.6mm wheelsets advertised, but I am sure that I have read that their axles will be too long for the Lima bogies?

I could always shell out again for the Bachmann Mk1 bogies that I used on my first conversion, but I am trying to keep costs down.

Any suggestions? For me, more stock from Peter's Spares would be my preferred solution. 

 

Alan Gibson does wheels on oddball Lima axle lengths.

 

Mike.

[Enterprisingwestern]

9 hours ago, 9C85 said:

Reply received. Laserglaze ordered 

 

If you need any assistance/guidance installing it just ask.

 

Mike.

[9C85]

On 28/08/2020 at 06:44, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

If you need any assistance/guidance installing it just ask.

 

Mike.

Hello Mike  . I received the laserglaze today. I have tried a test fit of one of the large windows and it fits a treat. The instructions recommend 'deluxe materials glue and glaze', which I don't have at present.  I have their card glue, and some liquid poly. I suspect neither are appropriate? Any suggestions, or should I  just get the glue and glaze? Thanks

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Glad you like it.

I use Glue and Glaze since it became available, but I have also used matt and gloss varnish, diluted PVA and canopy glue, you just need to use something non aggressive, and very little of it at that, and run it in at the rear of the glazing inside the coach.

Don't forget to blacken the edges of the glazing with a marker pen to eradicate the possibility of a prismatic effect.

Beware though, when you see how good one piece of rolling stock looks it's a slippery slope!

 

Mike.

 

[9C85]

Glue and glaze on order.

 

Thanks again.