Printed lettering removal

[Dan Griffin]

I have a Hornby p2 from the train set and woukd like to remove the lettering and numbers so i can add better transfers . What would be the best way to remove the printed ones. Or should i leave them and lay the transfers over the top? Thanks in advance.

[The Johnster]

Plenty of advice on this subject in Skills and Knowledge Centre Painting, Weathering, and Transfers, Dan, though maybe not specifically about Hornby P2s.  Information about any recent Hornby product should be relevant, though.  I don't like the thought of you, or anyone, putting transfers over the top of existing printing; sounds like a recipe for bits of print showing beneath the transfers to me!

 

Basically, there are 2 ways of removing printing for renumbering or re-livery to a different period, and you need to do a bit of digging to find out which is most effective for Hornby.  One way is to gently scrape or rub the existing print off with a very mild abrasive and the other is to soak it in some sort of chemical so that it lifts off.  I keep old worn out tools because I find them useful for all sorts of things that they were not designed for originally, and worn out flat bladed watchmaker's screwdrivers with rounded and 'blunt' blades are very good for rubbing and lifting print without scratching or digging in to the plastic.

[Spitfire2865]

Ive used a polishing compound to clean off Hornby decals. It leaves a gloss finish, but if youre putting the new decals in the same spot, it saves using gloss varnish first.

[Daddyman]

I have a Hornby p2 from the train set and woukd like to remove the lettering and numbers so i can add better transfers . What would be the best way to remove the printed ones. Or should i leave them and lay the transfers over the top? Thanks in advance.

I think you'll get away with covering the printed letters and number with transfers in this case. It certainly worked on my father's Railroad D49, and on his Q6 - although, true, the latter was a different style of LNER lettering. 

[Dan Griffin]

Plenty of advice on this subject in Skills and Knowledge Centre Painting, Weathering, and Transfers, Dan, though maybe not specifically about Hornby P2s. Information about any recent Hornby product should be relevant, though. I don't like the thought of you, or anyone, putting transfers over the top of existing printing; sounds like a recipe for bits of print showing beneath the transfers to me!

 

Basically, there are 2 ways of removing printing for renumbering or re-livery to a different period, and you need to do a bit of digging to find out which is most effective for Hornby. One way is to gently scrape or rub the existing print off with a very mild abrasive and the other is to soak it in some sort of chemical so that it lifts off. I keep old worn out tools because I find them useful for all sorts of things that they were not designed for originally, and worn out flat bladed watchmaker's screwdrivers with rounded and 'blunt' blades are very good for rubbing and lifting print without scratching or digging in to the plastic.

 

Many thanks, i supposed there would be a topic on it but i use rmweb through an iphone and the search feature isnt allways the best.

 

I have read that T-cut can be used but it seems inhave to buy alot of fluid for a small job. Ill examine the blunt screw driver option

[Geep7]

I've found isopropyl alcohol applied with a cotton bud and then rubbed with the end of a cocktail stick seems to work for Bachmann locos, so I would imagine it will work the same for Hornby.

[micklner]

T cut or gently "stroke" the numbers with a No 10a Swan Morton blade, until the numbers are removed . You can go over the P2 numbers and letters as smaller than the shaded version.