Painting my Special Tank at last

[bluestag]

I am ready to paint my LNWR Special Tank.   It has been running for nearly a year, and has plenty of finger grease on it, will need to clean it up a fair bit.   But the brass is pretty bright.

 

It is an out of production Eric Underhill kit.   I think he stopped production 25 years ago.   I got it off ebay for a comparative song: 330 pounds for a kit with wheels motor and gears is cheap for a 7mm tank engine.   I was prepared to pay silly money for it, but I got very lucky.

 

I now replace the steel worms in my gear boxes with nylon.   My 4' shunter sounded like a coffee grinder until I did.   They come from Ultrascale.

 

Here it is posed with the 4" shunter, which I painted with a rattle can a year ago.   The chassis is finished, although being all black does not read well.   I'll try my luck with my new Iwata air brush.   I think Humbrol satin black, livened up a bit with a good splash of red to attempt "blackberry black" is called for.   I''ll spray some bean cans first.   Actually, I follow the whole regime that I intend for the Special Tank: wash with liquid soap.   Possibly wash with a bathroom cleaner in a spray bottle meant to clean tile.   Wash again with alcohol, paint with a rattle can of automotive etching primer, and then spray with the air brush.

 

Any advice on cleaning or spraying would be appreciated.

 

 

[101]

That looks like a real multimedia kit.

Personally I always wash with Viakal - the liquid in a bottle rather than the spray -  and give it a scrub with a toothbrush before rinsing with water. As for priming I just use halfords primer, on both brass and resin, and have not had any problems , but whether or not etch primer is better I have no idea 

[brossard]

The rattle can black looks good on the 0-4-0.  I will use rattle can colour if the model is to be a basic colour (after priming of course).  The advice I have is to let the primer cure at least overnight before applying the final coat.

 

Will you be weathering?  Airbrush is ideal for that.

 

John

[bluestag]

7 minutes ago, brossard said:

The rattle can black looks good on the 0-4-0.  I will use rattle can colour if the model is to be a basic colour (after priming of course).  The advice I have is to let the primer cure at least overnight before applying the final coat.

 

Will you be weathering?  Airbrush is ideal for that.

 

John

John,

 

I have yet to weather anything, much less airbrush anything.   I will definitely allow the primer to cure before I paint the model.

[bluestag]

32 minutes ago, 101 said:

That looks like a real multimedia kit.

 

Yes, Eric was famous for his use of resin.    Just about everything on the model that could be resin, is resin.   It is surprisingly heavy.   The 4" shunter has a resin saddle tank and boiler, and can pull about 11 wagons.

[doilum]

After such a long time the white metal parts might benefit from some attention with a fibreglass pencil. Then immediate wash and paint.

[bluestag]

20 minutes ago, doilum said:

After such a long time the white metal parts might benefit from some attention with a fibreglass pencil. Then immediate wash and paint.

You may have a point there.   One concern that I have read is that the fiberglass pens shed, and while it may not be too easy to spot on a nude model, it will surely appear under paint.    Meaning that cleaning thoroughly is essential.

 

K

[daifly]

9 hours ago, bluestag said:

It is an out of production Eric Underhill kit.   I think he stopped production 25 years ago.   I got it off ebay for a comparative song: 330 pounds for a kit with wheels motor and gears is cheap for a 7mm tank engine.   I was prepared to pay silly money for it, but I got very lucky.

The Eric Underhill kits found their way into the ABS Zero Zephyrs range. The ABS-owned kit ranges including Classic Commercials, Zero Zephyrs and the 43two1 kits are now with David Parkins. Some items of purchased stock are for sale but the rest of the range will take a while to be reintroduced. Not all of the Zero Zephyrs range is being reintroduced. It looks as if the majority of kits containing resin parts are excluded.

Dave

Edited October 27, 2021 by daifly

[101]

1 hour ago, daifly said:

The Eric Underhill kits found their way into the ABS Zero Zephyrs range. The ABS-owned kit ranges including Classic Commercials, Zero Zephyrs and the 43two1 kits are now with David Parkins. Some items of purchased stock are for sale but the rest of the range will take a while to be reintroduced. Not all of the Zero Zephyrs range is being reintroduced. It looks as if the majority of kits containing resin parts are excluded.

Dave

 

Nice to see the ABS kits have resurfaced, seeing that I'm tempted now to get a couple more. White metal might be a little dated now compared with newer kits but Adrian made some lovely castings - apart from the buffer heads!

[bluestag]

Getting very close.   I've painted a dozen tin cans, and am now regularly getting a good finish.    Found I was too far off with the rattle can self etch primer.   Come int to about 3" and I get a smooth finish, and if I am quick as I pass over the work, I have not been getting sags.   The same with the air brush, work 2 or 3" from the can, and I have been getting very good finishes.

 

Still I'm afraid of the loco itself.   It has nooks and crannies that look to be hard to fill.    Especially the gap between the chimney and front of the saddle tank.    It is an irreplaceable model...   But I need to move forward.    Any advise welcome.   I'll be painting this week.  Waiting for warmer weather.   I should have painted it in the summer, with 100 degree (f) heat.

 

Kevin

 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by bluestag
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[doilum]

Having shaken the rattle can within an inch of it's life place it in a pan of hot (not boiling) water. After a minute, shake again noting how much cooler it is and replace in hot water. Dry off can and use immediately. A hairdrier can be used to raise the surface temperature of the loco prior to painting. Ideally it is a summer job but a heat lamp will quickly take your makeshift paint shop into the mid thirties. Centigrade.

[bluestag]

54 minutes ago, doilum said:

Having shaken the rattle can within an inch of it's life place it in a pan of hot (not boiling) water. After a minute, shake again noting how much cooler it is and replace in hot water. Dry off can and use immediately. A hairdrier can be used to raise the surface temperature of the loco prior to painting. Ideally it is a summer job but a heat lamp will quickly take your makeshift paint shop into the mid thirties. Centigrade.

Thanks.

 

It should be in the mid 80s f on Friday.   It's in the 60s today...

[Nearholmer]

This may be a completely unwelcome suggestion, but have you considered brush painting, only spraying a light matt or satin varnish coat at the end?

 

It strikes me that all those nooks and crannies would be easier to deal with by brushwork.

[bluestag]

44 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

This may be a completely unwelcome suggestion, but have you considered brush painting, only spraying a light matt or satin varnish coat at the end?

 

It strikes me that all those nooks and crannies would be easier to deal with by brushwork.

Brush painting will not give nearly as good a finish compared to my airbrush.   I have achieved very nice results from it on tin cans.   It will do an equally good job on the cab side and saddle tank.   That said, I am expecting to need to go in with a brush for some of the nooks and crannies.   Especially the space between the chimney and saddle tank.

 

So, some of one, some of the other.

 

Onward and upward,

Kevin

[doilum]

I forgot to recommend the use of a lazy Susan. This should lift the subject around six inches or so above the bench and allow a variety of spray angles. The Susan rotates the subject without touching.

I always try to remember to paint the underside first otherwise the overspray from this task can ruin that perfect finish on the top side.

To avoid domestic strife, Susan can be made from a circle of plywood pivoting on a sturdy base.

[bluestag]

23 hours ago, doilum said:

I forgot to recommend the use of a lazy Susan. This should lift the subject around six inches or so above the bench and allow a variety of spray angles. The Susan rotates the subject without touching.

I always try to remember to paint the underside first otherwise the overspray from this task can ruin that perfect finish on the top side.

To avoid domestic strife, Susan can be made from a circle of plywood pivoting on a sturdy base.

I built this stand to hold the body.   It fits on the bolts that hold it to the chassis.    I expect to be able to get any angle on the loco with it.

 

I'll paint the underside first, and allow that to dry for a few hours, the  mount it on the stand.

 

I just finished cleaning the body.    I have a small air blaster made by Passche.  It cleans only tiny areas, but it blasts tarnish off brass pretty well.    There are a number of small brass operating rods on this loco that would never stand up to being brushed with a glass fiber brush.   But I did clean anything solid with the glass brush, especially the edge of the footplate and the valance, as these are liable to chipping and wear in normal service.

 

Then a spray with some shower tile cleaner, which removed almost all the grime and grease.   Brushed on with a paint brush.   And some toilet bowl cleaner.   Without bleach, if you care about your clothes.   It is quite corrosive, I wear safety goggles and rubber gloves.

 

All this over a large colander, this over a tub, in the sink.    One needs to dump the water frequently, as one does not want to mix chemicals, you have no idea what sort of vapors that can produce.    But before dumping the water, the model is closely inspected to see if any of the detail parts have fallen off.   Blissfully none did.

 

So tomorrow the acid etch primer paint is going to be blown on.   This is the step that concerns me most, as it is a rattle can.   I have found that I need to get in close to get a good flow and avoid a dry sand paper finish.   But one MUST NOT tarry on the loco, or sags will result.    And what the hell I would do in that event is beyond me.

 

Friday the top coat, or first coat of the top coat, goes on.   I'm much less concerned about that, as I find the air brush much easier to control.

 

I wish I could get Precision's self etch primer for air brushes.    It looks a LOT easier to control.   But the post office will not accept it.

 

Oh well, onward and upward.

Kevin

[bluestag]

Ready for primer, then primered.

 

 

[Guest WM183]

The stand is a good idea! I Tend to use a stick with some poster-tack stuff on it to hold models while I prime and paint them. This is certainly more secure!

Amanda

[bluestag]

27 minutes ago, WM183 said:

The stand is a good idea! I Tend to use a stick with some poster-tack stuff on it to hold models while I prime and paint them. This is certainly more secure!

Amanda

Yes, I pick it up and move it all around.    I just finished the first coat of paint, and have found two thin areas, so I'll spray it again in a few hours.   I intend to line it with Fox transfers, hopefully I'll manage it ok.    It worries me.    The valance should be lined.   I don't know that the Fox transfers are thin enough to fit.    And the splashers should be lined.    How I'm going to do that is anyone's guess.     If I had traced the splashers before folding them up, I would have a pattern to make home made transfers.    I'll be looking thru my wife's art tools to see if she has a circle set: a series of holes in a sheet of plastic.   Possibly I can work with that.

 

Onward and upward.

Kevin

[bluestag]

Now it is black.   The finish is not as smooth as I had hoped, but it is not bad. 

 

Onward and upward.

[doilum]

Looking good. No need to rush, let it have a few days to harden properly before attempting the lining. The Fox lining should be ok but can be very delicate. Look on Amazon for microsol and microset to make life easier. Once dry, have the varnish ready!

[Guest WM183]

You could try lining by bow pen... if you're a masochist. Seriously, it looks great! Let the paint harden for 48 hours if the house is warm, and a bit longer if it isn't. Nothing spoils a paint scheme faster than adding new layers of solvents - often of differing types - over previous layers that haven't cured completely!

Amanda

[bluestag]

On 06/11/2021 at 05:51, WM183 said:

You could try lining by bow pen... if you're a masochist. Seriously, it looks great! Let the paint harden for 48 hours if the house is warm, and a bit longer if it isn't. Nothing spoils a paint scheme faster than adding new layers of solvents - often of differing types - over previous layers that haven't cured completely!

Amanda

I have several bow pens, including one professionally sharpened.   It draws like a dream.   I have a nice compass bow pen that draws reasonably fine lines.    I may send it to get it shaped, to improve its performance. 

 

I have never used any of them, but I have coaches built that need painting and lining...

[Guest WM183]

Do it! I line with thinned Humbrol enamels. Theyre nicely removable with a cotton bud and a bit of mineral spirit should you mess up. Its fun to do, too!

[bluestag]

I was relating how this is a rare out of production kit.

 

Looks as if it is back in production!

 

https://cspmodels.com/abante/index.php?rt=product/product&path=70&product_id=292