Hey John, & Jeff, & everyone who is interested,
Repainting "mucked up" AF Diecast locos isn't really hard. Touching them
up isn't either! So, first decide if the loco is so bad it needs repaint, or
is it just nicked here and there at the high spots, or maybe just the pilot,
or cylinders. (the 290 and later 30x locos with one-piece shells don't count
on this trick). The removable piece can be completely repainted, and if you
match close enough, will look just fine. I have also been known to repaint a
boiler, except for the area around the cab number, if the original numbers
are very legible.
OK, HOW?? you ask. Hmm, if I told you, I'd have to dump you from this
system! ;-)
I use various paints, and as has been noted, ACG black isn't
"black"--but few paint blacks are! This has been a long-term discussion over
on the Model T Ford forum for some time. I have found that USUALLY the
Krylon Semi-Gloss Black works well (and I can't find a can right now to
quote the paint number). Paint color varies from batch to batch, even in
today's computer color-matched world, so your results may vary! Don't forget
to really shake up the can, the "de-glossing" ingredient likes to settle
out. This is fine for complete, or partial, re-finishing. For touch-up, I
sometimes spray it into a container, and use the liquid and a fine brush, or
even a broom straw for touch-up. I also sometimes use Floquil, or similar
model paints, if I find a good match. The touch up process takes patience;
you are trying to fill a "divot" in the paint. You won't fill it all in one
"touch" so you go around an area, a little daub at a time, and go back over
when it is dry. The new paint can liquefy the old, so you just touch it in,
very carefully. Magnification here is NOT cheating, IMHO--it's a necessity!
;-) I have a 314AW that had the measles on one side, it's a pretty good
display piece now, until you get out the magnifiers. That's one loco I
didn't want to repaint!
Another consideration is your childhood loco. Most of those dings are
part of a memory, no doubt. Do you really want to remove them? I doubt there
is a right or wrong here, just a personal call.
OK, back to refinishing tricks. Yes, stripping is best. If you have
access to one, a glass bead cabinet with worn beads and low pressure is
wonderful. Most of us don't have such access, so we strip! (alright, who
brought in the poles--That's NOT what I'm talking about!) For some reason,
brake fluid is still thought of as appropriate. Maybe because it is CHEAP!
(and I am definitely CHEAP!), but the other products are so much better. The
die-cast metal probably doesn't absorb the fluid like the plastic pieces do,
but I don't like the problems it causes. (go ahead, strip a piece with it,
clean it, don't paint it, and then smell it a week later, do you still
detect brake fluid? Ah HA!). Paint strippers are safe on the metal parts,
and there are plastic paint strippers for plastic pieces, expensive, but
much safer than our home-made stuff.
Cleanliness is absolute when painting, your hands transfer oils to the
part, so don't handle them unless you have rubber gloves on. You CAN get
used to the feel of the gloves. Paint solvents are absorbed through the
skin, and especially the eyes. A wise person protects themselves (nope, I'm
not a wise person, that's why my hands bother me, and might be why I forget
stuff I shouldn't--20+ years of painting under less-than-ideal
conditions--so do as I say, not as I did!). Use your old toothbrushes to get
into nooks and crannies where old paint and dirt likes to stay.
The question came up on priming. If you are just painting the black on,
you may have good results without primer, but you can prime first with a
compatible primer. Any goofs you do in the primer will show in the finish,
so be careful. You can sand the goofs out, and you can use the primer to
fill minor imperfections, if needed. You can also use a filler to fill in
corroded areas. Be sure to let it dry completely before sanding, shaping or
repainting.
Of course, I am assuming you have stripped the boiler shell of all
parts, like bells, handrails etc. You might want to make a chart of where
the parts go, if you haven't done much of this before, or don't have another
loco to compare yours to.
Renumbering is done in at least two ways, decals/transfers or rubber
stamps. I wish I had a trick for the rubber stamps, I'm still playing around
with them. Properly done, they should duplicate the factory jobs (which,
sometimes, weren't all that great!). With decals or dry transfers, I put a
clear coat over them to protect them. There are any number of products for
this. If you don't have an airbrush, you can use a satin acrylic clear spray
can. Apply in very light coats so you don't lift the existing paint!
I would suggest practicing on a beat up junker shell before attacking
one's pride an joy. Lots of these shells at train meets--you can even
practice on an old "L" shell!!
As for broken pilots on a 290, etc. the unbroken shells are common
enough that you usually just replace the entire shell. If it's your
childhood one, keep the memory!
Off to work, hope to be around for Chat Sunday!
S'
David D.
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