Freight car projects

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I presume the final step is an overspray of clear matte?

I use Clear Matte; others like Dull Coat or yet other stuff. I get a rattle can of Clear Matte and I'm good for a long time as long as I never use it inside the house. Even with the exhaust system, it's pungent and SWMBO'd knows it's been used immediately.

[bob turner]

Got the Krylon Popsicle Orange rattle can in the mail. Coated the ice cars with white primer, then proceeded with the Krylon.

So far, not happy. The orange comes out transparent, has a tendency to run even with very light coats, takes well over 15 hours to dry in 80 degree heat, and is still blotchy after six coats.

The only saving grace is that it is indeed glossy, and the color is close to what I want.

Krylon used to be the rattle can standard. I remember using it in the early 1960s - quick dry, great for model airplanes covered with tissue paper, good color choices. Spray patterns were good, and coverage was immediate, even for yellows.

I suppose it is back to Dupli-Color for me - with Krylon hitting eight bucks a can, and Duplicolor close to $16 for a smaller can, it is still way more economical than model paints through the Paasche.

And yeah on the matte finish. You really have to be careful with this step - I did a beautiful Scale Coat job on a PRR T1, with all those nice decal stripes, and hit it with Scale Coat clear. The clear coat attacked my beautiful glossy Brunswick! Ancient history . . .

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Got the Krylon Popsicle Orange rattle can in the mail. Coated the ice cars with white primer, then proceeded with the Krylon.

So far, not happy. The orange comes out transparent, has a tendency to run even with very light coats, takes well over 15 hours to dry in 80 degree heat, and is still blotchy after six coats.

Other than the dry time, not surprising. Exceedingly hard to find orange/yellow paint colors that actually cover well - have not touched a Krylon can in many years. Seems more solvent than paint in that can,

And yeah on the matte finish. You really have to be careful with this step - I did a beautiful Scale Coat job on a PRR T1, with all those nice decal stripes, and hit it with Scale Coat clear. The clear coat attacked my beautiful glossy Brunswick! Ancient history . . .

Oh, Matte Clear from a rattle can can do that; no one can even get Scale Coat clear so nothing there.... But this also seems very much dependent on how heavy you apply it. Very light sprays....

[sarge]

I suppose it is back to Dupli-Color for me - with Krylon hitting eight bucks a can, and Duplicolor close to $16 for a smaller can, it is still way more economical than model paints through the Paasche.

I'm not convinced that's true anymore, either. I'd bet I can shoot at least half-a-dozen of those cars with a nice opaque finish with one jar of Trucolor through a Binks Wren, and with a lot more control over what comes out the front. Still, to each their own! GRIN!

[Dennis Holler]

I think I have a binks touch up gun… but I would have to find it lmao

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I'm not convinced that's true anymore, either. I'd bet I can shoot at least half-a-dozen of those cars with a nice opaque finish with one jar of Trucolor through a Binks Wren, and with a lot more control over what comes out the front. Still, to each their own! GRIN!

That's a lot of cars for an ounce of paint. I don't think I ever got that kind of coverage with Floquil or ScaleCoat using my airbrush. I need a new compressor, too.....

[bob turner]

Well, yes and no. My experience was I could get quite a few pieces of rolling stock satisfactorily coated with Scale Coat out of the Paasche. Floquil - not so much - maybe two or three.

I would try the new stuff, but shipping is daunting, and no local hobby stores seem to stock it.

Binks? Yep, I have a model 37 Binks, a Model 18 De Vilbiss, and a complete HVLP setup by Croix, and another called a "Citation" with an additional air source for my mask. Being a Piper Cub and Stearman guy, I spray a lot of yellow. It always requires a base coat of white, and two color coats are usually adequate.
My airbrush compressor is a Bell & Gossett single piston oil-less deal that I have been using for 64 years! Still does just fine.

This Krylon took eight coats over white. I just put the last coat on. Two cars. The can is still full.

Yes, I will try TruColor soon. Not this week. If it is as good as they say, I will be kicking myself for not trying it sooner.

[bob turner]

By the way, I have to log in each time I make a post. I did about four posts in a row over on three rail, and between each I had to again log in. Thankfully, some digital entity out there knows how to do it with a couple keystrokes.

The Popsicle Orange experiment failed. After all eight coatings were on and even, a comparison says that Popsicle is too pastel, with a hint of pink.
The old Lobaugh color is very sharp, if I can describe yellow-orange that way. It has not a hint of pink or pastel. Popsicle could be close, with some judicious weathering, but I am going to try Milwaukee Orange Scale Coat II. Hopefully it will thin with lacquer thinner.

And yeah, I will get a photo before I shoot the new color.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Yet another reefer......fun stuff to build!

[sarge]

I'm not convinced that's true anymore, either. I'd bet I can shoot at least half-a-dozen of those cars with a nice opaque finish with one jar of Trucolor through a Binks Wren, and with a lot more control over what comes out the front. Still, to each their own! GRIN!

That's a lot of cars for an ounce of paint. I don't think I ever got that kind of coverage with Floquil or ScaleCoat using my airbrush. I need a new compressor, too.....

I don't think I'm exaggerating much if at all. So much of a rattle can''s weight is the pressure vessel full of mostly propellant. What paint might actually be in it then is mostly wasted overspray given the rather broad (and uncontrollable) nozzle pattern. I'm pretty comfortable with the at least the notion of more coverage for my money if not that half-dozen number.

I'm counting sides, ends, and roof in yellow/orange. The underneath I'm not figuring in as I'd do in black, everything primed in light grey. I'm also not taking into account I am in control of the colour as I can mix bottled paint.

Something to think about, anyway. Again, to each their own.

BTW, for those unfamiliar with a Binks Wren (but knowing their range of sprayguns for automotive use), a Wren is a single-action external mix airbrush with similar behaviour to a Paasche H. I only mentioned it because that's what I have in use here. I can't imagine a Paasche would get any less out of a jar.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I'm not convinced that's true anymore, either. I'd bet I can shoot at least half-a-dozen of those cars with a nice opaque finish with one jar of Trucolor through a Binks Wren, and with a lot more control over what comes out the front. Still, to each their own! GRIN!

That's a lot of cars for an ounce of paint. I don't think I ever got that kind of coverage with Floquil or ScaleCoat using my airbrush. I need a new compressor, too.....

I don't think I'm exaggerating much if at all.

Neither am I. I've killed a bottle of Floquil with maybe 3 cars. I can recall that being less once on a day filled with frustration, colorful & creative language, and a lot of wasted resources.

So much of a rattle can''s weight is the pressure vessel full of mostly propellant. What paint might actually be in it then is mostly wasted overspray given the rather broad (and uncontrollable) nozzle pattern.

Not found that to be that big an issue at all. Pretty tight on spray pattern working in controlled space in driveway. Very little off the model at all onto backdrop. That AN combine was a 3 color rattle can job. Some masking off and very quickly done. Generally a matter of seconds and out. 20 min in the 90+ day sun and it's done! Overcooking in the sun is not recommended,

I'm counting sides, ends, and roof in yellow/orange. The underneath I'm not figuring in as I'd do in black, everything primed in light grey. I'm also not taking into account I am in control of the colour as I can mix bottled paint.

I do all that I can to avoid the yellow/orange family of paints, I have too much aggravation in my life already. Today was mounting corner shelving units in my office for a pair of JBL speakers to tie into the stereo next door; next feat of prestidigitation will be to tie computer sound output into the stereo. Tomorrow's fun is finishing up the little walnut rocker for upholstery.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

One more reefer and then it's off to..........

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Not reefers.......but sort of related as these were iced... Wabash Valley kits albeit considerably modified and upgraded.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I have way too many tank cars, but they are fun....KWR car from Occupied Japan

[Rufus T. Firefly]

More fun tank cars.....Rail Craft flats with tanks of electrical conduit, with Scale City domes and Backshop ends....