I think that the problem is that we don't paint things regularly enough to become as proficient at it as we do in other modelling disciplines like soldering. I am sure that practice really does help in this sort of thing.
Hi Rob, true, but also a dust free, ventilated environment is also an issue to many of us amateurs, most of my paint spraying of buildings I do outside or in an open part of my shed which I use as the 'garden shed' and contains a chunky old workbench so I can work next to an open door. That does limit when I can do it, I can just about get away with it down to 8C but some paints will also be affected by humidity too. All my buildings so far have mostly been painted with rattle can acrylic primers as the top coats and they dry very quickly, I have also used some rattle can artists acrylic sprays too, but when it come to detail work including wagon weathering (eventually, don't know where the time goes) I have a bought a small spray booth and airbrushing gear which I will use indoors, vented to the outside. When I buy any gear (including a lathe, mill, 3D printer) it can take a year or so before I start using it, manufacturers guarantees almost always exceeded before I do, at least buying what appears to be a decent grade of equipment has mitigated the risk so far. I plan too far ahead Jim
You may remember I was Finishing the LMS 2P. Well not having any BR early emblems. For the lined one is was doing. I found on a different forum that 40700 ran with the later emblems which I have got. Now having been lined I rubbed down the lining as best I could. Well, I went to paint the 2P, but before starting I decided to sort out the loose step. Doing which I managed to drop it onto the buffer beam, only about 6 inches but enough to need straightening. Having got it all fixed. I needed to get more ready for painting. I think I went a little to far. At least now I know I'm going to get a better finish than I was probably would patch painting.
Easter here starts Thursday end on Sunday. So from now until Monday no model making. Not sure why we came here, not a railway or locomotive to be seen, from the hotel balcony, just ocean, and coconut groves. Feliz Páscoa Happy Easter.
Lovely work Peter. You have more skill and patience than I. Nice view from your hotel balcony. Sometimes we just need to get away.... Cheers, Gary.
With that's been going on, and going away for Easter. I had forgotten that I'd given the 2P a cost of primer. Hopefully a bit of filling and a coat of red on the buffer beams.
Having to remake so much of the 2P kit. There was room for errors. But as you can see from the photo, you need to pay attention to which way you put parts together, when using scraps of etch frets. I thought when I did it I could fill it and be done with it. Which is fine not realising at the time I'd be doing it more than once. I did a bit of filling, then paint the buffer planks, which are still drying, after 3 days. I might do as I did last time I had this problem, give them another coat of a different red, which seemed to work and dry normally. It's really a pain as I hoped to be putting transfers on over the weekend not waiting to paint it black.
Just admiring your work Peter, very impressive. Could you tell me where you got the transfers from please as they look first class. Rgds Keith
Thank you. Transfers, well I mainly use HMRS Pressfix. I also like methfix. Sometimes I will use Fox if it's a one off. I do sometimes get frustrated with the HMRS ones, in so much that they don't cover a lot of lettering. For instance on SR brake compartments, there is a yellow ( to carry xtons evenly distributed) but it's not on their SR carriage sheet. I also think there carriage door wording is a little large as they do not always fit within the beading. First, third, and guard seem to vary but luggage always seems long. The K3 has HMRS Pressfix, the early RR R1 class had water slide of unknown origin. They were very nice though
As I said before the interior was only going to be basic. I also added the window bars. There are some white metal packers with slots in, to line everything up. So me being me I got some 0.8 wire cut up all I needed, only to find they didn't fit. So got some 0.7, cut one, still didn't fit. 0.5 yippee cut all and used gel, super glue. Having a few extra spare minutes I painted the vacuum pipes.
Back to paint problems, you may remember the K3 roof was white, well I masked up the centre section, sprayed the eaves brown. Peeled the tape off and a few spots of white paint. So when dry I sanded these down, they did become quite large but not enough to worry me. I masked up the brown, a light dust of etching primer. Bingo the white crazed in one place. So sanded that back, and the primer on the naked brass next to it peeled right off. Sanded it down again, used some non etching primer, every thing crackled. Right I thought I'll cure this, out with the thinners, the old white and new primer came off with ease. Would the brown which is over the same white, come off no. 1 hour wasted picking and scratching at it, so what made the paint here so resistant to thinners? Well this is where we are now. Paint off, sanded all over washed with detergent. When dry will wash with thinners, and spray with primer again.
The roof is done, now just needs to cure for a while before I give it a coat of varnish. Then I can put it all back together.
This build reminds me of my 4f , the difference being...... I did not persevere when I hit issues. ..... it's still there. It's good to see the work arounds where things did not quite fit ...... and ...... I'm sure that your competitor would agree that it's what all this is about. Not just building a kit but overcoming the things that are thrown up on the way ....... excellent. Keep up the good work Sir Toto
Thanks. That's where it's nice that we are all different. I get board near the end of a build, sometimes with straight forward ones I seem to get bored sooner. My first loco build was a scratch built Ivatt 4mt.
Thanks. It's been fun. I've always shied away from coaching stock. But I think I was afraid of painting not the building.
Finally the buffer planks dried, so after some masking the airbrush came out, mixed up some paint and thinners. I must say that I'm glad I started again rather than trying to patch paint. A few days I'll get the transfers done. So maybe on Tuesday I can do the varnishing. First off some shots of the tender. This looks so much better than the first time around. Next up the loco. I have noticed I didn't take the masking off lift weights and weigh shaft. Again much better than a patch paint job. I still have a little work to do, pickups etc. But I feel I've finally broken the back of the project.
I think that's about it for this. I know it's probably not 100% authentic, but, I like it. Even so it is not for me. Back to putting the LMS 2P back together.