What to paint and when

Painted the tender no great problem

Painted Horn plates and the 2 top bits seperately so will have to touch up bolts when I put them together

Painted front end, smoke box wheels etc

Painted block

I am now pondering at what stage to paint the cylinder cladding bound to get scratched but willl also tighten up when banding straps go on so will mark, can't paint it when straps are on cos it will be too fiddly to mask up straps. Bit of a catch 22 situation. Anyone got any advice?

Also previously bought precision paints single pack etch primer, not impressed, used it for top half of crankshaft bearing housings, couldn't get a good finish and it didn't seem to stay on very well. As PP say delivery 2 weeks and I wanted more primer and gloss went to maidstone engineering who do next day delivery, they no longer keep PPaints as they say they can sit on their shelves for years and go off. But they do do a aerosol etch primer at £18 per can, expensive but there is enough to complete the 2", so I ordered it (along with a 0.05 allen key for the adjuster on the accelerator, this was still too big though!) and they arrived next day. The etch primer is excellent and covers very well and when I last looked it appears to have stuck. The service from them when I ordered was excellent and I would recommend them to anyone.

Cheers

Alan

What are people doing about the boiler? Painting it or just letting the copper tarnish. I know the steel 4" boiler needs painting but given the problems with etch primer and painting the copper I'm wondering if it'll look tidier in the long run just tarnished? Thoughts?

WE ARE USING CRAFTMAN HIGH TEMP MATT BLACK 300, DOES SURFACE TEMP UP TO 300C, AS NAME SUGGESTS, AND CRAFTMAN ASSURE ME THAT IT 'STICKS' TO COPPER O.K. WITH GOOD SURFACE PREP. WE WILL SEE IN TIME.

REGARDS
BRUCE

I knew I should have read up more before I started painting.
I made the mistake of painting the tender using ordinary red primer, this is no problem for the steel parts and I totally ignored the fact that the top beadings were brass. As I had not assembled the unit untill I had sorted out when to paint the cleading I stored the other parts in a box, guess what, they knocked against each other and the black paint on the beading has chipped already.
I then decided to do it properly and strip the beads back to metal to start again and was suprised how easy the paint came off, (shouldn't have been really though if I had read up on it first)The top coat on the steel bits is as hard as nails though.
My problem now is that I have boxes of 'bits' (again) that are awaiting a nice warm day to paint, then line, before I assemble them.
This includes the cleading as I have decided to fit this as 2 pieces which means it will have to be fitted before the horn plates as I am not going to risk fitting it after the hornplates cos I'm bound to scratch it!

I cannot progress any further with new kits other than clean and finish, till I finish the painting. I am therefore envious of you that have done it properly, have a nicely painted 3/4 built model displayed on the site whereas I have a box of bits. I hate you all.

Alan

THERE, THERE AL.

WE ETCH PRIME EVERYTHING THESE DAYS FIRST, BE IT STEEL, BRASS, COPPER, ALLOY. WE HAVE USED TWO PACK ETCH, UNTIL RECENTLY, NOW FOR SMALLER STUFF (LIKE OUR ENGINE BITS) WE USE A UPOL ACID ETCH AEROSOL (MOTOR FACTORS, PAINT SUPPLIERS) IT'S ABOUT 13 QUID A POP, BUT LASTS FOR AGES. THEN PRIME (UPOL DO QUITE A NICE AEROSOL PRIMER TOO, BUT DOES NOT LAST TO LONG).

AL, CAREFULLY REMOVE THE 'LOOSE' PAINT FROM THE BEADING (MASK THE TENDER WEEL WHILE DOING IT, YOU WILL SLIP !!) , REMOVE MASKING CLEAN WITH A PANEL PREP, RE-MASK, ETCH PRIME FAIRLY LIGHTLY THEN TOP COAT, I GUESS BLACK. LEAVE THE INTER PRIME OUT IN THIS CASE. AS YOU DO NOT WANT TO MUCH 'BUILD UP', THE TOP OVER ETCH WILL BE FINE.

YOU SHOULD RECOVER THE SITUATION OK THEN. BEEN MAKING SPRAYING COCK UP'S SINCE I WAS 14 (NOW 50+) ANY IDIOT CAN MAKE 'EM, IT'S SORTING THEN THAT SETS YOU APART !!

I REALLY WOULD THINK TWICE ABOUT TRAPPING THE CLADDING WITH THE HORNPLATES, IN TWO OR THREE YEARS WHEN THE CLADDINGS LOOKING SAD, HOW YOU GOING TO RE-PAINT IT ?

HOPE THAT HELPS, CHIN UP
BUNGLE

Hi guys
I was painting up as I went along but in an bit of a bash I now have scraches and some bad damage.
So now letting it go and doing it at the end here are some pics .

so now do I tuch it all up or marsk it up ??

THE BEADING ON THE TENDER WOULD NORMALLY BE BLACK, SO YOU COULD LIGHTLY FLAT THE DAMAGED AREAS (MASKING TO PROTECT THE REST), CLEAN, RE-MASK AND PAINT BLACK, THIS WOULD LSOE THAT DAMAGE.

AS FOR THE TOP PIC, I CAN'T MAKE OUT WHAT PART IT IS, BUT DOES LOOK LIKE IT WOULD NEED COMPLETE FLATTING AND REPAINTING TO ME.

FIRST RULE IS DON'T PANIC, WE ALL COCK IT UP FROM TIME TO TIME !

HOPE THATS HELPS A LITTLE.

REGARDS
BUNGLE

BUNGLE wrote:THE BEADING ON THE TENDER WOULD NORMALLY BE BLACK, SO YOU COULD LIGHTLY FLAT THE DAMAGED AREAS (MASKING TO PROTECT THE REST), CLEAN, RE-MASK AND PAINT BLACK, THIS WOULD LSOE THAT DAMAGE.

AS FOR THE TOP PIC, I CAN'T MAKE OUT WHAT PART IT IS, BUT DOES LOOK LIKE IT WOULD NEED COMPLETE FLATTING AND REPAINTING TO ME.

FIRST RULE IS DON'T PANIC, WE ALL COCK IT UP FROM TIME TO TIME !

HOPE THATS HELPS A LITTLE.

REGARDS
BUNGLE

Hi Bungle
Thanks for this I was going to paint the inside black but not the beading .I like it .AS for the top pic it is the boiler cleading......
As for do not panic the only times that happens is when the roof comes in or we get the ground cave in on me .
Still you have to laurge

Hi I have just been on the other fourm talking to a frend he says to ask you guys about this prob

As you can see it is like the paint is seethrough .
Before I went it was looking good.. Then this happend
It was all mixed up at the same time and it was warm and dry for the spraying condishons
Has any one got an idea why this would happen???

Hi hughb

First of all,welcome to the forum.
Well there could be several reasons why your paint didn't stick to your rear wheel
1; Have you degreased the parts?
2; Have you gone over all the parts with production paper to get a key for the paint?
3; Have you used a primer before your top coat,how many coats,and did you key them in between coats?
4; Have you tried to put too much paint on in one hit?

I'm afraid to say but painting bare metal and getting the right finish is a case of the 3 P's
Preparation,preparation,preparation

My rear wheel's took a week to get them painted and I was glad when they we're done

As for your beading on your tender,and all other brass parts you wish to paint,you must use an etching primer first on them or else you will never get paint to stick .

Hope this helps you on your way

cheer's Tony

Hi
Thanks yes I did degreas and key it in .But I do not know what you meen by produshon paper .
It was two coats of primer . ... May be not enough . I still do not know a bout eching primer .
I was going to do it today but dug up my kicen garden insted and planted seeds as well

I'D AGREE WITH ALL TONY SAID, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT IT LOOKS LIKE YOUV'E MIXED YOUR PAINT VERY THIN. HOW ABOUT YOUR SPRAYING TEMP AS WELL ??

BUNGLE

Yep I would say too thinned top coat and it's mixing with the red base making it look like it's bleeding..

I went for enamel paint on the inside of my tender not sprayed but brushed on to give a better harder paint for were it's going to be getting knocked about...

no matter if you use etch primer, paint still wont stick to brass that well really, better than normal primer but still not like it sticks to steal..

Big al you say your waiting for a nice day to paint.. as long as it's not raining or freezing you'll be fine.. If you have somewere inside to paint that is, then a good heater allways helps.. I wouldnt spray outside anyway as there is allot of bugs and dust blowing about.. I use a £10 plastic green house from B&Q it's about 1.5x1 meters in size big enough to spay a good few parts... it's handy for ourdoor spraying and i sprayed my cleading yesterday outside in Scotland with no problems...spray then zip it up.. I sealed the base also.

lots of my parts have been chipped allong the way but a brush and some paint soon sorts it.. I think it's impotant to remember that if your going to be steaming the model then it will get scratched, oils stained and grimmy and it's best to just touch up what you can and live with the rest..

if it's a diplay model (waste of a good steam engine) then it's worth worrying about...

Jo

Hi
Thanks guys I will be on it towmorrow

Hi guys
Well I have now done some of my painting .First thanks to all your help on this .As if you look back you can see how bad my wheels were. So here they are now I have just done some of the pin striping on them .Firts time I have done it here are the pics.
Gess whot this is.
Ok you guys know this bit.
BUT do you know this part ??
I do have a lot to do yet good luck with your jobs .I know that I need it

Hugh
I'm DREADING doing the lining work, yours looks a good ole job there chap....Wheels DEFINITELY look better than the last shots taken thats for sure..

Best Regards

LilyJack

Hi thanks
I have to do the black pin stripe on my wheels yet . I have just used the pin striper like my marking gajes .
It was dornting but I am doing well .I gess after 4 more years I willl be ok