Cumbrian 4" Showman

There are two main sources that I used Stonehouses (Wright’s of Lymm) and Gold leaf supplies. From time to time they have offers with a small discount which is always worth having.

I will look at putting something together for the painting although the info there is good and helped get me off to a good start.
Cheers,
John

Thanks John, I will start to look at what i need. it's just nice to see these engines looking good, and i think the painting is the part that most building find the biggest problem.

It would be nice if STW would maybe even supply a small fact sheet with there first kits instructions, it could contain whats on here about the painting or at least a link to the forum and some information.. (i don't think they do at present?)

Tim wrapping the brass is a great idea.

J

On the brass work. I actually just stick pipe insulation on it. Quick, reusable and gives physical protection to boot.

I have used that, but it doesn’t prevent tarnishing as well as the cling film.

Tim

Winter maintenance on 'the big blue train' involves a pot of vaseline.. wiped on by hand after a final hard polish and wiped off on its first polish of the season with a lightly coated paraffin cloth.

BurrellSimplicity wrote:Thanks John, I will start to look at what i need. it's just nice to see these engines looking good, and i think the painting is the part that most building find the biggest problem.

I thought the same thing too about painting. My initial plan was to brush paint but later decided to spray it instead. Spraying leaves a better finish and is quicker too, it also fairly easy to get consistent results. After a few times it gets easier, lining the wheels is what takes the longest amount of time depending on the technique you use.

Been kicking around the idea of making a painting guide, although I’ve only painted for less than a year so I can’t claim to be an expert. It would be more of a “here’s what I did” guide if anything. Probably would be best to leave that to someone that knows more about painting than I do

I think that painting is one of these areas where individuals all have slightly different facilities, skills and experiences so it may be a case of hearing what others have done and finding a system that works for you.
I did though hear a very scary bit of information recently showing how much work can be involved in a complex paint scheme. It related to the recent refurbishment of the full size engine Dolphin, which is absolutely stunning. The signwriting decoration on that engine was done professionally at a cost of £110,000!

Yes Dolphin did cost an awe full lot to re-paint but it is a great paint job none the less if not a little OTT.
I re-painted my 4" Foster with a set or Purdy brushes and craftmaster paints, i'm an artist and i use brushes all the time but I don't have to pay attention to finish i get. I was shocked at how great these brushes are and well worth the cost, if they are looked after they gave a great finish. The main problem for brushing is rivets as paint can collect and run if not done carefully, the tender was painted over 4 nights and the surfaces done flat so the paint would not run from the rivets. This meant one side first then the other and then the back. Then lined, then repeat with the varnish. the wheels were the same done a side at a time. it was a labor of love hence why I want to spray my new engine..

£110,000!! that costs more than my house! I’m in the wrong business. I’d be lucky if my paintwork was worth £500, it isn’t perfect and has some orange peel in it. That’s alright though, if it was too perfect no one would believe I did it myself.

The key to a nice finish is all in the prep work, a clean surface goes a long way as well as wet sanding between coats. If you need any help or advice don’t be afraid to ask, between everyone here we can steer you in the right direction.

That gets my vote

have any of you gents that used gold leaf tryed the "Liquid Gold" paint? I've picked up a bottle from my local art shop, I've not tried it yet but opening the bottle the paint does indeed look like liquid gold!
I know it wont b the same as leaf but i though i's give it a try. i'll post some pics if i can once i'm back from holiday.

BurrellSimplicity wrote:have any of you gents that used gold leaf tryed the "Liquid Gold" paint? I've picked up a bottle from my local art shop, I've not tried it yet but opening the bottle the paint does indeed look like liquid gold!
I know it wont b the same as leaf but i though i's give it a try. i'll post some pics if i can once i'm back from holiday.

I used some on a customers light fitting a few years back and was very good but it did require a few coats to look right

I tried some on my engine thinking it would be a lot easier than the alternatives but found it to be very poor at covering and difficult to brush because it dried very quickly and usually gave a matt finish rather than the shiny look that it has in the liquid state. My suggestion would be to try one or two samples to see if you can get a bright gold finish.

If you find something that works I would be very interested to hear your method. Just thought, an airbrush might do the trick.

John

yes i tried it before i went on holiday. it's not easy stuff to brush on like you say, i will try my air brush with it and see how that goes..

I had a go with an air brush and whilst it is an improvement there isn't the same look as either leaf or immitation leaf. Applied it never looks as good as the liquid in the bottle.