More Boxcar Projects

[rogertra]

Roger - the term box car red is like saying "a big dog." Once I saw a Southern boxcar that was a pinkish color due to the weather and I remember seeing CN cars that were more brown than red.

My concern with spray cans is the paint attacking the plastic. I can recall old old Floquil xylene based paints that would destroy plastic.

That's why I use whatever can of 'red oxide' I happen to find.  The actual colour of the boxcar doesn't concern me provided it's a shade of so called 'boxcar red'.  I'm not interested if it's prototypically correct because, as you point out boxcars, thanks to weathering, can be anywhere from nearly pink to brown.  Plus, I weather my cars so again I get all shades of 'boxcar red' depending on how I weather the car. 

As for damaging the plastic?   Never experienced it.  All you have to do with the automotive sprays is apply it in really light coats as the spray comes out much faster than an airbrush and if you not careful, will go on too thick and or form runs.  If that happens, straight into the coffee can of paint stripper I keep handy.

Check out the cars in the links provided in the sig and see what you think of spray bomb freight cars.

Cheers

Roger T.

[jbrock27]

Do you, will you, only use 'automotive', can spray paints, Roger?

[rogertra]

Do you, will you, only use 'automotive', can spray paints, Roger?

Yes, they do the job for me.

You may wonder why I picked black for my freight diesels and all my steam.  Because black also comes in automotive colours, both flat and gloss.

Usually I use flat paint as it tends to run less.  Where I'm going to decal, I give the model a shot of Testors Glosscote.  Makes decalling a lot easier.

Once decalled and weathered, they get a spray of Dullcote.

I don't believe in shiney, out of the box equipment.  Even my passenger cars get a light weathering on the trucks, running gear and roofs.

My passenger diesels are re-decaled CPR units in the block lettering scheme.


Cheers

Roger T.

[jbrock27]

Do you, will you, only use 'automotive', can spray paints, Roger?

Yes, they do the job for me.

You may wonder why I picked black for my freight diesels and all my steam.  Because black also comes in automotive colours, both flat and gloss.

Cheers

Roger T.

I don't really, but I do wonder why you would only use 'automotive' spray paints?  Why not walk into a place like say, Canadian Tire for you (Walfart for me)  and while you are getting dog food, an oil change and some Cheetos, walk into the Paint Department and buy some of the Krylon or Rustoleum, non automotive specific, spray paints I mentioned on this topic back on October 27th?  They also come in both gloss and flat black.  AND, get this, they also have a variety of other flat colors.

[rogertra]

Roger T.

I don't really, but I do wonder why you would only use 'automotive' spray paints?  Why not walk into a place like say, Canadian Tire for you (Walfart for me)  and while you are getting dog food, an oil change and some Cheetos, walk into the Paint Department and buy some of the Krylon or Rustoleum, non automotive specific, spray paints I mentioned on this topic back on October 27th?  They also come in both gloss and flat black.  AND, get this, they also have a variety of other flat colors.
[/quote]

When I say "automotive" I'm just using that as a generic term for primer.  I guess that was misleading.

I do use the brands you mention, Krylon and Rustoleum and buy them at Canadian Tire.

Sadly, Canadian Tire doesn't sell dog food nor Cheetos so that involves a trip to Super Store, next door.   


Cheers

Roger T.

[jbrock27]

When I say "automotive" I'm just using that as a generic term for primer.  I guess that was misleading.

Cheers

Roger T.

Yes, it was very misleading.  Thank you for clarifying.

Sadly, Canadian Tire doesn't sell dog food nor Cheetos...

Roger T.

Really?!?  Because when I punch in the postal code for Vancouver Island to bring up a Canadian Tire flyer/add, the closest one (1KM away) is for Gordon Head Victoria, BC and there is dry dog food listed right there.  Can't confirm the Cheetos, but I can't imagine a store that sells all that, doesn't sell Cheetos too... 

[jonathan]

In the US, we have Home Depot, Lowes, or Walmart for all your painting needs. I use a primer, available at any of those stores: 



I left off the brand name, in case a photo of it would violate some rule.

It works reasonably well. This is an old kit that makes a Heinz Pickle Car, I hope:




We'll see if the decals are still viable... (fingers crossed).

For the color coats, I am willing to pay the extra shipping for Scalecoat spray paints.  They are still available... and I think they go on better than the old Floquil paints I was so attached to.

Regards,

Jonathan





Alas, no more brick and mortar hobby stores within a reasonable distance.

[jbrock27]

Of those 3 stores, I find Walfart the cheapest and Home Depot to have colors not found in Walfart.

I recognize that can/brand .  That brand also puts out a can that can be used as a "dullcote".   It's white, got the 2X on it an says: "Ultra Cover Matte Clear".   I am preetttttty sure, they also make a similar can that is "Gloss" (I just have never used that one, at least, not yet) . 

[electrical whiz kid]

Wayne;
Ref to your post a while back:  For some reason, every time I sprayed lacquer sans some sort of "pre-coat" (primer, barrier, etc)
I wound up with a glossy finish-which was pretty undesirable.  Barrier did take care of crazing, caused by "bare-back" finishing, as well as my "expertize".  SO...I use barrier; then primer.  It does work well.  For me.

Rich C.

[electrical whiz kid]

Wayne;
I once had a discussion with a really good pianist, and we got into Benny Goodman's old piano player, Teddy Wilson; and he remarked that Teddy Wilson is depressing.  After looking at your great craftsmanship, I now know what he meant...
Keep up the good work, Doc.

Rich C.

[jonathan]

Nice photos, Wayne.

Yes, the car is an early refer. Thus, there were no hatches up top.  I call it a "pickle" car because of its billboard markings; the giant pickle and "57 Varieties". These cars were nearly gone by 1930, but I just like the way it looks... Or will like it if all goes well.

Regards,

Jonathan

[jonathan]

Yep, the truss rods are all one continuous piece of fishing line.  That seems to be the way to go.  I wasn't so careful with the paint so you will probably be able to see the line passing through the turnbuckles.

Well, the painting went fairly well... no runs or blank spots.  Here are my next three cars, with wet paint, getting ready to be locked up for a couple days:







Underframes are ready to go:





BTW, like you, Wayne, I have enjoyed detailing r-t-r cars. Some of them are nice and deserve to be made into nicer models.  I'm on a craftsman kit run right now because I'm trying to use up a large can of boxcar red.  I actually had two cans.  I can't believe how many cars can be painted with one can of scalecoat paint.  After these three cars, I am more than ready to move on to scenery or locomotive repair... something new.

Regards,

Jonathan

[jbrock27]

What's the "goop" you are using to secure the fishing weights?

[electrical whiz kid]

Jonathan
My sentiments exactly!  Three years ago, I "wintered" in my shop...  I remodeled, repaired, built about 40 reefers.  When I was done, I built myself a manhatten, looked 'em over, and that was that in the car dept. for a while.  I still have twenty of Don Tichy's reefers.  What was interesting was when my friends asked me what I am doing, and I would tell them I was doing reefers...
I wonder if you-or anyone else, for that matter, knows who may have bought the moulds and castings from "Branchline Trains".  In their catalogue, Bill had listed 4-wheel pax car kits.  I had bought about seven or eight sets, and wish I had more.  For their cost, these worked up to a great truck.  My thought is to (eventually) take the heavyweight pax cars I have, shorten them, and use these trucks.
I have found that either 5/8" or 3/4" hex nuts make dandy weights for house cars-two of them per car works out well.

Rich C.

[jonathan]

  The goop is JB Weld, 30-minute, industrial strength epoxy.

I prefer Devcon, clear, 5-minute epoxy--but all my usual haunts don't seem to carry Devcon any more.   I don't know why (sic)...

Don't know what happened to Branchline.  They may still be around.  Don't recall ever building one of their kits.

Regards,

Jonathan