Custom painters or scratch builders?

Amazing!

Stick around as there are quite a few of us who would probably be interested in your services in O gauge...

You must have fabulous eyesight and very steady hands!

Thanks! I design and print my own decals too. Makes it so much easier and quicker. I copied Lionel with their PRR engines but did my own twist on them. 

I am capable of such things, but manage to scare off all potential customers with cost estimates.  It can take a couple hours just to properly fit crossheads and guides, and I would charge by the hour, including coffee breaks.

Purchasing an imported brass model is a tenth the cost, and usually a better model (although not always).

bob2 posted:

I am capable of such things, but manage to scare off all potential customers with cost estimates.  It can take a couple hours just to properly fit crossheads and guides, and I would charge by the hour, including coffee breaks.

Purchasing an imported brass model is a tenth the cost, and usually a better model (although not always).

I used to do quite a bit of painting in Z scale. I've slowed down for personal reasons but some of the reactions I  get when they find out the price is almost hysterical.  If it's something done correctly it takes time and time equals money. It is hard to beat the factory at their own game. I take pride in being able to say "I built it".

Would you consider it fair to ask the price range you would charge to repaint an O-scale diesel with its appropriate decals?

BTW, I have paid to have five diesels repainted, so I know it might be sticker shock to many. Initially, I thought it was a bit steep, but considering the time and effort exerted, the fee seems reasonable.

It honestly depends on the paint scheme and decals involved. A black N&W sd40-2 is easier to do than a Chessie System sd40-2. Ball park is $100 single color scheme finished $150 multi color scheme finished. That’s just to give an idea of a basic paint scheme and basic decals. 

  That's awesome.

  I used to love doing gauge needle and number detailing on 1:24 plastic models, but now I'm like most folks and can't even see the gauge let alone the markings. 

My metal relief art was many times that size, I can only try to relate with brass pressure gauge's clockwork experience, lol. 

  You graphic design is very clean and professional, not just good, very good. (on a pro- level, I need absorption time to say great/epic and really mean it. Unless you did by hand vs digital )

 But who paints on pin heads anymore? .. teasing. Pin heading with trains was just not for me; N was too small, Ho/OO barely cuts into acceptability.

  Other scales bash and build more partially because it can be much cheaper. More details can be skipped too (though with YOUR work, that may not be true "α"). The builds can be radically different too.  An etched/scribed line may surfice for a seam in Z, while in O your more likely looking at actual panel joints.

  Small scales always seemed to have more kits available.

  Another aspect is that O is "the collector's scale" and toy scale. Folks that want all things a touch more simple or hefty and reliable, often look to O (or S or Standard, etc) because those are the trains that were 'indestructible' traditionally and easier to work with based on size alone.

My Gramps used to note he was a Lionel collector and operator, not a modeler. He ran trains that real train modelers had produced.

 Because there has never been a whole lot of abstract toyish looking small scale. It has always been the modeler's domain since the inceptions. Even with low cost production and growth, the perception was established there along with the more real RR per foot, and real curve ratios as an attraction, making them the "natural" choice for serious modeler's willing to work with smaller models and the lack of need and limitations to some detail.  

  Then there is that third rail too. Most of us are too lazy to pull it up, or deal with polarites and relay blocks.

  I think O scale build crowd produces a lot more one off CARS per individual. Not weathering, just custom or specific exact cars, odd road names, total fantasy, etc. done by individuals. (Exacting scale not implied either) A lot more building material creativity happens as bashes grow in size. Look at some of the common household items used G scale bashes. (I like fun innovative stuff like that )

Finally, I'm thinking the % of REAL modelers in the other scales seems higher because the total population of "jr scale"   railroaders is way higher.     Just look to the 2rs & 3rs sections of the forum to see some other inspiring endevors. 

Alone at it or not, I'm all for seeing more.

  Step by step photos as you progress,  in your own thread or in "what did you do on your layout today", would go over well imo.

"Am I one of the odd men out painting and customizing O?"

Nope. I do it all the time (too much). Many of us do. I finished installing some customized (by me) valve gear this AM on a project NYC Hudson (Lionel). My work tends toward the "scratch bashing" (simple to elaborate) rather than deep "scratch building", but parts do get built/modified around here. I paint and decal, also. 

D500 posted:

"Am I one of the odd men out painting and customizing O?"

Nope. I do it all the time (too much). Many of us do. I finished installing some customized (by me) valve gear this AM on a project NYC Hudson (Lionel). My work tends toward the "scratch bashing" (simple to elaborate) rather than deep "scratch building", but parts do get built/modified around here. I paint and decal, also. 

I like the term scratch bashing. That more clearly defines what I like to do. I have done the occasional complete scratch build but I prefer to use an existing chassis. I have been wanting to modify my 3rd rail k3 to a n&w k1. 

Adriatic posted:

  That's awesome.

  I used to love doing gauge needle and number detailing on 1:24 plastic models, but now I'm like most folks and can't even see the gauge let alone the markings. 

My metal relief art was many times that size, I can only try to relate with brass pressure gauge's clockwork experience, lol. 

  You graphic design is very clean and professional, not just good, very good. (on a pro- level, I need absorption time to say great/epic and really mean it. Unless you did by hand vs digital )

 But who paints on pin heads anymore? .. teasing. Pin heading with trains was just not for me; N was too small, Ho/OO barely cuts into acceptability.

  Other scales bash and build more partially because it can be much cheaper. More details can be skipped too (though with YOUR work, that may not be true "α"). The builds can be radically different too.  An etched/scribed line may surfice for a seam in Z, while in O your more likely looking at actual panel joints.

  Small scales always seemed to have more kits available.

  Another aspect is that O is "the collector's scale" and toy scale. Folks that want all things a touch more simple or hefty and reliable, often look to O (or S or Standard, etc) because those are the trains that were 'indestructible' traditionally and easier to work with based on size alone.

My Gramps used to note he was a Lionel collector and operator, not a modeler. He ran trains that real train modelers had produced.

 Because there has never been a whole lot of abstract toyish looking small scale. It has always been the modeler's domain since the inceptions. Even with low cost production and growth, the perception was established there along with the more real RR per foot, and real curve ratios as an attraction, making them the "natural" choice for serious modeler's willing to work with smaller models and the lack of need and limitations to some detail.  

  Then there is that third rail too. Most of us are too lazy to pull it up, or deal with polarites and relay blocks.

  I think O scale build crowd produces a lot more one off CARS per individual. Not weathering, just custom or specific exact cars, odd road names, total fantasy, etc. done by individuals. (Exacting scale not implied either) A lot more building material creativity happens as bashes grow in size. Look at some of the common household items used G scale bashes. (I like fun innovative stuff like that )

Finally, I'm thinking the % of REAL modelers in the other scales seems higher because the total population of "jr scale"   railroaders is way higher.     Just look to the 2rs & 3rs sections of the forum to see some other inspiring endevors. 

Alone at it or not, I'm all for seeing more.

  Step by step photos as you progress,  in your own thread or in "what did you do on your layout today", would go over well imo.

Thank you for the well thought out reply and comments. I have always loved 3 rail but the older I get the more realistic I like to model. I have plenty of "toy trains" but I find it enjoyable to have something realistic to model. I never liked weathered pieces but now I like to do some weathered. I'll post a new thread with some of my builds. I'm rather fond of the y6a project I'm doing. I find constructive criticism to be helpful too.

I personally enjoy working with O scale brass...both locomotives and rolling stock...mostly detailing, and minor rebuild work, never a complete scratch build. I also do painting, but for myself only. There seems to be more of a ready to run/collector population on this forum. That's fine too.

Bob

flanger posted:

I personally enjoy working with O scale brass...both locomotives and rolling stock...mostly detailing, and minor rebuild work, never a complete scratch build. I also do painting, but for myself only. There seems to be more of a ready to run/collector population on this forum. That's fine too.

Bob

Brass is where my heart is, a third rail model can really be improved with some added or replaced details. I love third rail and the price range they offer their products. Comparing 3rd rail to PSC or Kohs really isn't fair but with a little help they can really be superb models. I love scratch building in brass. I like to make a brass master and then do resin cast to have multiples for myself, like the n&w cabooses I made.