Painting a plastic Lionel Tender body

I am not sure, but you can try spraying the inside of the tender shell to see how it works.

Krylon should work OK......I'd use Dupli-color gray sealer first no matter what paint.

 

For the black I prefer Tamiya semi-gloss black. Hobby shop carry it.

Dave,

 

Does Tamiya make rattlecans or will I need to break out the airbrush?

 

Joe

 

Use the Tamiya.  It's in a rattlecan.  The Krylon will attack the plastic.

 

When I repaint a Lionel Postwar engine and tender that's the combo I use.

I only use the Tamiya spray cans for my trains.......

The water base brush paint doesn't work for me.

 

I used Krylon Fusion spray paint for plastics to paint my Lionel plastic tenders. No drips, no runs, no errors as Johnny Bench used to say.

 

It is made in Satin Black. That's the color I used.

One caution note on Fusion paint........

Thinking that as it's advertised for use on plastic some plastic model car guys tried it on some vintage kits.......trusting the 'plastic safe'. It ate the plastic into a glob! So no matter what you use.....test it!!!

I have used Tamiya on many different age plastics w/o issue......but still use Dupli-color gray primer sealer under it.

If the tender still has factory paint on it then even Krylon should be OK. If you have bare styrene then you have to be more selective. I agree Tamiya should be safe as its a true enamel. Krylon says its an enamel but still uses aggressive solvents that act like lacquer.

 

Pete

One correction........

Tamiya is a synthetic lacquer (non organic) that is formulated just for plastic as Tamiya's main business is plastic model kits.

Krylon does have a pretty HOT solvent......as always....TEST!

The Krylon will wrinkle the plastic on a vintage tender shell. Use a paint like Testors or Tamiya which is made for plastics. Both come in rattle cans.

 

 

I've never had trouble with Krylon (and the like) on modern plastic car, diesel and tender shells. I don't do "vintage" (however one chooses to define that) pieces all that much, though - and most (not all) of my work is steam, made of zinc or brass.

 

Personally, I'd say Krylon would be fine, but always prime first, anyway.

 

All I know is, I used Fusion on a couple of old Lionel tenders, a handful of unpainted MPC era hoppers, a Marx caboose, and a couple of unpainted Marx plastic 1666 locos without any problems. Maybe I just lucked out.

Dave,

 

Where can I get the Dupli-color gray sealer?

 

Joe

I get mine at a local big box Magic Mart store because it's cheap!! 

But I have found it at chain discount auto parts stores and NAPA. My Wal Mart had it for years but dropped it about a year ago. 

       
       


I'm agree,  I am using fusion right now to make a RJ CORMAN train of hoppers from weaver,  their 3 Bay 70 ton hoppers.  I stripped the care down to the original plastic and sprayed the fusion on and the out come was outstanding from my stand point,  covers very well.  It says the fusion does not require primer so I went without it and had no problems,  not to say that is the way to do it but that's the route I took and I'm satisfied.

Dave,

 

I thought Dupli-Color was the brand in Auto parts stores.  I'll check around before I hit local auto parts stores.

 

Joe

Dupli-Color is an automobile paint marketed in colors to match certain years and certain makes of cars/trucks for patch/touchup work.  It is intended to be used outdoors in harsh weather of course, so it is more expensive that Krylon (or similar) per ounce, plus the color matching process is more stringent that Krylon or similar is going to be.

 

Composition of "plastics" has changed during the 1940-2015 time period, plus there have always been different types of plastics.  Some plastics and coatings are not friendly with all of the paints available today. 

Great description!!!

Dupli-color does make great black, semi gloss black, gloss and flat white etc....many generic colors as well as color match paints.

On a side note one modeler I know found that Dupli-color made in spray cans that matched Disneyland steam locos exactly!

Krylon has spray for plastic called Krylon Fusion for plastic, dries in 15 minutes

Do Not Use Dupli-color paints on bare plastic.  Maybe their sealer is friendly but their automotive colors in the spray cans are lacquer based and will wrinkle most plastics associated with toy train manufacturing.  Only plastic types such as Delrin ( wheel bearings ) are resistant.  Success stories related to using Dupli-color on plastic are the result of the plastic being sealed under whatever paint was applied at the factory.

 

Bruce

 

My method.

Using it on plastic model cars and model trains of all eras and types of plastic.Dupli-color #1699 Gray primer sealer is applied in 2-3 light coats to bare plastic.

I then use ANY paint I want for color.

Never had an issue in the hundreds and hundreds of model cars or trains I have painted over the past 30 years.

75% of the model car guys that use spray cans use this same method.....I didn't invent it!!!

Painted this way.

 

 

and........

 

All I can say is Dupli-color applied properly has never harmed a single plastic item I have painted......between cars and trains (100% of the cars I build must be painted unlike trains) thousands of paint jobs completed.

I use Duplicolor primer, then their paint, on slot cars  trains and models. Most expert model builders prime with the automotive primers so laquers can be sprayed on.Never an issue.

Rob

Could only click the LIKE button once.....so......

Not trying to be contradictory, Dave.  Simply pointing out that Dupli-color spray paint shouldn't be used over Bare plastic....something that wasn't clearly stated.

 

Bruce

All good........but in every 'paint' thread on OGR I always state it starts with Dupli-color primer sealer.......not sure all do......but I do. AND I always try and point out....TEST before jumping in.......