Repainting a diesel locomotive my way......

As I stated this is a pretty simple process and most can get the same results. 

I used Dupli-color #1699 sealer primer to prime the body shell. The photo shows the results for this process. My way is after the body shell was washed and dry I applied a light coat of #1699.  This light coat dries very fast and thus 'grabs'  or adheres to the body shell. After 20-30 minutes I give the body a thicker coat. If you do not spray with cans often......again my way.  Make sure the can is shaken well. While you spray start before the body and spray past it.  Keep can at about 6-8 inches from shell and keep distance constant.  I start on one side and work my way around ending up with the roof. If you need a third coat it should be fine as #1699 is fairly thin.  After I am happy with the coverage I place the body shell in my food dehydrator. This step is not absolutely required but speeds things up.....and I have a short attention span so I use it. But it can air dry until the solvent smell is almost completely gone.

The next step is color coat. Not drastically different than primer but  when you get into multiple colors some methods that may help. Thanks

Very much enjoy reading your various threads on repaints. Good work!

Thanks for the tutorial Dave.  I've use your way a few times.  My Air Force S2 and a couple of plastic army tanks.  I was doing really well with the S2 until the final coat. I was a little heavy handed so the results, while not bad were not as as crisp as I would have liked but It turned out acceptable.  The Army tanks had varying results.  i did some body work with Testors Counter Putty on the bottoms to hide the seam where the two pieces joined.  The Dupli-color sealer went on well, sprayed the top half with some success but when I sprayed the bottom half the paint looked fine as it went on but when it dried the paint had shrunk and cracked.  I was painting outside so I don't know if the cracking was due to drying too quickly in the sun, incompatibility with the underlying contour putty or what the cause.  It was the underside of the tanks which are going to be used for flatcar loads so iI'm not sweating the small stuff.  I can't wait to see how this job turns out.

Great job, looking good.
Have fun and enjoy.

Cracking paint is often a result of to thick, applied over un-cured paint or incompatibility between paints. If it's none of these.....unsure. 

Just a FYI, try a sample piece with the primer dried then apply the color, just make sure everything works with the paint.
Had several problems even using the same brand paint and applying the next color or clear after a week of drying. Did a Lionel 623 with a primer which looked good applied a Krylon black and the paint attacked the plastic giving a crustoleum paint job. This happened years ago and finally picked up another shell (one of my project waiting to be done). I also had a experience with  Lionel 248 prewar engine. The chassis flag stanchions were polished and masked the primer waited a week did the black on the frame. So far all is good. removed the masking on the flag stanchions and sprayed clear on the frame and stanchions. The clear cracked all of the black. Had to re-strip the frame and tried it again, same problem. Did this 3 times then I figured it was best just to brush the clear on the brass flag stanchions avoiding this problem. All the same brand paint but different colors

Great info Dave !! thanks for sharing

Krylon Fusion for plastics is a really good rattle can paint for this stuff.   They have tons of colors and good primer as well.   I have had great success using it on custom paint jobs I do on some of my music gear's plastic pieces, as well as a couple old O gauge train shells I've done.

AMCDAVE's tips are all spot on!

Dave -

Similar to the way I do it, too (especially skipping the stripping and feathering the edges of the old stripes, logos, etc). Good - very good - results can be had without resorting to elaborate procedures, most of the time (sometimes...not so much).

I read a comment years ago in MR that (rough quote): "much of the time the factory paint is a better primer than you will ever apply yourself"

Looking good.

Use either a good automotive primer, or my favorite Tamiya. Clear can be a tricky thing, the wrong one will ruin your day. Testors has some enamel clear, or if you use light coats you can use their laquer clear. Those cheap paints in hardware or big box stores are a disaster waiting to happen on models or trains. Always wait more than 3 days to recoat, or clear coat enamels. The smell test is useful here. I like Tamiya clear coat, never an issue with them as they are a synthetic laquer. Best NOT to cear coat enamel.

Rob

Some great points  have been brought up in reply's.  Paint compatibility between brands or even within is critical. Testing and experience is the only way to ensure good results. If you are new and just want to paint an item, loco or car, just use my paints and methods. If you do a lot of painting you may have a very different method that works for YOU.......that's why this is titled My way.   There are a few rules I feel are cut in stone.

Start with a primer sealer.  And make sure it is applied to a clean fine surface.

You can mix types of paint if you must....but there are rules. 'Hottest' paint goes on first.....the lacquer  type paints.  enamel or acryl (water) can be applier OVER lacquer but NOT the other way.

Paints must be dry, thoroughly, before going to the next step. That's why I use my food dehydrator.....I have no patience!!!

Next step. First color coat is complete. Tamiya Orange was applied first with a very light coat mainly in areas that may be hard to get good coverage, seams and inside corners. Then two more color coats were applied waiting only 15-20 minutes between coats.......if you wait longer it needs to be days later or run through the dehydrator.  In case you have not guessed this will be a BNSF loco and thus will need the black applied......so this will set in the dehydrator over night. I'll detail the 2nd color process next time. If you are following along you need some decent grade masking tape and some Tamiya masking tape.

Thanks

PS. Rivet counters...don't bother to tell me this is not the EXACT orange BNSF uses.....of 50 loco photos you get 50 colors.  I use the TLAR (that looks about right)

AMCDAVE,

I appreciate what you are doing. Part of my enjoyment of the hobby is building kits, scratchbuilding, and getting what I want without waiting for the manufacturer's/importers to make it or not. This step-by-step post, especially about paint compatibility and drying times is very informative.

I'm deep into building 15 LaBelle passenger car kits, and have 5 completed. My paint experience has evolved from okay, to fair, to good, and hopefully the next one will be great. The primer/sealer coat is critical on wood (no matter what the Scalecoat can or bottle instructions may say), and drying times between coats, along with paint types are critical.

Any time one builds a kit, scratchbuilds, or repaints an item, the expense goes up, so posting a tried and true method of painting methods is valuable.

Thanks for posting the methods that work for you. 

Back to work!!!

I have the base color down.....dried in the dehydrator over night.

I needed a .20 inch black stripe around the bottom of the body shell. I use a set of digital calipers set to .20 and I VERY lightly scribe a line around the shell.

 I then use Tamiya masking tape to mask off this area. I burnish the edge of the tape with my fingernail to make sure it seals well to the shell.  I then use Shurtape CP 60 to mask the remainder. The Shurtape is a lower tack tape so don't use it for paint break edges. But it's great for just masking as it does not stick had enough to cause issues.  If you seal the edge well enough you should end up with a edge like this. 

Note that even on panel lines no paint creep. I painted the hood mask with Dupli-color black primer. Again Tamiya masking tape burnished on all edges, then Shurtape. I used a food storage bag to cover the rest of the body.

We are close to finished with paint. I'll apply my custom decals next and finish with a final clear flat coat and some light weathering.  Thanks

Nice, taping is always key. As is making sure both sides are identicle.

Rob

Nice job, looking good!
Keep going!
I always use the Tamiya masking tape for the edges and fill in the rest of the areas that do not need to be painted with the blue type masking tape, never had a problem. I usually take the masking tape off before the paint cures, as not to pull any paint off from the painted part from the paint on the masking tape.

It took me a while to print the decals and get them applied. This is the last step before a sealing coat to give a overall even finish and to protect the decals. These decals BTW are printed on a normal laser printer without the use of white ink but rather white decal paper. Ready for final clear coat.....

If there is any interest in how I design and print decals like this without using a ALPS type printer....post a note and I will do a hw to on that topic.  I'll close this out with the final look at the completed loco. I'll give it a light dull coat and some light weathering. Thanks

Looks great.
Better than new!

A how to on printing decals would be greatly appreciated.

A how to on label design and printing would be great

Very nice work, I also would appreciate a how to on your decal techniques

Yes a how to on labels would be great

Dave -

Well, now - that's just too sharp. Isn't it nice how a "less-elaborate" model can shine when treated to some proper visual massaging? (I know that you don't do Command, but that Dash-9 just cries out for ERR Cruise Commander and RS - easy upgrade on these WBB diesels, too.)

I hope my current MTH DL109 GM&O (with proper nose) project winds up looking half that good.  

That looks very nice (good choice of colors and railroads too ).

I would also be interested in your 'how to' about the decals. It seems that there are quite a few folks looking for O gauge decals around here from time to time and they may have interest as well. Your decals look very nice and professionally done on your newly painted engine. Both turned out very nice.

Very nice!!!  Ditto on the how to for decals.

Rick

I have only done basic paint schemes. To me, that scheme looked like a difficult choice. You made it look easy. Very nice job!

rtr12 posted:

That looks very nice (good choice of colors and railroads too ).

I would also be interested in your 'how to' about the decals. It seems that there are quite a few folks looking for O gauge decals around here from time to time and they may have interest as well. Your decals look very nice and professionally done on your newly painted engine. Both turned out very nice.

Thanks all for the comments. 

Good looking decals start with good art. I have been creating artwork for decals for almost 25 years now....so they better be decent. I've done art for all the model companies and a number of aftermarket. There seems to be some interest in self made decals so I will work on a how to. thanks

Thanks for sharing your techniques. I love painting shells, etc., but don't put my work close to this. Would also appreciate a thread on your decaling!

I am calling this one done. After the decals were applied and dried for a full day and I installed the cab glass and head light lens, I gave the loco a very light spray of Testors Dull Coat. I have never had reaction issues using Testors Dull Coat over Tamiya....but you will want to check if you use other brands. The very light first coat seals and is followed by another light coat....just a bit more than the first. This seals our decals, protects them from handling and gives the loco a even overall sheen. I did also build a A/C unit for the roof....took about ten minutes...it's the white box on the roof. 

I also used something new on this paint.....Tamiya weathering system. The weathering system looks like make-up.....it's in a small compact and I figure it's just a very high quality make-up!! It does not rub off easy like chalks will and Dull Coat does not affect it to the extent it does chalk. I left the body pretty clean.....it's just been shopped!! So here it is.....

I can't recall if I said before...but I also widened the fuel tank 1/2 inch. I do this on all these Dash and SD90 units as it helps so much!! The unit below has the stock tank still. 

Next project has moved into the paint shop.......this one will be a little simpler.

Thanks for following along....hope some of you all try a repaint for yourself. 

Thanks!

Very cool! After that last thread I was thinking of re painting a LionChief Plus GP38 as a Conrail livery. I might just do it now!

Great how to! I can't wait till your decal How to!

Dave the part about widening the tanks flew right over my head until Mike resurrected the thread. how about a quick description of how you did that?

coach joe posted:

Dave the part about widening the tanks flew right over my head until Mike resurrected the thread. how about a quick description of how you did that?

The fuel tanks are held to the sheet metal chassis by four small screws. Remove them and the tank splits into two halfs down the middle. I use .060 plastic sheet to widen the tank about half an inch. I just use Gorilla glue to gule the tank to the plastic and then a coat of 5 minute epoxy on the inside to bond it all together. I then glue another sheet of .060 plastic inside the top of the tank.......when all dried I hold it in place, mark where the screws need to attach, drill pilot holes and  use small #6 sheet metal screws to re-attach the tank to chassis. Pretty simple ....mostly labor. thx