An old question, but.....

[bluestag]

Hey gang,

 

Sorry to stir up an old question, but I am on tender hooks about the coaches that I am about to paint.

 

Specifically, 7mm LNWR 30'1" six wheelers.

 

I have just now finished detailing them such that they can be painted.   I've given them a good scrub with Bar Tender's Friend (a gritty powder that gets the tarnish off brilliantly, and does not leave a LOT of residue).  They look good two years after building now that they are tarnish free.

 

My chum John is going to lend me his ultrarsonic cleaner to give them a further scrub.    Ideally they would be only metal, and I could use some acetone, which I understand will strip off all oil from my hands.  But the coaches are built with epoxy and super glue in addition to lashings of solder.    So no acetone.

 

I have some paint thinner that is obnoxious to breath.    Possibly that would leave no residue.

 

Or is there a soap that will lift the oil and leave nothing behind?

 

John says that water, heated in the cleaner, will do a lot.

 

Or should I attack the coaches with rubbing alcohol?

 

I want the coaches ready for paint.    I'll be spraying them with etch primer, then with red oxide primer (which makes a good coat for the plum main body color).   The the plum mixed up with lacquer.   The white panels will be brushed in with some 25 year old Cherry Spilt MIlk, 

 

Then, heaven help me, the lining.

 

What can you tell me about prepping for painting?

 

K

 

 

Edited February 13 by bluestag

[Torper]

It sounds as though you've already done enough!  But I'm curious as to where all this oil's coming from that's on your hands.  However, what I would do is to get some cream cleaner - Cif, formerly known as Jif, over here, put some on an old toothbrush, and scrub the coach with it under a running tap, avoiding any fine detail which might not like the scrubbing.  Then rinse well.  That should be enough, but just to "mak siccar" (Scots term) take up your friend's offer of the ultrasonic bath and give the coach a session in that - it probably won't even need any cleaning fluid.  Allow the coach to dry off in a dust=free area and then spray it with your etch primer.  I'm not sure why you want to mix the subsequent paint coats with laquer - it would be more common over here to paint the coaches and then add laquer or varnish, probably after applying decals.  I use decals for lining my coaches.  Whether there are any available for LNWR coaches I don't know - it may be that the LNWR Society (https://lnwrs.org.uk/) might be able to help.

 

My only qualification to the above concerns the effect the ultrasonic bath might have on the superglue.  Hopefully all will be well but others here might be able to comment with greater authority.

[kevinlms]

I'm certainly no expert here, but I believe that once you have removed any tarnishing (by what means is irrelevant), is that you need to get the etch primer on ASAP, so the tarnishing process doesn't get started again, undoing your work. It doesn't take long!

 

Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs!

[Steven B]

+1 for cream cleaner and plenty of water to rinse it off. Don't bother with an old tooth brush (yuck!) - treat your model to a new one! You can get multi-packs for a couple of quid from the supermarket.

 

 

Steven B

Edited February 12 by Steven B

[bluestag]

Hey guys,

 

Thanks, I've been away.   But I got hold of the ultrasonic cleaner.   It shook off the little bit of residue of the bar keeper's friend that persisted in some corners, and I assume whatever I could not see on the sides.

 

It was heated to 35 centigrade.   Two castings came loose from two coaches, which had been applied with too little epoxy.   Happily I caught them before they disappeared.

 

I read the instructions on the self etch primer (!) and it says to wash the surfaces with mineral spirits to clean off any grease or oil.   A tentative application did not seem to disturb any superglued details.

 

A further report as I steel myself and actually get some paint on the coaches.

 

I'm spraying in lacquer because I am getting good results, with enamels I was making a mess of it.

 

K

[bluestag]

Got the primer, grey self etch from a spray bomb, covered with red oxide, also a spray bomb.   I am surprised by how well the paint laid down, not at all grainy or orange peely.

 

It is raining just now, so a few days for the primer to cure, and I'll attempt the plum.