Kingsbridge - paint shop

[Noel]

Heart in mouth time, before the big reveal when masking tape is removed to find out if it all worked ok.

As Fr Maguire might say "Careful now"

Which is it to be CIE Supertrain, or IR/IE Tippex livery - one more step will reveal

Ted to Dougal "Even more Careful now"

Phew! Just a spray of varnish and decals, then the window masking comes off

Not perfect but passes the duck test.

Edited August 6, 2020 by Noel

[murphaph]

Lovely work Noel. 

[Noel]

Confession time. Three airbrushes clogged on me this week. These are inexpensive €25 airbrushes. I’m fairily fastidious about cleaning after every spraying session, but I was defeated after deep cleans, even soaked parts in IPA for hours followed by 15 mins of ultrasonic bath which normally does the job. But guess what, they were spotless, the problem was a leak on the compressor air line Water trap, not the airbrushes. At midnight last night I discovered my faux pas. I blame it on bad kharma, me contaminating my own hands with modern era mk3 stock, lucky I didn’t end up in the bogie of eternal stench.  , 

Edited August 9, 2020 by Noel

[murphaph]

I particularly like such posts. You learn from your mistakes as they say but it's even better if you can learn from someone else's.

I don't even own an air brush but when I do I'll have registered this little bit of information at the back of my mind as something I need to be aware of.

[Noel]

More donors arrived from eBay in the queue for respray. A Lima restaurant, plus a Hornby 'shortie' which strangely enough actually has 8 windows, but has the pizza cutter wheels that won't run on code 75 track, and obviously doesn't have buffers, but I've enough of those in spares box so will fit. Will wait for another pair to arrive then will do them as a batch and should end up with a mixed rake of CIE/IE/IR mk3s by the end of the summer. Enough to mix'n'match for a knock special behind an 071. Will just be respraying, no modifications, modern era is not really my bag, once they past the duck test I'll be content to rush them past proper Black'n'Tan era trains. The Hornby shorties have nicer clear windows too. Don't like the tinted windows on the later versions, a waste of time putting passengers and lighting inside as you cannot see them.

 

[Dhu Varren]

The original Hornby Mk 3 coaches were introduced in 1977. The window strip had seven windows with raised window frames. They were also shorter than scale by one window, to allow for use on train sets with 1st radius curves. In 1984 new window strips with eight windows were fitted. The new strips did not have raised window frames, the frames being printed onto the strip. In 1999 the 'shortie' Mk 3 was replaced by the current scale length model, which was basically a retooled Lima Mk 3.  

[Noel]

37 minutes ago, Dhu Varren said:

The original Hornby Mk 3 coaches were introduced in 1977. The window strip had seven windows with raised window frames. They were also shorter than scale by one window, to allow for use on train sets with 1st radius curves. In 1984 new window strips with eight windows were fitted. The new strips did not have raised window frames, the frames being printed onto the strip. In 1999 the 'shortie' Mk 3 was replaced by the current scale length model, which was basically a retooled Lima Mk 3.  

Thanks for the info. Looks like I've the 1984 version with the daft unmaskable and unremovable windows.  That one is going to be a total pig to respray.

Edited August 10, 2020 by Noel

[Noel]

Got some weathering started on the body after decals, chassis painted, will put it back to gather again tomorrow

2 done 6 more to do 

[Noel]

Pity the windows on the Hornby donors are so darkly tinted. No point putting lights or passengers in there. 

[burnthebox]

Hi Noel, just wondering if you painted the inside of those window areas of that coach a bright white or silver would that make a difference. !  Just wondering, 

Paul

[Noel]

4 minutes ago, burnthebox said:

Hi Noel, just wondering if you painted the inside of those window areas of that coach a bright white or silver would that make a difference. !  Just wondering, 

Paul

Good point Paul. I don't know is the answer, the problem again is masking the inside of the windows to effect same. I've more eBay donors on the way with untinted clear windows. Holding them up to daylight you still cannot see through them, so doubt it, I vaguely remember a post by richie highlighting the problems with those windows, I also seem to remember seeing stunning custom replacement flush glazing richie had made up himself for mk3 donors of some variant @Richie.

[murphaph]

@Noel what are, in your opinion the best donor coaches for mkIII resprays? 

[burnthebox]

Noel, btw I have to complement you for those white lines, now tell me you didn’t spray them..! You got them done professionally, cause they sure look it, very well done,

Paul

 

[Noel]

46 minutes ago, murphaph said:

@Noel what are, in your opinion the best donor coaches for mkIII resprays? 

I don't know enough to be honest to give an informed opinion, I'd suggest folks like Richie, Anthony Smyth or Tony Mirolo best placed to advise. I can only relate what I used myself, ie later hornby 8 window donors and Lima. About to try a hornby shortie (ie 1988 version with 8 windows), glazing is actually the coach body side painted over leaving the windows clear, so nigh impossible to respray but the area around the windows are already black so it looks like I can mask that lot and just paint the orange and the white stripes.

[Noel]

34 minutes ago, burnthebox said:

Noel, btw I have to complement you for those white lines, now tell me you didn’t spray them..! You got them done professionally, cause they sure look it, very well done,

Paul

 

Hi Paul, you are very kind, yes sprayed but via reverse masking. Pic below shows the masking coming off to reveal the white paint underneath. After priming the first paint on the body was two approximate fuzzy white zones along the body sides where the white stripes would eventually be. Then placed 1mm masking tape along each side above and below the windows where the white stripes should later appear, then sprayed the entire body CIE tan/orange, then masked above and below the window panels so that I could spray the black window surrounds. When all dry, removed the outer masking tape and finally the 1mm tape (see below) revealing the white paint that went on immediately after the primer.

1 hour ago, burnthebox said:

Hi Noel, just wondering if you painted the inside of those window areas of that coach a bright white or silver would that make a difference. !  Just wondering, 

Paul

Those blasted tinted windows are very dark, this is in direct sunlight and you can barely see through the coach let alone the seated passengers.

The IR/IE coach windows are just as dark. Bare in mind that's sunlight behind the coaches!

[Noel]

@burnthebox PS: Paul pic below of the white zones sprayed after primer. The 1mm masking tape is then placed carefully where I want the white stripes. This masking gets over sprayed when I do the orange colour and again when I did the black window surrounds. 

 

You can just about make out the 1mm masking tape above and below the windows which has already been over sprayed with the orange.

[Georgeconna]

2 hours ago, Noel said:

I don't know enough to be honest to give an informed opinion, I'd suggest folks like Richie, Anthony Smyth or Tony Mirolo best placed to advise. I can only relate what I used myself, ie later hornby 8 window donors and Lima. About to try a hornby shortie (ie 1988 version with 8 windows), glazing is actually the coach body side painted over leaving the windows clear, so nigh impossible to respray but the area around the windows are already black so it looks like I can mask that lot and just paint the orange and the white stripes.

Lima ones are probably the Easiest to do, Glass comes out easy and the High window surrounds can be painted silver easily enough.

The Hornby ones are a pain in the hole with the glazing breaking, I had to but Shawplan Mk.3 glazing which added to the cost big time for a few I did. I then purchased SSM Etched Stainless Steel Window surrounds to finish off.

http://www.shawplan.com/extreme_coachandunit_Laserglaze_4mm.html

 

http://www.studio-scale-models.com/Coaches.shtml

Plus with the Shawplan you can leave the white protective cover on for the Jacks windows.

 

 

[Noel]

After seeking advice from a higher authority, this beauty arrived in the post. An investment but I'm sure it will prove worth it. While the inexpensive £20 airbrush has served me well over these past 3 years since I started airbrushing, this should make life easer and especially easier to maintain and keep paint flowing smoothly and predictably. Thanks to the higher authority for the welcome advice.

Edited August 14, 2020 by Noel

[Noel]

First run of the new airbrush today. Silky smooth and build to be cleaned and maintained, robust pull apart nozzle assembly, no dam threaded nozzle, the whole thing is a joy to clean compared to the inexpensive faithful £20 airbrush I've used this past 3 years.

x

Masked up and managed to get the black (Tamiya) on the ends, and RPSI grey on the roof.

15 minutes later removed the tape, will leave for 24hrs to allow it to dry and cure before gloss varnish tomorrow for RPSI decals.

Still keen to get my trusty Veda back working again if nothing else as a backup.

Two more GSVs nearing the end of the workbench line, I seem to be collecting GSVs, EGVs and Brake vans.  Mk3 EGV kit bash still to come. Its too hot this weather for all the cutting and filing needed for it.

[Noel]

On 8/13/2020 at 4:26 PM, murphaph said:

@Noel what are, in your opinion the best donor coaches for mkIII resprays? 

In retrospect if using Hornby only the newer longies with 8 windows are suitable for respray, because both the old and new form of the Hornby shorties have stupid window glazing which cannot have individual windows remove leaving only the option of masking each window individually. They don't have raised edges. A total PITA, I've two useless shortie donors that'll be going back on ebay in BR blue livery.

[Noel]

Got the lights fixed in the spray booth. This thing is very hand when damp or cold weather forces one to paint indoors, sends smells and vapours out the window through the fan hose, so spraying inside the house becomes safe and possible.

When airbrushing at the workbench my Covid-19 Darth Spray gear comes in handy  

[Noel]

This Hornby shortie is going to be a challenge to respray, because the glazing is part of the coach body and not removable or easily maskable. Luckily thought the BR swallow livery has back panel surrounding the windows like CIE ST livery, so that might help if I mask over the entire black panel and respray the rest of the coach. Got the donors for a song on eBay so they owe me nothing. if it goes horribly wrong I might just paint it all over some sort of imaginary  PW crew coach livery (ie canteen + rest area) to run with PW trains. Whatever colour it ends up it certainly won't be any shade of yellow. Possibly grey lined, or green'n'grey.

[Noel]

Hycote subsitue plastic grey primer getting good use on these Lima donors

[Noel]

Very strange behaviour. Totally befuddled at what's happening here. After priming this mk3 respray noticed this strange reaction with one of the paint stripes on the original BR swallow livery (see pic below). Since rubbed it down and re-primed, seems ok now. Anybody ever have primer react with RTR model paint like this before? The donors were Lima mk3 rather than the usual Hornby.

[flange lubricator]

Would you be better striping the coach in brake cleaner before priming .

 

[Noel]

8 minutes ago, flange lubricator said:

Would you be better striping the coach in brake cleaner before priming .

 

Thanks FL, I don't know. I've never had to do that before on resprays, just a clean, light rub and Halfords. I suppose its an option but an additional two steps in future. 

[irishthump]

22 minutes ago, flange lubricator said:

Would you be better striping the coach in brake cleaner before priming .

 

Ewww.... brake fluid?  You use that on the wrong plastic and you'll get a mess!

[popeye]

May be it's been painted before with acrylic paint or varnish. odd. 

[flange lubricator]

9 hours ago, irishthump said:

Ewww.... brake fluid?  You use that on the wrong plastic and you'll get a mess!

I have used it successfully on Lima bodies but like any type of paint stripping do a small patch test first before submerging the model in it .

[Noel]

A light bit of weathering done on B134

Love this livery and these superb Murphy Models

Ready to depart Woodvale Junction

Local goods train about to be marshalled into the yard.

Edited September 27, 2020 by Noel

[David Holman]

Brings a fine model to life. Top job.

[Robert Shrives]

On 9/14/2020 at 8:47 PM, Noel said:

Very strange behaviour. Totally befuddled at what's happening here. After priming this mk3 respray noticed this strange reaction with one of the paint stripes on the original BR swallow livery (see pic below). Since rubbed it down and re-primed, seems ok now. Anybody ever have primer react with RTR model paint like this before? The donors were Lima mk3 rather than the usual Hornby.

Hi What has happened here is that the tampo printed lining has reacted - it is printed in an ink not a paint - another confuser in colour matching ! and this is ink has reacted. Stripping as you say is the only way forward. 

Robert  

[Noel]

Got B135 weathered in the past few days. Mostly powders and a tiny bit of airbrush.

B135 imaginary 1968

B135 hauls a local mixed branch train passengers + goods

[burnthebox]

On 31/8/2020 at 8:34 PM, Noel said:

Hi Noel, mind me asking you about this photo, do you have 3 of those Tamiya spray stands, thanks Paul 

[murphaph]

On 15/8/2020 at 10:12 PM, Noel said:

In retrospect if using Hornby only the newer longies with 8 windows are suitable for respray, because both the old and new form of the Hornby shorties have stupid window glazing which cannot have individual windows remove leaving only the option of masking each window individually. They don't have raised edges. A total PITA, I've two useless shortie donors that'll be going back on ebay in BR blue livery.

Just by chance I discovered I have one of these lying around. I had a look at the inside and yeah it would be a nightmare to respray. The whole side panel of the coach is the glazing plastic just painted where the steel if the coach should be. I was hoping to use this as a practice coach but I won't bother. I have cheap Lima mk2s on the way for my first forays into respraying.