The Atlantic and Southern Build Thread Continued, Part 3

[ACL1504]

The rest of the day was devoted to switching around the Tahope area and engaging in B.S., which we tend to do every Saturday. 

Hope y'all had as much fun today as Tom and I did. 

OHE

Bill,

Yes, we had a great time this past Saturday. As you know, I was a bit frustrated with the ten wheeler but after a while it got fixed and now runs like a Swiss watch.

Railroad modeling, great friends, BBQ and BSing just seems to go together.

Tom

[ACL1504]

I did not have even a quarter of the fun that the two of you enjoyed and I am soooo jealous!

Jerry,

We can fix that, come on down and join the fun.

It is amazing how much time passes when doing just a few simple switching and motive power moves. It was really fun moving it all around.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Tom, how wide is that shelf? Looks pretty compact but there's a lot action packed in there.

Vince,

All the bench work is no wider than 24 inches. All three levels are at this same width. With the 24 inches there isn't any spot on the layout I can't reach to work on.

I had areas on my old layout that were almost 5 ft. from isle to wall and a ladder was required to work on scenery, track and structures. I vowed to never do that again.

Now, when more than five people are over, it is a little cramped. However, I built this layout for me and one other. So it is friendly to the builder/owner.


Tom

[ACL1504]

I'm one of those guys who believe that paint and sound have scale. For the purpose of this post, I'll just deal with paint.

Floquil, Polly Scale, Scalecoat, Model Master, Tamiya, etc. and etc. are all paints for scale models.

Yes, we have used large rattle can paints for Hydrocal and wood but not on small, highly detailed plastic structures.

I decided to experiment using both Tamiya and the large rattle can Rust-Oleum for the water tower and cinder conveyor.

The Tamiya paint is #TS-5 Black

The Rust-Oleum is Flat Black. I tried the Rust-Oleum as the can label says it bonds to plastic.



More in a few.

[ACL1504]

I used the Tamiya Black on the cinder conveyor. After spraying the black on the conveyor, I set it aside to dry.

When at the local Hobby Shop, I noticed Tamiya had three black paints - Gloss Black, Matte Black and what I chose Black. I wrongly assumed the Black was flat based on the label of the other two.



When dry, the Tamiya Black had just a slight shine or matte finish. It wasn't flat.

More in a few.

[ACL1504]

The water tower has highly detailed parts on the tower sides and rivets on the tank. Using the large rattle can Flat Black on this model was a bit risky at best.

I held the tower by the tank and sprayed the legs. The label claims this is fast drying paint. After an hour, it was indeed dry. I then held the tower by the legs and sprayed the tank.

When first spraying the tower, the paint went on as a high gloss. I stopped and looked again at the label thinking I picked up the wrong can. Nope, it said Flat Black.

When thoroughly dry, it did dry to a flat black. It didn't go on thick but sprayed evenly. I held the can about 18 inches away from the model when spraying.



Also, I'm happy to report the large rattle can of Rust-Oleum paint didn't cover or hide any of the fine details on the plastic model.

Tamiya cost me $5.75 for the small can. The new price(retail) for Tamiya spray paint now $6.50.

The large can of Rust-Oleum was $3.98 retail and is 12 oz.

I think my go to paint now is the Rust-Oleum Painter's touch primer.

[jrmueller]

Tom - It's interesting to see that the Rustoleum didn't cover the Fine details on the tower. I have used it for painting larger areas on a regular basis but stayed clear of the small stuff. Thanks for doing the "research." Jim

[Janbouli]

Nice comparison Tom , but you did compare compare normal black with flat black. Not sure if it's the same in the rest of the world and America but Matte means flat, so you should have used the Tamiya Matte Black.

[NKP768]

I used this paint (along with a can of Walmart Krylon) about 6 months ago while working on a 1/8 scale T bucket kit and had the same results. The paint first appears too thick when first sprayed on the parts but after drying it settles into the small details and depending on the level of gloss is even and consistent across the parts. I did have some issues with the Krylon crazing the plastic in some areas but considering the plastic in this kit was 50 years old and I didn't use a primer I found the results acceptable. Once again thanks for the tips Tom.

Doug

[PRR Modeler]

Thanks for the comparison Tom. I've used the Krylon before but not the Tamiya rattle can.

[ACL1504]

Tom - It's interesting to see that the Rustoleum didn't cover the Fine details on the tower. I have used it for painting larger areas on a regular basis but stayed clear of the small stuff. Thanks for doing the "research." Jim

Jim,

You are welcome. I was surprised with the results.

Tom

[Erieman]

Good Morning Tom,


I have stopped using Krylon because all my recent experiences with it have been bad. They continue to use poorly ground pigments and even after shaking the can for quite a long time, i can have a can that does not deliver paint,it just drools. I complained to the local Ace store and they indicated that Krylon was having production issues.


I have been using flat black from Walmart. Not only is it inexpensive, it covers very well. The Walmart brand is called ColorPlace. I also use the Walmart grey primer called Home Shades. This product is not  found in all stores, but can be ordered thru the Walmart website and delivered to any store you want. I typically buy 6 can at once. I have had no problems with either color. And best of all, they are cheap.


I like the Tamiya paint. They use a very well designed spray nozzle and the pigments are very well ground, producing a very fine spray. They are just expensive.


Frank / Erieman

[ACL1504]

Nice comparison Tom , but you did compare compare normal black with flat black. Not sure if it's the same in the rest of the world and America but Matte means flat, so you should have used the Tamiya Matte Black.

Jan,

I guess matte does mean "not shiny/flat" but for some reason I was thinking the matte meant "satin".

I wonder why they just didn't say Flat Black instead of Black Matte? Who knows, after all they did bomb Pearl Harbor!

Tom

[ACL1504]

I used this paint (along with a can of Walmart Krylon) about 6 months ago while working on a 1/8 scale T bucket kit and had the same results. The paint first appears too thick when first sprayed on the parts but after drying it settles into the small details and depending on the level of gloss is even and consistent across the parts. I did have some issues with the Krylon crazing the plastic in some areas but considering the plastic in this kit was 50 years old and I didn't use a primer I found the results acceptable. Once again thanks for the tips Tom.

Doug

Doug,

The only Krylon I ever used for the hobby was for the turntable pit area. The River Rock was the only color I could find that looked like aged concrete. I had no issues with the paint at all. I typically use the ACE Hardware brand for grays and the primer.

The Rust-Oleum specifically stated it bonds to plastic so I gave it a try with fantastic results.

You are correct in that it did appear to thick when applied but dried to a perfect cover so the rivets showed.

Thanks for the information.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Thanks for the comparison Tom. I've used the Krylon before but not the Tamiya rattle can.

Curt,

Thanks for stopping by. I also like the Tamiya paints but with the new price of $6.50 per can, I'll gladly use the Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch for the plastics. Much cheaper as well.

Tom