# Painting a loco cab -- Need advice



## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Going to be starting a live steamer soon and want to paint the cab something like this:











How would you guys do a 3 tone job like that?

Many thanks in advance, Bob


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## astrayelmgod (Jan 2, 2008)

Dunno how anybody here would do it, but on the TV shows that follow custom vehicle builders/rebuilders/etc they would start by painting everything white then put masking tape over the parts that are supposed to end up white; paint the whole thing brown or whatever that color is; mask that off; paint everything red, then peel off the tape. Works for them, but I have never tried it and can't say if there would be issues translating to a small engine/car.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Something I intend to try as soon as I get around to it is spraying with an airbrush through a silkscreen. As the paint from the airbrush is thin and partly dried before it ever hits the surface I suspect there will be no bleed-under problems. The only downside I can see for your application is you may not get the gloss finish you're after, but that could be fixed with an overspray of glossy clearcoat. One custom made silkscreen (not hugely expensive) could have all the masks you need on a single screen - including lettering. 

'Course this is all still theory at this stage. I have an old torn screen I salvaged from the trash at work. I plan to make a test soon.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Black first, then mask off with good masking tape (I've hear Micro-Mark sells some good stuff though I've not tried it). Paint the red. For the lines, you have two options. You can get white vinyl tape in widthds down to 1/32". Apply that, then overspray everything with a clearcoat to seal the vinyl to the surface. Alternatively, you can get a white lining pen and use that. Takes a straight edge and a steady hand, but I've seen locos done with that and it's pretty sharp. 

Good luck. 

Later, 

K


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## Andre Anderson (Jan 3, 2008)

Actually you want to paint the red first as it is a semi translucent color and does not cover darker colors well, yellow also has this problem. I get the best masking tape at an automotive paint supply store. 3m has several masking tapes for the automotive industry that work well for our hobby. One of them is called pullout tape ( http://www.shop3m.com/70016026901.html ). This tape has 1/16" serrations that can be pulled out once the tape is in place giving a perfect stripe in 1/16", 1/8" 3/16" and so forth. If I was going to paint this locomotive I would mask where the black paint is to go and then paint the red first over a white or very light grey primer, then mask of the red and paint the black. The reason to mask the area of the black is so that when you paint the black it will butt up against the red. block sand every thing so that there is no bump, the level of the black matches the red. Then I would lay out the stripes with the pull out tape mask either side of the pull out tape and shoot the white. Sand every thing smooth and clear coat the whole thing. 

I use the 3M masking products for all my masking needs, first they have the best cut edge on the market, second they have some of the lowest tacks of any tape and if you get the vinyl tape the most flexible. 


I hope this is of some help.


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

And for my next trick, I'll paint a bunch of angels on the head of a pin. 

JackM


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks guys. With all you input, I think I can pull this off. It looks like long drying period between colors is important too.

Does anyone bake the paint job?


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## Andre Anderson (Jan 3, 2008)

Regarding baking the project, yes I do if it is metal. I set the oven for 200 degrees and when it comes up to that temperature I shut it off and let the residual heat do the drying. First I have remove the masking tape then I put the objects that I have painted in and let them bake for an hour or two. I then pull them out and let them set in a towel covered plastic box for a week, the towel over the top of the box lets air in but keeps out dust and dirt.


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