# Ready for paint...but how.



## blinkyhill (Dec 29, 2010)

I picked up 2 of Phils Narrow Gauge kits at the convention (boxcar and flatcar) and both are ready for paint. I have never painted before and just got my airbrush for Christmas. What type of paint should i use/not use. I an not that worried about weathering them very much as that skill will be worked on later.

Thanks for the help

Steve.


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

I prefer Floquil or Scalecoat paint when airbrushing. Nice thin "scale" paint that works great in an airbrush. Lots of railroad specific colors as well from both manufacturers. 


Floquil and Scalecoat are solvent based paints. So they need lots of good ventilation when you're painting or the fumes can get to you. They also take some time to fully dry. I like to wait a week after painting before I apply any decals or transfers.


I avoid water based paints when airbrushing if I can. G scale models need lots of paint and this takes time. The longer you spend time painting means the more time there is for the paint to dry in the airbrush. Water based paints dry quicker so that's why I avoid them when doing any G scale painting. They can be a real pain to clean out of an airbrush.


For best results, I follow a paint thinning chart that Model Railroader magazine issued many years ago on how to thin model paints. I scanned this chart, but it is a large image so I linked it rather then post it here due to this large size. Below is the link:

Paint Thinning Chart


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

Steve- Let me confuse you a bit. I did my first loco painting job last winter. I decided on Polly S because the guy at the train(only) store told me Floquil was being discontinued because of the chemicals involved. I still don't believe that (I rather dislike his store, actually), but I suppose anything's possible.

I found Polly S to be very easy to use, covered well, dried fast enough that I never left fingerprints by testing to see if it was dry yet. (I have the patience of a three-year old.) I painted the underside that no one ever sees, and the truck side frames, with a black acrylic from a hobby store - 99 cents for a bottle twice the size of Polly S.

My cheapo - $14.95 - Harbor Freight air brush did a fine job and wasn't any more of a PITA to wash out than I would expect of any airbrush. Both Polly S and the acrylic cleaned out just fine. And a bonus since I do my painting in the basement, no dangerous fumes, no need for an exhaust fan, etc.











All this is not to say that Floquil or Scalecoat couldn't do a better job - they are thinner and probably can give a good airbrusher a bit more crisply defined details. But my railroad is on the ground, so this photo is way closer than I ever get to the S4.

My GP-40 is totally disassembled now and been run through the dishwasher, so I'll be starting the painting process this weekend. I'll also be un-painting the yellow battery boxes on the S4. I don't know what I was thinking.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

For box cars--especially wood box cars--you don't need an airbrush or anything fancy. If you're after a specific prototype color, then you're limited to whomever makes that particular color. Floquil and Scalecoat both make railroad colors in spray cans, which are more than adequate for this scale (and a great deal quicker and easier than messing with the airbrush. Large scale takes a LOT of paint compared to HO scale). If you're after more generic colors, or the colors are basic to begin with, you can use Krylon, Rustoleum, or whoever's particular brand of spray paint you prefer. I've used Krylon in years past, but they've changed their formula of late, and I've not been terribly impressed with their new formulation. I got some Valspar spray paint for an unrelated project the other day that seemed to work very well. 

Since these are wood kits, you needn't even use sprays at all, you can easily brush paint them. You may or may not want to prime them first due to the white metal castings and brass railings, that's up to you. I've done both with equal results. The thinner paints (ModelFlex, etc) don't play as well with un-primed metal parts as their thicker counterparts (FolkArt acrylics, etc.), so you may want to consider a primer coat if you're going to use the "high-dollar" paints. I only use them when there's a very speciific color I need. The inexpensive acrylics work for 90% of what I paint, and I haven't fired my airbrush up in over a year. 

Later, 

K


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## GarryNCGRR (Jan 18, 2008)

JackM......just a quick question, what blue paint did you use on your S4? Really like it, just about the perfect blue for my next paint job.

GarryNCGRR 

Sorry ...this is no help for the original question.


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## Bighurt (Sep 15, 2009)

JackM, thanks for posting the pic I've been hoping to see pics of your loco at some point. Your avatar has intrigued me for quite some time. Good to see the actual object in a sizable image. Looks great!


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

Thanks for the compliments, guys. Don't know when I've been more surprised with something as I've been with airbrushing. 

I'm totally non-creative visually and always thought only an artist could use an airbrush. I'm no artist; I have a problem with stick figures. So my paint scheme isn't very fancy, and perhaps a bit gaudy. I wanted it to be visible in the grass from fairly long distances since I expect my layout to expand toward the end of the backyard which is over100 feet. 

I'm using Polly S paints: D&H Avon Blue and Erie/Lackawanna Yellow. Decals from Stan Cedarleaf. Font I found on a website showing 100,000 fonts. Took me three days to click thru them all. 

JackM


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