# Painting an Accucraft live steam engine



## dwalker (May 14, 2011)

I have an Accucraft Plantation live steam engine that I want to paint. This is my first live steam loco. I know how to paint electric locomotives, but I am hearing about problems painting live steam due to heat issues.
I want to paint it a weathered bluish black and add decals. 

I know I can't use my normal routine of primer, acrylic paint, gloss coat, decals, dull coat, and weathering...

What are you folks using?


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## Tom Bowdler (Jan 3, 2008)

I have used Krylon, Rust O leum, Valspar and Color Place enamels all in rattle cans. 
Preparation and cleaning the surface is most important. I generally set up the parts on hangars and spray two coats of primer then two coats of color all within an hour since many recommend re-coating within that time or after 48 hours. I then hang them by my coal stove if its running or just let them hang in a warm place for a few days then add decals, transfers, or vinyl letters, coat with flat sealer and weather. 
One smokebox and stack was painted with high temp paint but it probably wasn't necessary since I've painted others as described above. 
I have not had any troubles with the heat of the steamers. 
I've admired that little plantation loky too. 
Post pics of the finished product please. 
Tom


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## Shay Gear Head (Jan 3, 2008)

The cab height bothers me on this loco. The door measures about 5.5 feet in heighth and 17 inches in width. When looking at the loco in profile next to anything in 1:20.3 something ain't right?! Maybe it was run by midgets.


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## Larry Green (Jan 2, 2008)

For the smokebox, stack and to darken the running gear, I use Neolube, a solution of graphite in alcohol. Ordered from Micro-Mark. If it gets rubbed off while cleaning the engine, just apply some more. 
Also ,I use Scotchbrite pads to break the sheen of factory paint, a key to making the new paint stick well. 

Larry


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## Bruce Sherman (Feb 19, 2008)

Brush on acetone or spray brake cleaner to remove oil on surface and between parts. Flush out faying surfaces and interconnected moving parts to avoid oil bleeding to paint. You can do this over a big aluminum roasting pan from the supermarket. Acetone evaporates quickly so you can start painting right away. For really oily locos use "gunk" from the auto supply and water first. Air brush with 70/30 to 50/50 Floquil to thinner mix. I have done 20 Accucraft locos this way, on smoke boxes,and every where else.No primer, no sanding ,nothing else.Weather to your hearts content. This is an out door activity. Lube well after painting. Go get 'em.


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## Ding Dong (Sep 27, 2010)

I've seen Bruce's work at the National Summer Steam-up, and it is truely superb. There are not too many that come up to his standard of excellence when it comes to weathering. So if he says it works, then it works. 

Rob Meadows


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## dwalker (May 14, 2011)

Bruce, are you using the old Floquil paints, or the new ones?

I'm an old timer in the model railroad hobby, and I still have the old Floquil paints around....


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## dwalker (May 14, 2011)

It's a neat little engine. I chose it as my first live steamer because of the price and because it is close to the type of engines used on the Unitah railway.
I may replace the saddle tank with side tanks eventually.

So the Rustoleum and Krylon can take the heat? If so, then I won't have any problem painting the engine.
What about the clear coat? Have you used that on live steam engines?


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

For really oily locos use "gunk" from the auto supply and water first 
The Simple Green "precision equipment degreaser" in the blue bottle has a lot going for it when it comes to cleaning steamers. Just spray it on and rub it off with a brush and running water.


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## Bruce Sherman (Feb 19, 2008)

Whatever Floquil has been selling for the past 8 or 9 years


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## dwalker (May 14, 2011)

I think I'll try Bruce's Floquil method on this locomotive.
He seems to have had good results on several locomotives.

My other choice is to spray Rustoleum thinned with acetone.

Using Floquil, I'll try John Allen's original locomotive paint formula
of 70% flat black, 25%white and 5% boxcar red.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Keep in mind that John Allen was mixing his colors for viewing under indoor lighting. Most live steamers spend the majority of their time running outdoors in natural sunlight, so the 25% white may be a shade or two two light.


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## Shay Gear Head (Jan 3, 2008)

Also remember that several weathered colors of black have been added since J.A. did his work.

There's Grimy Black and Weathered Black.

Just DO NOT use DDV after decal application as it is NOT heat friendly - unless you like greenish locomotives!


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## dwalker (May 14, 2011)

Yes, I forgot about the lighting issue. I'll mess with the formula a bit....


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## dwalker (May 14, 2011)

Posted By Shay Gear Head on 17 May 2011 02:35 PM 



Just DO NOT use DDV after decal application as it is NOT heat friendly - unless you like greenish locomotives!



What should I use after decal application? Any ideas?


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Dwalker, 
Are you putting the decals on the cab? 
I wouldn't have thought that the cab gets that hot, does it? 
Not having one of these locos, I would not know, but on larger tender locos I have just used regular varnishes and clear coats over decals with no problems with discolouration. 
Just make sure that it is compatible with the decals!!!! 
I guess if you try something, and it doesn't work, you can always 'do it again'. 
That's part of the fun of this hobby. 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## GNSteamer (Jan 16, 2008)

Aster locomotives typically have a layer of insulation between the boiler and outer shell allowing the shell to stay much cooler, while Accucraft locomotive boiler shells tend to be attached directly to the boiler and will require at minimum a heat resistant paint, however colors are limited in the rattle can serving. For the best results use an automotive paint system as they are designed to withstand the heat next to engines. I myself have used Scalecoat products on the Aster shells with excellent results, airbrush applied and allowed to bake in a preheated oven with the power off.


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## dwalker (May 14, 2011)

Posted By David Leech on 17 May 2011 09:12 PM 
Dwalker, 
Are you putting the decals on the cab? 
I wouldn't have thought that the cab gets that hot, does it? 
Not having one of these locos, I would not know, but on larger tender locos I have just used regular varnishes and clear coats over decals with no problems with discolouration. 
Just make sure that it is compatible with the decals!!!! 
I guess if you try something, and it doesn't work, you can always 'do it again'. 
That's part of the fun of this hobby. 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada 
I'm going to put decals on the cab and on the saddle tank.
Next time I fire it up, I'll see how hot the saddle tank gets.
If it doesn't get hot, I'll just spray some clear coat over the decals.


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## JoelB (Jan 3, 2008)

Does anyone know of a heat resistant paint that is brush-on? There are some areas on a smokebox that I'd like to weather or touch up where it's not practical to mask off the rest of the model.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Joel; 

Don't know whether it would be thin enough for a gauge 1 locomotive, but I remember that I would use stove paint for our two foot gauge Crown Metal Products 4-4-0's smokebox. The paint was fairly thin when I applied it, and it would cure without a lot of objectionable odor. I tried a mixture of motor oil and graphite once. PHEW!! Never Again! See whether any of the woodstove/fireplace stores in your area carry stove paint. Back when I used it, it was available in quart cans. 

Hope this helps, 
David Meashey


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

While painting my engine i found spray paint for (car) engines which will withstand oil and heat. looked like the ideal thing and has seemed to work well. Unfortunately i could not locate another can of the stuff at my hardware store...probably the car parts place would have it.

Anyhow, the reason for the post is that I wanted to touch up some places and details that were not easily sprayed. I just sprayed a little puddle of paint into a plastic yougurt cup and brushed from there. That works fine. the paint is fairly thin and brushes well with a soft brush. Just the ticket for touching up those scratched cylinders after some rough track does its thing. Obviouisley cleaning the metal is required first as it would be when spraying.

one could also blend paints from rattle cans this way. Might be a way to get high temperature graphite colored smokeboxes. use high temp silver with some black added. I would try it on a scrap to see how it works out first though.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Don't worry about "formulas" or anything like that. Just use black. Our locos are viewed outdoors under natural light, just like the prototype. "Dark grey" locos look just that outdoors, dark grey. Start with black and weather from there. I've used Krylon over the years and found it to be very durable. If I'm painting raw brass, I'll clean with muratic acid first to clean the surface, dry, then prime. I'll follow with the final color within an hour. I've baked some locos for a few hours at 200 degrees, but others I haven't, and I've noticed no difference in durability. Both hold up very well to abuse. 

For clear coat over decals, I've used both Testors Dull Coat and various flavors of Krylon with very good results. Both brands hold up to the heat very well. 

If you're after a graphite smokebox, just use graphite. I use lock lubricant, and just swab it on with a Q-tip. It sticks very well to the paint, and if it rubs off after a while, you just reapply--just like the prototype. 

Later, 

K


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## curn (May 22, 2011)

I also just picked up my first live steam locomotive, an Accucraft forney, a few weeks back, and I'm working on modifying it and repainting it. This tread has been very helpful to me. 

 
One thing I cant figure out is how to remove the drivers. I plan on painting them, and could do it by hand while they are installed, but I would prefer to remove them and spray paint them. Is it possible to remove the drivers from the frame without removing the wheel from the axle? It looks like that is the only way, but but I don't want to re-quarter the drivers if I don't have to.

 
This is what I'm working on:


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## dwalker (May 14, 2011)

Posted By curn on 22 May 2011 12:54 AM 
I also just picked up my first live steam locomotive, an Accucraft forney, a few weeks back, and I'm working on modifying it and repainting it. This tread has been very helpful to me. 


One thing I cant figure out is how to remove the drivers. I plan on painting them, and could do it by hand while they are installed, but I would prefer to remove them and spray paint them. Is it possible to remove the drivers from the frame without removing the wheel from the axle? It looks like that is the only way, but but I don't want to re-quarter the drivers if I don't have to.


This is what I'm working on:


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