# Removing lettering from Aristo-Craft Passenger Cars?



## noela (May 22, 2008)

Hi,
Not sure if this is the correct forum to be with this issue, but, if not, please re-direct me.
I need to remove, and then re-letter, 3 Aristo-Craft Heavyweight Passenger Cars. Once I am done with the removal, I will be getting the decals from Stan to do the re-lettering.
I would, if at all possible, just remove the letters, and not the paint underneath, so that I could prep the area for the new decals and apply.
I have done extensive painting and lettering in N-Scale, but this would be my first G-Scale project involving stripping the old letters and then decalling. 
Is there a tried and true method of doing this?
Needless to say, any suggestions and/or comments are greatly appreciated.
Thank you


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Noel..... Per your quote.. 

"Is there a tried and true method of doing this?" I haven't really found one that works all the time. 

The manufacturers will use different formulas for their paint with different manufacturing run on the models so different "techniques" will work one time and not the next. 

What is the road name of the coaches you're removing the lettering? 

To remove the lettering on the heavyweights without taking some of the paint is real tricky. I've used denatured alcohol with a tad bit of lacquer thinner and carefully dabbed it on to remove the lettering. Sometimes it works, sometimes not too well.... I believe most "over the counter" denatured alcohol is 91% but if you can get some 95% it may cut the lettering a bit better. 

In the major liquor stores, you can find a product called "Everclear" Grain Alcohol. It's 95% pure alcohol which might work a bit better. It comes in 50ml miniatures to pints. Just don't drink it, if you do, you'll never get the job done correctly..


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

I would, if at all possible, just remove the letters, and not the paint underneath, so that I could prep the area for the new decals and apply 
The problem is that they don't use decals. The Chinese have perfected a technique of stamping paint on a model. It tends to merge with the paint underneath. 

There's a Polly S product called 'Easy Lift Off' that removes decals and paint... you see the problem.


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Pete Thornton on 05 Dec 2010 08:01 AM 
I would, if at all possible, just remove the letters, and not the paint underneath, so that I could prep the area for the new decals and apply 


The problem is that they don't use decals. The Chinese have perfected a technique of stamping paint on a model. It tends to merge with the paint underneath. 

There's a Polly S product called 'Easy Lift Off' that removes decals and paint... you see the problem. 

We seen some to. 
Trying to get the lettering off leaves an inprint in the org. paint on Aristo crafts stuff.. I tried just about everything and break flud worked the best for us. We then let start lifting the orignal color and then smear the org color around over the letter inprint that was there.. Still can leave a ridge of the lettering some time thro.

Best thing to do is after trying to get the lettering off is to sand a little, repaint the section with a dry brush. Paint or spray it with a gloss sealer for the decal to set up on. After decal is on and set with Delcal lic.set. Spray the hole car with a sealer like a dull coat. or sim.gloss. 
Note.. cover the windows or take them out until final painting. 
Cederleaf will give you instuction on how to put on the decal and prep for them.. Hope this helped. 
We still have a Pacific Tender we re-done and it had the Milwalkee logo on the side of it.. Still can see the inprint of the outline of the logo in difference light even after sanding and repainting..


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## W3NZL (Jan 2, 2008)

I've found over the years that the real problem with removing lettering from these things has more to do with age 
than anything else... Recently produced items R relatively easy to do using the usual sovents mentioned above, 
but once these things get past a couple of years since they were produced, it gets increasingly difficult to remove 
without damageng the paint, once past 5 years old U can pretty well forget removing it without paint damage...
Paul R...


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

I don't know if this will apply to heavyweights, but last winter I re-labeled an Aristo RDC-1, removing its original BCRail name and logos and replacing with my own. Across the top of each side it had a red stripe on top of a white stripe, on a blue background. The blue was close enough to company colors, so that stayed. I remove the white and red stripe by scraping gently, very gently, with an Exacto knife. Stan Cedarleaf decals finished the job.












There was a black BCRail logo at each end of the car. I used good ol' automotive brake fluid and a swab and lots of elbow grease to remove that, and added my company logo there. All the rubbing took a bit of the shine from the steel, but a coat of clear gloss spray pretty well took care of that. I don't have a photo of that handy; I'll try to find one this afternoon and post it.

JackM


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I just wanted to paint over old lettering... Fusion wouldn't cover. Ended up sanding off all lettering and repainting. 

John


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Folks...remember, it's NOT always paint you're removing. Much of the logos and lettering are applied with pad printers...and many pad printers print with INK...not paint. That maybe the reason some of you are seeing that the lettering has bled into the paint....that's what ink does. Alcohol is you best FIRST weapon to try removing inks...and be patient. Let the chemicals do their work.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

I have had real good luck with using Solvset and a pencil that has a course eraser. It takes a little rubbing but the lettering will be gone. It does not effect the paint of the car. I have done 20 Aristo 100 ton hoppers that had to have the numbers removed so that I could have all different car numbers. Worked great. Later RJD


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## noela (May 22, 2008)

Thank you for all the input. Saw the cars he wanted done today. I was under the impression that they were "Pullman Green." Guess what? They're the two tone grey scheme, which means, if I am going to do them, I will have to strip them completely, re-paint and then letter. this wouldn't normally bother me, but I would prefer not to do it. Anybody out there interested in swapping brand new Diner and Coach in NYC? Want SF Diner and Coach. If that doesn't materialize, does anybody know the matching paint for the Santa Fe Series of heavyweights produced by Aristo-Craft? 
Thank you again for all your help.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Noel... I would imagine the color would be Pullman Green... Testor's Pullman Green


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

You could use Scale Coat Pullman green also. Later RJD


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