[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (goedel @ 3 Jan 2008, 06:38) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>After a long delay while I despaired at various alternatives I have just ordered some imitation gold leaf and some Ormoline gold paint in the appropriate "best guess" shades of gold from Gold Leaf Supplies. Fingers crossed one of them will match the transfers and I can get on with the project! In the mean time I will attempt to sand the paint off...

...it is fortunate I have two body shells to use!

***Goedel, an excellent and challenging project. Keep at it = persistence will pay off in the end!

The matching of gold is a huge challenge and I wish you luck. You might like to look at the humbrol (thin with white spirit or similar) , citadel colour (thin with water + a small amount of methylated spirits - abut 20% spirits to water) or US based floquil gold (I also thin this with white spirit).

Remember too that some golds will actually change slightly with the addition of decal setting solutions and top clear coat, usually dulling very slightly...so keep applications of these things as light as you can.

A thought: no need to sand the paint off - there are several brands of plastic compatible paint stripper. A brand I have used for years is "Polly S" which is now I believe distributed by testors who make a huge range of hobby paint. Another I found recently is "Eco strip" which seems to work very well indeed. it is made by Eco solutions Ltd, Winscome North, Somerset, England BS25 1BH.

both are also water soluble and quite safe to use.

Richard

 

[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (goedel @ 4 Jan 2008, 07:07) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Thanks very much for the words of encouragement Richard!

This is particular sounds a much better way of removing the paint! I'll give one of them a try...

Thanks for that Ravenser, I now have three things to try...almost as many as there are incorrect shades of gold to remove!

Hello simon,

The design is too complicated to make from scratch on computer, otherwise I would have had a go myself (which I might try making a Railjet next if a model isn't released before I finish Mozart!)

An alternative would be to use high resolution pictures of the Roco H0 model, but since I was able to contact the original designer of the livery she very kindly helped to make a one-off set of super-high resolution decals from her original design to the measurements I took - it would be hard to get a better finish! This is why I am trying to do justice to the decals by exactly matching the paint.

**Hi again Goedel

Thinking outside the square a little...

Another thought that might make it easier, although I am not sure its reasonable to ask the obviously helpful artist who did the decals for you... time or cost wise.

Is it possible to get another copy of the decal which simply deletes the gold?

Most computer print jobs can be resolved into "layers" and if the gold only is selected and removed (or even just the gold at the extreme left and right, not necessarily the smaller patche within the image) then you will have no matching problems and the final result will inevitably be "right" once you've painted the loco all over with the "almost perfect" Gold.

Kind regards

Richard

 

[Richard Johnson]

QUOTE (goedel @ 9 Jan 2008, 07:29) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Gold-free decals would perhaps have been an idea, however I am afraid getting more decals is not really possible, given the significant cost of the ones I have, and as I understand it would involve major work for the artist who would have to reprocess the design into the different colours for printing etc. etc.

I can't find Polly S or Eco-Strip for sale anywhere, but I have found Modelstrip in an online shop. Would normal paint stripper be too strong or more likely to react with the plastic bodyshell?

Regarding varnishes, I have some normal Humbrol enamel varnish, presumably this can be painted on...but how to get a thin even layer, is it necessary to thin it with something or will I then have fizzing decals?

During the course of the project so far I noticed the inconvenience of having to buy by mail/internet order paint from X, varnish from Y, more paint from Z, etc. etc. and for each postage costs and the chance of it not being delivered. Is the traditional model shop that sells it all in one place just none-existant in the UK (West Midlands...) or am I not looking hard enough? Presumably more generalised model shops that focus on aircraft etc. are the place to go since model aircraft are usually assembled and painted by the modellers, in contrast to how the average model train is arrived at on a layout?

Thanks if anyone can offer some advice! (Oh and the gold leaf arrived today - very almost a perfect match with the decals!!

)

***Hi Goedel

I think this is an excellent project and I'd be happy to help...

If it would make it any easier for you I could go to my supplier and get you a tub of Eco Strip - its a little under $A20 per pot and post would be about $A10 by airmal maximum - probably 7 days to UK, maybe ten to EU (its safe to ship by airmail). If U want to do that let me know with a direct email to me and I'll do it - you could paypal the cost to me once I've got the exact amounts....

One pot will do many models so its quite economical to use.

Regards

Richard