Painting and Lining Model Locomotives and Coaches E-Book

Geoff Haynes

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 193

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

This lavishly illustrated book provides guidance on how to transform your model from its bare structure to a realistic finish. This new book provides: a guide for both beginners and the more experienced, covering all scales and gauges; advice on the selection of airbrushes, compressors and essential tools; a simple three-step process to clean and prepare your model for painting; guidance on dealing with faults and paint problems; instruction on the pros and cons of the different ways to produce lines; tips to help you produce consistent fine lines with a bow pen; how to get the best out of transfers and the different types available, and finally, basic weathering techniques using a variety of methods. With over 500 colour photographs it will help even the beginner to produce a realistic life-like model.

Leseprobe

PAINTING AND LINING MODEL LOCOMOTIVES AND COACHES

PAINTING AND LINING MODEL LOCOMOTIVES AND COACHES

GEOFF HAYNES

First published in 2019 by The Crowood Press Ltd Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 2HR

This e-book first published in 2019

www.crowood.com

© Geoff Haynes 2019

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 628 9

All photographs by Tony Wright unless stated otherwise

CONTENTS

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1INTRODUCTION

2TOOLS FOR THE JOB

3PREPARATION

4USING AN AIRBRUSH

5PAINTING

6BOW PENS AND OTHER LINING PENS

7LINING

8ADDING LETTERING AND NUMBERS, AND VARNISHING

9WEATHERING

BIBLIOGRAPHY

SUPPLIERS

INDEX

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my parents, Rosemary and Peter. It was my dad who first got me into modelling, helping me to select tools and my first airbrush, just after my 10th birthday. It was my mum who allowed the kitchen to become a spraying area, and for modelling – including painting – to take place in the lounge.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book would not have been possible without the excellent photographic skills of Tony Wright. On no fewer than six occasions, he came to my work room and spent the majority of the day photographing various models in progress. He also did 10 photo sessions for me in his studio. For this I thank him sincerely.

I must also thank my brother Ivan, who proofread my workings, and was constantly available to bounce off ideas throughout the writing process.

My thanks also go to Alan Brackenborough, whom I have known for as long as I can remember, as he is a friend of my parents. Alan represents the benchmark in model painting and is probably the most revered professional model painter in the business. I have early memories of watching him spraying in his basement and painting in his work room, which had a particularly memorable and (to me at least) pleasant smell of turps. His table was normally full of models, each at a different stage of painting. He has been a point of reference and advice over the years, both before and after I turned professional.

The late Alan Browning was a major influence on my early years in railway modelling. With an eye for detail, he inspired me to identify the variances between locomotives of the same class, and showed me how to model that detail.

Finally, I thank Sue my partner, and our two daughters Joanna and Abbey, for their support while I was writing this book.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

I have always wanted to paint my own models. I first started spray-painting at the age of 10 with the old Humbrol airbrush. After a trip to the Farnborough Airshow, I received a number of plastic aircraft kits for my 10th birthday, and my dad encouraged me to spend some of my birthday money on some paint, and on that airbrush. My pocket money would not stretch to the cans available for the supply of air, so we obtained a car wheel and tyre and used that for the purpose. Having then got into modelling ex-Midland LMS, I built up a small collection of plain matt black liveried locomotives and one black loco, which was lined by my dad. After a few years, I felt it was time to upgrade my airbrush, and I bought a Paasche, along with a simple compressor. Feeling brave, I had a go at a crimson loco, which I lined to a reasonable standard with Rotring-type pens and water-based paint. I then built a number of coaches that needed lining in LMS livery, and achieved success again with the Rotring pens. However, I realized that, in order to get the range of colours I needed for other liveries and to obtain more consistent performance, I would need to develop my skills with a bow pen. I also upgraded my compressor to a larger model, this time with a reservoir. I started to spray finishes that were not just matt and it was at this point I realized that my technique was not correct. After a lot of practice and research, I worked out what I was doing wrong and was able to change my approach.

My first commission, photographed on the client’s layout. The loco is a GWR Bulldog, from a Martin Finney kit.PAUL BASON

The LNER Silver Jubilee train, photographed on Tony Wright’s layout of Little Bytham. The coaches are built from Marc Models kits and the loco is a repainted Hornby model, supplied by the client.

The first model that I built as a commission was back in 2004. I was to paint the chassis mainframes satin black, and then return the reassembled model for painting by someone else. It felt strange to me to be letting go a part-completed model. I completed three commissions in total to this specification. By 2006, I was introduced to someone who wanted a GWR Bulldog built for his OO layout. This relationship developed, and I ended up building two more locos for him in O gauge, and then painting and lining a GWR King, an auto coach, a Banana railcar, and a pair of B set coaches, all in O gauge. I continued to take a very small number of complete build and paint commissions over subsequent years, fitting them between the day job and my own modelling. In the spring of 2014, I decided that I would make the model-making my day job. My intention was to provide a building service that included painting, lining and weathering to clients’ specifications. However, as word has spread, I have taken in a number of painting and lining, and also weathering, commissions, which I am fitting in and around the building jobs.

This book aims to cover all the main areas of painting railway models, including the preparation, which actually goes back to the building part of the process, the priming and the main colours. Then I will look at ways to apply lining to models, with step-by-step photos. The application of lettering, numbering and decals comes next; I always get the lining done before applying decals, as lining is generally by far the longer job and I want to minimize the risk of damage to transfers by handling. Occasionally, I have been unhappy with a result and have decided to start over. In such cases, if I had already put the transfers on, they would have been lost. On the other hand, if a transfer needs to be removed, it is easy to do this with no damage to the paint underneath. The next stage is varnishing, then in the last chapter I will take a brief look at the weathering process.

An O gauge Bachmann Brassworks King, painted and lined for the same client as the Bulldog – my first attempt at lining in 7mm scale.

My own Duchess of Sutherland, built from a Martin Finney kit, seen on my O gauge garden line. The coaches were built by Brian Flanagan.

CHAPTER TWO

TOOLS FOR THE JOB

Part of the process of making models, whichever outline you choose, is painting. For some, it is the highlight of a project; for others, it is a chore. What is certain is that, as the paint is applied, a model really starts to come to life.

BRUSHING OR SPRAYING?

There are a number of approaches to painting. The first decision is whether to brush-paint or to spray. I prefer to spray as much as possible, and to avoid brush-painting of anything other than very small areas. I feel that I can obtain a better finish with an airbrush. Unlike many other professional model painters, I will always spray buffer beams, for example. I have never been happy with brush-painting these, but this does mean that I am faced with some time-consuming and tricky masking situations.

Spraying can be done from a can or by using an airbrush. Some manufacturers supply model paint in spray cans, but, rather than using the can to apply the paint, I prefer to transfer it into a jar, adjust the thinning, and then spray the paint through an airbrush. I have used cans of car paint to spray directly on to a model – normally a primer and very occasionally a top coat – but I much prefer having the control afforded by spraying through an airbrush. The surface of a model is not always flat; it can have internal corners and items of detail can create shadows. Using an airbrush allows the painter to vary the amount of paint to suit these situations.

If a model requires lining, this can be achieved with either transfers or paint. I have come across two types of lining transfer: Pressfix and waterslide, which will be covered in more detail later on. There is a specific lining pen available, often seen at exhibitions, but it will not paint lines thin enough for the smaller scales. Painting with Rotring-type pens is relatively easy, but the flow of paint is rather inconsistent over time, and each pen will only deliver one thickness of line. Lining with bow pens is probably the most common, but it does take some preparation and practice.

TOOLS FOR SPRAYING

When I first started spraying models in my youth, I powered my airbrush with a car tyre mounted on a wheel (an inner tube alone lacked the necessary power). Needless to say, the pressure was never constant, as the tyre was always deflating itself, but it was acceptable for what I was doing then. I still have a couple of models that were sprayed using the car tyre and my old Humbrol airbrush. I did have an air canister, but only one; knowing that this would cost pocket money to replace, I never actually used it.

I have since then had experience with two types of compressor. I bought a Rotring compressor at the same time as my Paasche airbrush. Again, this worked fine, but there was a feeling of the air pulsing as it emitted from the airbrush. There can of course be no substitute for a compressor with its own reservoir, complete with a moisture trap, and a pressure control valve. This allows you to regulate the air pressure of each airbrush, and according to each type of paint, and be assured of a steady pulse and a free flow of air. It is vital to keep an eye on the pressure, however, as some spray jobs can easily use more than one tank full. It is possible to get around this by leaving the compressor switched on, so that, when the pressure in the tank gets down to a certain level, the compressor will recharge it. It does tend to make you jump out of your skin when you are concentrating hard on a complex job and the compressor suddenly comes back to life. With this compressor, as the pressure in the tank starts to get low, the regulated output connected to my airbrush seems to increase. If I have not at that point already noticed that the pressure is getting low, this serves as a prompt.

My first compressor. It has no reservoir of air, so runs constantly, and it delivers air with a pulse rather than a constant flow.

My current compressor. Similar examples are available from various tool suppliers for a reasonable price. This one came with a number of attachments, including a spray gun (a little too big for model painting), an air line, and a tyre inflator. It saves paying to use the air line at the local petrol station!

My fleet of three airbrushes: (top right) the Paasche VL; (underneath) the PremiAir G35; and (left) the Iwata TR2.

This type of equipment need not be expensive. My compressor was an Aldi ‘special buy’ a number of years ago, and came with a number of other accessories, including a spray gun and a tyre inflator for my car, all for about £50. I have seen similar offers over the years, and this type of compressor also appears in tool retailers’ catalogues.

I no longer have my original Humbrol airbrush. The air valve started leaking after a number of years and I felt it was time to upgrade to something a little more serious. The various types of airbrush include internal mix and external mix. The external-mix airbrush is the rather more basic model, which works by way of the air blowing across the nozzle at the top of the paint container. The flow of paint is controlled by the height of the nozzle. As the name implies, with the internal-mix airbrush, the mixing of the air and paint occurs inside the tool. The flow of paint is controlled by a needle valve inside the airbrush. Airbrush types are further divided into single-action and dual-action. With a single-action airbrush, the button operates just the air, switching it on and off. The needle inside the needle valve can be moved by a separate control, normally at the back of the airbrush. This means that the flow of paint is constant whilst you are spraying. With a dual-action airbrush, the button or trigger operates the air flow in the same way as a single-action airbrush, but, as the button is moved backwards, first the air is switched on, then the paint is gradually introduced. The further the button is moved back, the more paint is emitted.

The spray booth is made of hardboard and the fan fits on to ducting that goes out through an external wall. All the components for this project were bought from a local DIY store for a few pounds.

Looking upwards at my spray booth lighting, simply a household low-voltage light set with some daylight LED bulbs. Each lamp can be positioned easily by hand.

Once you have spraying equipment, you also need somewhere to use it. I used to spray in the kitchen, taking the time to lay out plenty of newspaper first, then giving the room a good airing afterwards. Now, I have a room dedicated to model-making – an integral garage, which was converted into a spare room a number of years ago. My spraying area is set up in one corner. The spray booth is simply three pieces of hardboard fitted together and painted white. (It does not stay white for very long, so every so often it is whitewashed again.) There is a fan fitted in a hole in the back piece of hardboard, connected to some ducting that goes to an external wall. It is very important to have an extraction system when working with cellulose paint and thinners, to avoid inhaling the potentially harmful fumes. You should also have dedicated lighting for the spray booth or spraying area, as it is imperative to be able to see clearly how paint lands on the surface being painted.

Both my lights came from The Craft Light company. The large main light is the LED Adjusta lamp, 1500 lumen 12-watt, and has four settings of brightness. The smaller lamp on the left has a high-definition 6-watt LED bulb, which provides a very strong localized beam that has to be seen to be appreciated.

I wear glasses for reading and model-making, but I need further magnification when lining. This device comes with four different magnifying lenses.

Even with an extractor fan, I still use a face mask whilst spraying. I also use a rubber glove on my left hand, which is the one I use to hold the model.

Even though I use an extractor fan, I strongly recommend the wearing of a mask. My mask came from the catalogue of one of the many DIY and tool supplier chains.

TOOLS FOR LINING

I now exclusively use bow pens for painting lines on models. A long time ago, I used Rotring-type pens with paint, and these are still available from some suppliers. The advantage with the Rotring-type pen is that it is relatively easy to use and produces a consistent line. However, over time, despite keeping the pens clean and flushing through with cleaning fluid after use, they are prone to blocking. Also, each pen can only produce one width of line. Even though it is possible to paint thicker lines by repeating a line adjacent to the line just painted, this is not always practical. As a result, you need a number of pens in order to achieve the variety of line thicknesses required. I had two or three pens in the tool kit, giving line thicknesses of 0.13mm, 0.25mm and 0.5mm.

Today, I have two bow pens in regular use. One is a general pen that I bought from new from an art and stationery supplier some 30 years ago. I cannot recall the actual price, but it was significantly less than £5. It has needed some work to be able to produce the narrow lines that I require; for more on the detail of this work, see later. An added advantage of this pen is that one of the blades pivots, which makes cleaning so much easier. I am not sure where my other bow pen came from. My dad spent some time working as a draughtsman, many years ago, and I came across this pen in a box of bits. I then found a way of fitting it to a set of compasses, for use in painting curves.

I have two bow pens in regular use for lining, and two very fine high-quality brushes.

Also needed for lining are some high-quality paintbrushes. I have two Winsor and Newton series 7 brushes, size 000 and 00, which are used for painting the curves that join vertical lines and horizontal lines. I also have some similar fine brushes (but perhaps less expensive) for tidying work after lines and curves have been painted. These are also used on the relatively few occasions when I brush-paint areas.

Finally, lining requires some decent lighting and some magnification. My lights come from a specialist supplier of lighting, The Craft Light Company. As with many people, middle age has brought on a degree of long-sightedness and a need for some additional assistance, along with my reading/modelling glasses. This magnifying visor comes with four levels of magnification; I use the second level. It also comes with an LED light, but I find it too small. With my main working lights (I use both when lining), I have sufficient light.

TOOLS FOR VARNISHING AND WEATHERING

You do not need much more equipment for varnishing and weathering than you already have for painting and lining. Varnish is applied by spraying, and weathering can be achieved either by spraying or brushing, more likely by a combination of both. However, it is certainly worth having a specific set of brushes for weathering, rather than using those that you have for lining and general brush-painting. This is because weathering can be rather harsher on your expensive front-line brushes. Other than that, in recent years an extensive range of weathering products has emerged, giving you a difficult choice to make.

Finally, there are two other ‘tools’ that you will need in abundance: patience and practice. I hope that the subsequent chapters will give you some inspiration and confidence to take your own modelling a step or two further.

CHAPTER THREE

PREPARATION

When painting, and particularly when spraying, the job is made more manageable if the surface to be painted is as flat as possible, and without corners to spray into or adjacent surfaces to catch overspray. Whilst the side of a coach is relatively flat and simple, a steam locomotive is quite the opposite, with corners at the places where parts fit to the footplate and where the firebox meets the cab. Items of detail create shadow areas, which can prevent sprayed paint landing in the right place on the area behind. A large proportion of a locomotive is far from flat.

In an ideal world, preparation for the painting stage would start early on in the building process. In terms of a locomotive, it might be expected that the chassis would be removable from the body. However, this surprisingly is not always the case, with some chassis parts being permanently fitted to the body. Even when the chassis can be removed from the body, it may not come apart far enough. The next question is whether the body can be dismantled into any sub-assemblies, and how far the coaches can be prised apart.

THE BUILDING STAGE

Coaches

Generally, there are three ways that coaches can be dismantled:

1.The roof can be permanently attached to the body, and the body can be removed from the underframe.

2.The roof can be removable from the body, and the body permanently attached to the underframe.

3.The roof can be removable from the body, and in turn the body can be removed from the underframe. From a painting perspective, this is the best arrangement.

RTR coaches have a removable roof and underframe. On some coaches, the roof and underframe are separate, however the body without a roof or underframe needs careful handling, as it can be weak. I have also built coaches with a fixed roof in situations where a removable roof would not provide the best all-round fit to the body. Finally, I have been presented with coaches to paint that have a removable roof and a fixed underframe. This is the least manageable arrangement, as it is easier to mask the roof than the underframe.

Whilst considering the build of the coach body, its strength is greatly enhanced if any partitions are built into the sides, but this means that either the coach interior is more difficult to paint, or any further detail (seating, and so on) needs to be painted first then added later.

Dismantling coaches on a ready-to-run model.

This coach separates from the underframe. Glazing is attached as units and clipped into place. On this example, the roof is part of the body shell.

One of my painting commissions, this restaurant triple set is now running on its owner’s layout.

The first class restaurant car shown dismantled. The body separates from the underframe, but the roof is permanently fixed to the body. The result is a very strong shell, with access to the interior, and no underframe to mask, as that is painted separately. An added bonus is a removable interior, which again makes painting easier.