09-26-2009, 07:51 PM
The sandblasting is done with a Badger 260 abrasive gun. More info here: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.badgerairbrush.com/Badger_260.asp">http://www.badgerairbrush.com/Badger_260.asp</a><!-- m --> .The abrasive gun normally uses 220 grit fine sand. I find it is to abrasive and can damage the brass if one is not carefull. The sand also will strip the solder away from areas very easy which can be a problem if it is solder you do not want removed. 
I use baking soda as it is just abrasive enough to take the paint off and and tarnish but does not damage the brass. Even if you keep the jet of baking soad in one place for a few minutes. I have used it to remove baked on Scale Coat paint and the paint came of like nothing.
My routine for painting is to sandblast everything ( except drivers, any other wheels, valve gear and side rods ) with baking soda to remove any left over paint and clear lacquer. I then wash the parts in soapy water and rinse. Then everything except the above listed parts gets a dip in lacquer thinner to remove any oil or grease that the soapy water missed. I then let the parts dry and then dip the brass parts in vinegar for 15 to 20 minutes. This etches the brass just a little bit and helps the paint get a good hold and removes any stubburn tarnish that the sanblasting missed. The parts are then rinsed in cold water. Just before painting I wash the parts in 99% alcohol and blow dry with a hair dryer. Then it is straight to the paint booth.
It may seem like a lot of cleaning steps but seeing as I use water based acrylics I like to make sure everything is good and clean. I also do not use primer if the locomotive will be all black as it is one or two less coats of paint to obscure the details. So far I have ended up with durable paint jobs without using smelly paints and having to bake the parts to dry them. Unfortunatly when it comes time for the clear coats I still use testor Dullcoat and Glosscoat. I have not had much luck with the water based clear coats.
I will be sure to post pictures of the finished locomotive. I may end up having two to paint as while I am waiting for the rain to go away I am going to install a can motor and NWSL gearbox in the CNR 2-8-2 I bought and get the wiring done on itas well as set up for sound. It will needed to be painted with the same warm black paint so maybe I can get two done in one painting session.
Wayne Reid
I use baking soda as it is just abrasive enough to take the paint off and and tarnish but does not damage the brass. Even if you keep the jet of baking soad in one place for a few minutes. I have used it to remove baked on Scale Coat paint and the paint came of like nothing. My routine for painting is to sandblast everything ( except drivers, any other wheels, valve gear and side rods ) with baking soda to remove any left over paint and clear lacquer. I then wash the parts in soapy water and rinse. Then everything except the above listed parts gets a dip in lacquer thinner to remove any oil or grease that the soapy water missed. I then let the parts dry and then dip the brass parts in vinegar for 15 to 20 minutes. This etches the brass just a little bit and helps the paint get a good hold and removes any stubburn tarnish that the sanblasting missed. The parts are then rinsed in cold water. Just before painting I wash the parts in 99% alcohol and blow dry with a hair dryer. Then it is straight to the paint booth.
It may seem like a lot of cleaning steps but seeing as I use water based acrylics I like to make sure everything is good and clean. I also do not use primer if the locomotive will be all black as it is one or two less coats of paint to obscure the details. So far I have ended up with durable paint jobs without using smelly paints and having to bake the parts to dry them. Unfortunatly when it comes time for the clear coats I still use testor Dullcoat and Glosscoat. I have not had much luck with the water based clear coats.
I will be sure to post pictures of the finished locomotive. I may end up having two to paint as while I am waiting for the rain to go away I am going to install a can motor and NWSL gearbox in the CNR 2-8-2 I bought and get the wiring done on itas well as set up for sound. It will needed to be painted with the same warm black paint so maybe I can get two done in one painting session.
Wayne Reid