painting structures

C

CAS

Member
Apr 10, 2005
242
0
16
62
Chicago, Illinois
Hello everyone. :wave:

need some help here. I have bought some DPM structures, and started painting them. I am useing Delta Ceramcoat.

I have tried useing straight from the bottle. To thick, hides all the details. I then thin with water, and or blue windshield wash. The thinned paint seems to work better, but not to my likings. Not sure if my mixing ratio is correct. Usually 80% paint, 20% water. To me, if i went the other way, 80% water, and 20% paint. I will have more of a wash.

I paint 1 coat, drys very thin. still see the color of the building. Paint another coat, seems to lite yet, and i see brush strokes then. I am useing brushes i bought from Michael's.

What is a good starting ratio to mix my paints to?

thanks,
CAS
 
I am not familiar with Delta Ceramcoat. I can't give any advice specific to that line of paints.

Floquil is the most common line of paints for model railroaders. I've never had any problem at all with it. I generally thin my 3:1 or 1:1 when I'm airbrushing. It is not a water based paint.


If you're building a brick building, you'll probably want to add a cream color for the morter. I've had quite a bit of success with chalk...and then a layer of dullcote.
 
I've never heard of anyone using that brand either. Is it an acrylic? "Ceramcoat" suggests to me a paint to use on ceramic, ie pottery based materials.
I would suggest a trip to the model railroad shop. Also, don't forget that first step of washing all of your plastic pieces in detergent to get the parting agent/mold release off before painting.
 
It is one brand of the water based acryllic craft paints that are sold in Micheals, Wal-Mart, etc. It will work fine for model painting. The only reason to use Floquil is to get railroad colors for rolling stock, and maybe some railroad buildings if they are a specific color that you can't match otherwise. What sort of painting are you intending to do to the DPM buildings? If you are wanting to paint the bricks a different color, it is tedious, but the best way to do it is to paint each brick individually. If you paint each brick individually, you can use the paint full strength. The best way to avoid brush strokes is to thin the paint enough to use an air brush. If you are looking to make the walls a solid color, and don't want to do a lot of fancy striping with the air brush, you can get a single action air brush from Harbor Freight for under $10.00, often on sale for under $5.00. Since the acryllic craft paints are almost as thick as house paint, you will probably need to thin them down to a lot to make them work in the air brush. I'm not sure the exact ratio, You need to thin the paint and try it on a piece of scrap material, and then add more paint or thinner to get it right. In my opinion the best thinner for craft paints is denatured alcohol which you can find in the paint dept at any Home Depot, Lowes, Orchard Supply, etc. One other method that might work to eliminate brush marks without using an airbrush is to check your local builder's supply store in the paint dept for a small detail paint roller 2 inches wide or so. Lay the walls flat and roll the paint on. Again I would thin the paint, and then add coats as needed to get the coverage you like without hiding the detail. If you haven't removed the paint with the brush marks yet, another coat with a paint roller might hide all brush marks. In all of this I am assuming that you are painting the walls before bulding the kit.
 
Not familiar with your brand. I use Testors.

Paint the insides black. Then lights inside will not light up the structure like a christmas tree
 
I use that and other brands of acrylic paint and am right now experiencing the same difficulty. I put 5 coats on and could still see some of the gray primer beneath it. Then it dawned on me. When the second coat is painted on, it is actually softening the first coat since it's a water base paint. I'm trying a little bit heavier coat and painting quickly without going back over the same area too often.

Working around windows and other details is a little tricky also. What I've been doing is paint the building, brushing away any buildup around the windows/other detail, and then going back to paint those later after the first color is dry.

In the case of windows, I'm putting masking tape over the completed areas to reduce the necessity for touch up after the windows are done. I use 3M blue tape for masking.

Hope this helps.

Tom
 
Delta Ceramcoat, It is a water based acrylic craft paints. I have read post here that alot of people use this paint.

I am painting the DPM, Roberts Dry Goods. Working on the windows, sills, and front bottom of the store. I would think painting the windows, sills with a air brush would be very hard to do. Especially if the windows are already attached to the building. And a different color then the sills.

Thank you all for the replys.
CAS
 
Ceramcoat is an acylic best used on wood then plastic. I use it all the time because I work with wood mostly.

I would use what the others suggest for plastic though.
Ceramcoat is mostly for porous materials.

Hope that helps:)
 
I've used Creamcot alot. What I do is use one of those cheap paint dishes, and just put a little in the cup, and add a couple of drops of water to that
Could also be the brush you're using. If its one from a cheap set(like for kids watercolor), its not going to spread real even. I use Better-Halfs(sssshhhh!)brushes that she buys for doing her ceramics with(So I have a multitude of colors to chose from), these are made specifically for that type of paint.
 
FiatFan said:
I use that and other brands of acrylic paint and am right now experiencing the same difficulty. I put 5 coats on and could still see some of the gray primer beneath it. Then it dawned on me. When the second coat is painted on, it is actually softening the first coat since it's a water base paint. I'm trying a little bit heavier coat and painting quickly without going back over the same area too often.

Working around windows and other details is a little tricky also. What I've been doing is paint the building, brushing away any buildup around the windows/other detail, and then going back to paint those later after the first color is dry.

In the case of windows, I'm putting masking tape over the completed areas to reduce the necessity for touch up after the windows are done. I use 3M blue tape for masking.

Hope this helps.

Tom
Click to expand...

If you let one coat dry completely before putting on a second coat, the first coat won't disolve. I have used Ceramcoat on plastic for years without any problems.
 
I have not had much luck getting the craft store paints (Ceramcoat and others) to cover plastic directly. Weathering - yes, but not painting the entire thing.

You may need to wash the plastic to remove any oils, and you may need to prime the building with either "real" plastic (i.e. model) paints, or some other paint that adheres to plastic. Then the craft paints can be used.

Once the acrylic craft paints are dry, they do not soften again (ever tried cleaning a dried brush?). What is probably happening is that the force used to put on the second coat is sufficient to lift the first due to the adhesion problems noted above.

Hope that helps.

Andrew
 
I would probably try to:
clean the walls.
spray a primer coat that's about mortar colour.
then brush the bricks with a very lightly loaded brush.
I'm about to do a brick chimney from Sylvan and I'll be trying this on it.
One of Floquil's claims is that they ground their pigment much finer than normal paints, thus getting a much thinner coat that didn't obscure details. (Their traditional line was also almost self-priming on metal.)
 
Thanks for all your reply's.

I added a little bit more water, painted my 1st coat. Put that structure to the side. And started painting a different structure. Waited about a hour, then returned to paint my 2nd coat. I am very pleased with the results now :thumb:

Even my mortor came out looking good. .

Thanks again.
CAS
 
Russ Bellinis said:
If you let one coat dry completely before putting on a second coat, the first coat won't disolve. I have used Ceramcoat on plastic for years without any problems.
Click to expand...
As in overnight? Still doesn't help. I'm beginning to think I got a bad bottle of paint. I may splurge and buy another bottle. At those prices, I hope it doesn't break the bank.:cry::thumb:

Tom
 
When I've built a DPM building for my layout I'll spray paint the entire wall first in the brick color, then go back and paint the windows, doors and other extras. I also use the cheaper acyrlic paint, staight out of the bottle. when I painted my first building with it I thought it was too thick but then when the paint dried it 'shrank' itself into the details, revealing the engraving again. I'm guessing that when the water in the water bases paint evaporates the paint thins down.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back