Re: (erielack) request for modeling recomendations

["Bill K." <pontiac_@_dreamscape.com>]

Word of advice:  If you find decals, why go to the effort to strip an
Athearm shell - especially one with factory black paint - when you can very
easily get undecs?   A hopper is black, it's not like you're trying to paint
say a Conrail covered hopper with NYC (CSX) marks, half the red paint gone
to reveal PC green, and enough of that gone to reveal a PRR keystone at the
bottom.

Seriously though... I use Scalecoat as a stripper, and Athearn Black is
tough to remove especially because the plastic is black and it's hard to see
where the paint hasm't come off yet... untill you wash it and dry it and hey
there's paint left yet.   I don't know what you can do with others but it's
darned hard to take just a logo or number off without hurting the paint.
Sometimes for just car numbers a sharp X-acto blade will work better than a
chemical.  But for a big logo, you may have to experiment with different
solvents - which can be expensive and there is no guarantee you wont have a
hole in the paint afterwards.  Given that an Athearn car is about $5 (for
these) I don't see where it's worth the effort to strip one.

Also, it may still be possible to get Athearn cars with data only lettering,
if you'd rather not mess with the little stuff.  It may not, probably does
not match the correct Erie lettering but is another option.


Bill K.

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paultup_@_lucent.com>
To: "'Dan Johnson and Nancie Picinich-Johnson'" <nrjohns_@_suffolk.lib.ny.us>;
<erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2002 4:31 PM
Subject: RE: (erielack) request for modeling recomendations


> Dan,
>
>
> > 1. I have a five car set of Athern Erie 34' offset hoppers
> > (05579) that I would like to detail and correct their paint
> > so that they would be correct for 1930-1935.  Can anyone
> > recommend the best way to remove the factory paint (spot fix
> > vs. remove all lettering) and what thinner to use as my
> > understanding is that different paint manufacturers use
> > different resins and solvents and they are not necessarily
> > compatible (per Jeff Wilson in Painting and Weathering
> > Railroad Models from Kalmbach page 8.)  The set has both
> > large and small heralds.  My best guess is that the small
> > ones are correct.  Also, where could I find the appropriate
> > lettering to apply (either decal or dry transfer?)
>
> The small heralds are correct for 1930-1935, particularly the one with
more
> "square" lettering (not tall and skinny)
>
> Not sure who makes Erie hopper decals.. CDS Dry Transfer?
>
>
> - Paul
>

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