# Another one out of the shop



## UPBigBoy (Jan 2, 2012)

Well we've got another one out of our paint shop and ready to take to Western Plains shops to have the handrails and couplers put on -





































And even sporting an open door



















Yes the fuel tank was hanging down, fixed now  

Now to finish off another Dash 8 then finish painting one of their box cars.

Jim


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Looks great.

How did you do the side letters? Sticky letters to mask off, then spray, then peel off the letters with the paint not fully cured?

Cheers,

TJ


----------



## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

looks great! can't wait to see the rest!


----------



## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

tjcruiser said:


> Looks great.
> 
> How did you do the side letters? Sticky letters to mask off, then spray, then peel off the letters with the paint not fully cured?
> 
> ...


Has me wondering, too.  
Especially with the centers of the A the P and the R being so precisely positioned while not touching the rest of the letter.


----------



## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

nice job!!


----------



## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

Nice work man, looks very well done. 

Carl


----------



## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Good looking engine Jim. She'll look great with the handrails on. Pete


----------



## UPBigBoy (Jan 2, 2012)

norgale said:


> Good looking engine Jim. She'll look great with the handrails on. Pete


I do paint the handrails and send the over when the engine goes over but don't put them on so they can put the decoder board, couplers, etc. on and they won't get damaged.

I'm also the one that puts in the LED headlights and ditch lights. At the present time I'm using fiber optics for these; the only hard part is getting the fiber optics from the ditch lights - they're mounted under the running boards, to clear the front trucks.

Jim


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You can't fit really tiny LED's in for the headlights and ditch lights?


----------



## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

UPBigBoy said:


> I do paint the handrails and send the over when the engine goes over but don't put them on so they can put the decoder board, couplers, etc. on and they won't get damaged.
> 
> I'm also the one that puts in the LED headlights and ditch lights. At the present time I'm using fiber optics for these; the only hard part is getting the fiber optics from the ditch lights - they're mounted under the running boards, to clear the front trucks.
> 
> Jim


just use LEDs honestly...but i am some what interested in this fiber optic option!! are they better then LEDs?


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Fiber optic won't be a bright as LED's, but you can have smaller lights. It's cool for stuff like scale automobile lighting and such. I've thought of using fiber on one project, and I may yet do so. I bought some really large diameter stuff that would look decent for O-scale.


----------



## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

cool! I think LEDs would honestly still look better


----------



## UPBigBoy (Jan 2, 2012)

New Berlin RR said:


> just use LEDs honestly...but i am some what interested in this fiber optic option!! are they better then LEDs?


No it's not any better than using LEDs by themselves, it does eliminate using some LEDS as I only need 3 for front, back & ditch lights and you could get away with 2 if you really wanted to. Depending on where the ditch lights are mounted would determine if one was to use LEDs or fiber cable. One thing about using the cable is you can get the marker lights on if you really wanted to.


----------



## UPBigBoy (Jan 2, 2012)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> You can't fit really tiny LED's in for the headlights and ditch lights?


Actually you can, the 0402 and 0603 LEDs will fit in most locations; you just wire these with magnetic wire, but then you also have to put a resistor on each LED, the same is true with the headlights but most use the Lucite that comes in the headlights and put a single LED in a box behind them,


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

If you want the ditch lights to oscillate with the horn, you have to wire them individually.


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Any response to question in Post #2, above?

TJ


----------



## UPBigBoy (Jan 2, 2012)

tjcruiser said:


> Looks great.
> 
> How did you do the side letters? Sticky letters to mask off, then spray, then peel off the letters with the paint not fully cured?
> 
> ...


The letters/numbers were cut on our vinyl cutter using s sign program, weede, then an overlay put on them, then with the body paint the colour of the letters put into position, the overlay removed, then the tan was sprayed but allowed to completely dry then the letters/numbers were removed, the tan was masked off then the custom black was sprayed and when dry the tan masking was removed. One has to be really careful using the proper type and make of vinyl so you can get it down into the grooves.

I can cut letters/numbers down to 1/8" depending on font.

Jim


----------



## UPBigBoy (Jan 2, 2012)

tjcruiser said:


> Any response to question in Post #2, above?
> 
> TJ


Sorry, thought I had replied, your response should be just above this message.

Jim


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks for the clear explanation. That's really precise letter/number detailing.

With the tan paint fully dry, you run no risk of having the tan letter edges "tear" a bit when you remove the vinyl?

Just curious,

TJ


----------



## UPBigBoy (Jan 2, 2012)

tjcruiser said:


> Thanks for the clear explanation. That's really precise letter/number detailing.
> 
> With the tan paint fully dry, you run no risk of having the tan letter edges "tear" a bit when you remove the vinyl?
> 
> ...


I'm using nothing but Tamiya acrylic paint on these, never had a problem with the edges tearing, in the very odd spot I have gotten a little bleed but a very fine brush fixes that up. Doing it the way I do it allows multiple colour choices rather than being locked into what decals are being produced or trying to make your own.

Jim


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks!

TJ


----------



## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

looks really nice! can't wait to see your box car to go with it!!


----------



## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

Really nice job man! Love the lettering as well!

-J.


----------

