I started with Lionel's Pennsylvania square window caboose (stock number 8-87713). Out of the box, the model has fairly good detail. I added Gary Raymond's 1:24 scale (1 inch diameter) metal wheels, Ryan Equipment Company's P-1011-B brake shoes and beams (with extensive modifications to fit the Lionel trucks), Ozark Miniatures OM-14 brake hose sets, LGB European marker lights (a tradition on my Papillon Valley Line), a simple scratchbuilt interior, and clear window glazing (to replace the opaque white plastic glazing).

The entire project took only a few evenings but the caboose won third place in an NMRA contest. It beat a field including a number of scratchbuilt HO scale entries. A review of the judge's score sheet reveals the reason: In the paint and lettering category, the caboose won the maximum number of points possible for an unweathered model.

STRIPPING

Start by taking apart the entire caboose. The more extensively you disassemble a model, the easier it is to paint. Make careful notes on how to reassemble the model or videotape the disassembly. I used to have a photographic memory but I ran out of film a few years back. So now I make a drawing of each model, noting all the lettering, reporting marks, and heralds or I actually photocopy the parts. Even though you may change the road name, you still must re-apply some of the other lettering to the model to keep the model realistic. That is especially important in the case of freight cars.

Dozens of home brew concoctions will remove paint and decals. I have tried many but never found anything easier to use, more versatile, or safer than Polly S Easy Lift-Off #542143 Paint & Decal Remover. If you follow the instructions on the bottle, you may remove only decals and lettering or strip the paint off an entire car.

You may even alter car numbers. Suppose you have two freight cars, each with the number 12345. Removing only one number can result in two different cars (1234 and 2345). Remove two numbers and you have three different cars.

A word of caution: Always use all paint products in an area with a lot of ventilation...and outdoors whenever possible. Did you know many paint products would have no odor at all if the manufacturer hadn't added one as a warning device? The result could be lethal! Remember, the stronger the odor, the more ventilation you need. Indoors, an exhaust fan is a must.

Back to stripping: I have used the same 8 ounce bottle of Easy Lift-Off to strip my last four projects and I still have more than half a bottle. That is because you brush Easy Lift-Off onto the model rather than immerse the model in it. I use various old paint brushes and wash them for use again. I brush on a heavy coat of Easy Lift-Off and leave it alone as it works. When the paint crinkles, I use tooth brushes to remove it. I apply as many coats of Easy Lift-Off as necessary to reveal bare plastic or metal.

Next I scrub the whole model with Hampton Hobby Products Antique Train and Toy Cleaner. It is a highly concentrated, environmentally safe detergent and the best, most economical painting pre-wash I have found. Follow the directions on the container, rinse thoroughly, and let the model air dry; do not use a towel.

Note: When stripping, you may think you are down to bare plastic when, actually, you have only reached the last layer of paint. That is because most manufacturers of large scale models add a coat of paint the same color as the plastic to protect against the sun's ultraviolet rays. Unless you remove everything, new paint will not adhere.

Also, many times parts appearing to be molded plastic or bare metal actually have a clear coat. You must remove it. Some plastics may turn gray, white, or streak when they encounter a stripper. Such discoloration is permanent; it is impossible to wash off. It has no effect on the strength of the plastic and you will paint over it anyway; don't panic.

Stripping is one part of painting I could live without but it is necessary.

PREPARING DETAIL PARTS

I chose a caboose for this project. It is similar to both a passenger car and a freight car so we may learn more by working with it. Even though the Lionel caboose has a lot of detail, I chose to add a few more parts. After removing flash and parting lines from the parts, I wash them with Hampton Hobby Products Antique Train and Toy Cleaner before attaching them to the model. Mold release agents, greases, and oil from the fingers can spoil a finish.

PREP AND PRIME

It may be overkill, but I usually wash the entire model again after adding all the details and before painting. Some people think I'm a fanatic so the choice is yours. For that second wash, I apply Polly S #546007 Plastic Prep to all models before painting. I use it on castings and metal parts, too. It removes mold release, grease, silicone, detergent residue, and makes plastic dust and static free. Adequate ventilation is crucial when you use Plastic Prep. Follow the directions on the bottle and allow the model to air dry.

Next, I spray everything with Floquil #130009 Primer. Many modelers skip applying a primer but I think that is a mistake. The function of primer is to grip the surface better than paint; think of it as an adhesive. I use a neutral gray color to be sure whatever I paint over it will look natural.

Try this: Take several pieces of scrap plastic of various colors. Prime one, then spray each with an equal amount of the same color (except black). Let them dry overnight. Then study the pieces side by side in natural sunlight. You will notice a variation in the color of each piece. The piece you primed will be the correct color.

But the best reason to use primer is to pull the model together into one cohesive color so you can study it for overall effect. It will also show up any defects in workmanship, such as areas you should have sanded more finely, sloppy glue work, or holes you filled insufficiently.

Also, you can sand the primer. If I need to fix something, I remove the primer with Floquil #151611 Airbrush Thinner on a rag or cotton swab, complete the repair, apply Plastic Prep to the area, and re-prime it.

I like primer to dry for several days before I apply color. It seems to set up harder, and that is especially important if I must mask an area.

Many manufacturers use polystyrene plastic because of its modeling advantages. One disadvantage of polystyrene is crazing. That may occur after exposure to a radical temperature change during shipping or storage or, in the case of painting, after contact with solvents. If I will be stripping a model anyway, I follow the routine I just described but sometimes the plastic fools me. So if I'm working with new plastic, such as an unfinished model or one I have scratchbuilt, I spray on a coat of Floquil #131711 Barrier Glossing Shield before I apply the primer. That protects the plastic from solvents in the paint.

I also use Barrier as a gloss coat before applying decals and as a final coat on some items. Barrier is unnecessary when you use Polly S or other acrylic paints because their formula is compatible with polystyrene (hence the name Polly S).

SPRAY PAINTING

I have already discussed spraying without telling you how to do it. So now I will. As I said in the last issue, I find airbrushing large scale models unnecessary. I use spray cans.

Set-up. First find a work area with plenty of ventilation. For me, that means spraying outside most of the year. Aerosol sprays perform best in low humidity and within a temperature range of 65 and 95 degrees. Find an area outdoors with protection against wind and direct sun, such as where two walls of your house meet on an inside corner, a sun porch, or a garage bay with all doors and windows open.

I prefer painting outside for a reason aside from the excellent ventilation; the light is great. Avoid spraying in artificial light if you can avoid it.

Patience is essential to a good paint job so wait for the right weather and allow the model to dry between coats for several days. I keep three or four modeling projects going at once so I always have something to do while waiting for the sun to shine or the paint to dry. Remember the three Ps: Paint, Preparation, and Patience.

You will also need a sturdy work surface and a spray booth or trap. I use a picnic table to bring the work to a comfortable height and a cardboard box I have cut into a spray booth. Use a box about 30 inches long by 24 inches wide by 16 inches deep. Stand it sideways and cut from the front at about a 30-degree angle, then straight across the top. Let the front flap hang down to protect your work surface from overspray. Finally, seal all seams with packing tape to prevent spray-through. The booth will prevent excess spray from blowing around and ruining your model or anything else it may hit.

Put the object you plan to paint in the center of the booth bottom. I keep various blocks of wood handy to support the sub-assemblies while painting. They make it easier to turn things. An old lazy Susan is a nice extra. When the booth or blocks become too dirty, I toss them out and get new ones.

Commercial spray booths are available and are a must for indoor use. They have lighting and powerful exhaust fans and cost a lot. I would rather paint outdoors and buy more trains.

Using aerosol cans. Few things in our hobby have generated more rumors, misinformation, or fear than aerosol paint cans. An aerosol can is simply a colloidal system: a way to mix a liquid or solid and a gas so they stay together during storage and distribute evenly when you spray them. In our case, the can will contain a suspension of paint in a propellant. One or more metal balls, or agitators, are at the bottom of the can. About two thirds of the can has the paint-propellant mixture. The rest is gas at a pressure of 35 p.s.i.

A spray trigger or nozzle is on top of the can. Pressing down on it forces the paint up a dip tube and out the spray tip. Aerosol cans have a shelf life of about a year before the gasket seal on the can top deteriorates, allowing the gas slowly to escape. For that reason, never use old cans of paint on anything important. I also like to start a model with a new can of paint to be sure I have maximum pressure and I won't run out in the middle of the project. I use up my partially full cans on small items such as scenery or structure interiors.

Buy paint only from a busy hobby shop where the product is likely to be fresh. I check closely for dust on the cans and cobwebs around the display rack. If it looks as though the cans have been around for a while I try another shop.

Store your aerosol paints where the temperature range is between 70 and 100 degrees. The more stable the temperature, the better the paint will keep.

Before painting with an aerosol can, tap the bottom a few times on a counter to loosen the agitator balls. Then swirl the can with a circular motion, keeping the agitators at the bottom, to mix up the paint pigment. Do that for about a minute. Finally, shake the can vigorously straight up and down for about another minute. Paint within five minutes or so and shake the can every few minutes during the actual painting.

How to spray. Always hold the can as vertical as possible. Remember, the gas is at the top. Press the spray tip straight down, as far as it will go. If you press at an angle, droplets will form and splatter on your work. They may also clog the spray tip.

Spray your work from about ten or twelve inches away. If you are too close you will cause runs or bubbles in the finish from too much propellant. If you are too far away, the finish will resemble sandpaper because the solvent will have dried before the paint hit the model's surface.

Tip: Sometimes I deliberately spray from too far back when painting roofs or areas of a model simulating wood.

Before spraying the model itself, I always test spray the inside back of the paint booth to be sure can works correctly and paint is the right color; I have picked up the wrong can more than once! Also, spray tips sometimes clog, even with the best of care. I save tips from used cans, clean them, and keep them ready. If one tip clogs, I pull it off and push on another. I worry about why later. Keep from pushing the new tip down too far or it will spray. When changing tips, point the business end away from you and the model.

I have watched some people spray paint. They whip around the can as though they are setting their hair or putting on deodorant. Wrong!

First, never spray continuously. Instead, spray in short bursts, stopping at the end of each stroke. Also, spray small objects or flat parts by holding the can at about a 30-degree angle and allowing the spray to "rain" down on the model as it lies flat. Spray bigger parts sideways. Here is how I would spray a boxcar:

Start at one side of the car and begin spraying slightly ahead of the car. Come across the bottom, left to right, continuing just past the end of the car. Stop spraying. Move the can back to the left side of the car and start again, but one "row" higher. Repeat until you reach the top roof line. Think of the process as copying a typewriter carriage.

Do the same thing to the other side of the car, then to both ends. Do the roof last, again using the same technique and working left to right.

When the roof has dried for a few minutes, I go back to the first car side but, instead of working from side to side, I go top to bottom, working left to right. I do the other side and the ends in the same way. Usually enough overspray has hit the roof to cover evenly. I generally make one pass down the center, along the roofwalk, and I am done.

Never, ever try to correct a run or drip by spraying it out. Better to use gasoline to put out a fire! Instead, let the car dry for several days, then sand the bad area with very fine sandpaper ("rouge paper") or 0000 steel wool. Then simply spray the area again. The technique even works on clear final coats as long as you avoid rubbing down to the paint.

Occasionally I have touched a model while it is still wet or tacky and left a fingerprint. Most paints are somewhat self-leveling so, chances are, if you leave the model alone, the print will be gone when the paint dries. If it remains, sand and spray again.

If you completely ruin the paint job, remember you can always strip it again and start over.

Let the car dry for several days. Then go on to lettering, final coats, and weathering.

Cleaning an aerosol can is a cinch. Just turn it upside down and spray until the top emits clear liquid. The dip tube and spray tip are then clean. Wipe off any overspray from the tip and can top with Floquil #151611 Air Brush Thinner and you are done.

I soak any clogged spray tops overnight in thinner and let them air dry.

A few points: Don't worry about using up the propellant in your spray can by spraying the can clean; there is plenty. If a top fails to soak clean, trash it; extras are available at your hobby shop for pennies. I prefer Air Brush Thinner to regular thinner because it breaks down the paint resins into smaller particles.

MASKING

Masking is probably the most important technique to learn aside from controlling the spray can itself. You need a tape sticky enough to hold to the model but one leaving no adhesive residue when you remove it. Never buy cheap masking tape.

Kinds of tape. I rely on 3M Tartan Brand Utility Masking Tape #5142. I prefer utility tape to regular masking tape because the backing is thinner and it is slightly stickier. But it does have drawbacks. You must remove it within an hour or so or the adhesive will transfer to the model. Also, it tears easily.

If you are inexperienced with masking and working fast, the best tape is Scotch Brand Painter's Masking Tape #2050. You may leave it in place for up to a day with no adhesive transfer and it tears less easily. Since it is specifically for the amateur, think of it as masking tape with training wheels.

I keep the 3/4-, 1-, and 2 inch sizes handy but the tapes come in widths up to 3 inches in half-inch increments.

The most important tape I use is Scotch Brand #230 Drafting Tape in the 1/2-inch width. You usually must buy it at an art supply store.

I masked the door and window openings with regular tape. But I will two-tone the caboose and need a line to divide the yellow I have already applied from the green I still must apply.

Drafting tape is thin and only about half as sticky as masking tape. It lets me make a nice, tight line and work the tape with a pointed stick into the cracks between the board siding. I add the regular masking tape to the bottom half of the drafting tape. The black line and arrows show where the joint is. I just lightly touch the masking tape into place because, even though the yellow paint has dried for several days, too firm a bond could still pull off some paint. That is the beauty of drafting tape.

Tip: When I sprayed on the green, I turned the caboose upside down so the paint would flow away from the mask line, eliminating the chance of any green seeping under the tape.

Masking sequence. The order you mask a model changes depending on the colors you use. In the case of the caboose, after I applied the primer, I colored the underside and the stove black and the interior gray. I sprayed the entire exterior yellow and, finally, the wide top body stripe green. I brush painted the window frames and end platforms brown. I glued the stove in place and, after a few days' drying time, applied dry transfer lettering-yellow on the green part and green on the yellow part.

I sprayed the entire caboose body with Floquil #130015 Flat Finish, starting with the interior, then the exterior and, finally, the bottom.

Tip: I could paint an entire model without disassembling it. I sprayed the Lionel locomotive in the last issue five different colors simply by masking it. I learned to mask from the experts-automobile painters at bargain paint shops. In order to charge such low prices they must mask the car instead of take it apart and, believe me, their maskers are artists. They taught me to use drafting tape, to mask edges first and then tape newspaper to that tape with a wider tape. If you offer to buy lunch or beer, the shop manager will probably let you hang around and take notes. Watch them do about four cars and you will be an expert.

BRUSH PAINTING

As I have mentioned, I prefer Polly S water based paints for applying paint with a brush. When the color dries, it is hard and water resistant. Polly S dries a little more slowly than some water based paints. That means you may go back over areas if necessary. Best of all, the enamel is truly self-leveling. That means, if you use a good brush, you will leave no brush marks. I have tested that quality by really slopping on the paint. The finish still dried smooth. Finally, Polly S is completely compatible with all Floquil finishes, spray or bottle.

Techniques. I only use Floquil paints on the rare occasion a color I need is unavailable in Polly S.

Tip: When I have to touch up something I have sprayed, such as the yellow on the caboose, I shake the aerosol can well, spray some paint on a white index card, then brush that paint onto the model. The touch up will be invisible when the paint dries.

Another tip: If some paint gets onto the wrong part of a model, avoid trying to paint it away or remove it with solvent. Wait for it to dry and gently scrape it away with a sharp hobby knife. It will leave the spot a bit shiny but your final clear finish will blend everything together.

Brushes. For about 30 dollars you may own a fine collection of brushes. I rely on red sable. Its bristles come from the tail hairs of an animal similar to a weasel and hold a sharp point and a generous amount of paint.

Brush handles come in various lengths to fit your hand and balance the weight of the ferrule (the metal on the end) and the hair. The handle should be top-quality hardwood. The ferrule is actually the most important part because it holds the hair to shape, keeps the hair from pulling out onto your model, and holds the handle to the rest of the brush. It is where most cheap brushes fall short.

You will need three kinds of brush: Flats, for painting large areas; rounds, for most general painting; and spotter, or detail brushes, for striping or other fine details. You may choose from an almost infinite variety of sizes. I keep two flats, a #4 and a #10. Also three rounds, #0, #1, and #4. Finally, four spotters, #000, #00000, #10/0, and #20/0. That last baby can paint eye lashes on a fly!

I always use the largest brush capable of doing the job. Larger means fewer strokes and a faster, smoother paint job.

Always clean brushes thoroughly and store them bristles-up in a container such as a heavy glass, as flowers in a vase. Never bear down or apply pressure to a brush; let the bristles do the work. Incidentally, even when I brush paint I still mask. My hand is not that steady.

FINISHING TOUCHES ON THE LIONEL CABOOSE

I painted the wheels red, the roof silver, the cupola green, and the trim brass and silver. After I applied the lettering (I'll tell how in the next issue), I sprayed the entire car, except the plastic windows, with Floquil #13015 Flat Finish. If I had weathered the caboose, I would have waited a week for the paint to dry. That way the finish would be hard enough to resist a little solvent on a rag or cotton swab in the event I must correct a weathering error.

With all the paint and weathering on, you must lubricate the caboose because cleaning and painting remove any lubricants the manufacturer may have applied. I used HP-Lube Grease With Teflon on the wheel axle points and truck frame pivots and HP-Lube Oil With Teflon on the coupler mechanisms. Both come from Hampton Hobby Products.

Note: I paint my couplers the color of the car or of rust. Painting should have no effect on operation as long as you lubricate the couplers.

Next time I will explain how to add lettering, graphics, and weathering.