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Post by Roger on Aug 18, 2020 18:53:09 GMT
As you can see, my filters arrived today like Bob's did, so I put them straight to work. So yes, this is overkill. There are the internal oil/water separator and filters in the Hydrovane, then a freeze drier followed by a water trap and a second trap with 0.001micron coalescing filter. Then it's out into the garden office where there is this arrangement of oil/water separator, 5micron coelescing filter and activated charcoal filter. That all the AirBrush gets, but the big spray gun also gets the desiccant filter on the bottom of the gun too. If there are any of those inverted volcanos now, I know it's not the air! 20200818_160424 by Roger Froud, on Flickr I didn't really have anywhere suitable to mount them on the wall, so I just bolted them to the desk. I designed some pipe clips, all of 5 minutes to model and slice an array of eight of them, and an hour later here they are holding the hose to the door frame. That's what I love about 3D printing, it solves problems so quickly and conveniently. 20200818_160440 by Roger Froud, on Flickr Although I've got absolutely loads of disposable syringes, the solvent I'm using cause the plungers to become very stiff almost as soon as you use them. So taking yet another tip from Chris Vine, here are two glass syringes which don't suffer that problem and can be quickly cleaned. 20200818_140034 by Roger Froud, on Flickr So, back to the boring job of paint preparation, the AirBrush was used to spray Etch Primer on the areas that have marks and slight hollows... 20200818_184809 by Roger Froud, on Flickr ... on both sides. 20200818_184822 by Roger Froud, on Flickr An hour later and this was hard enough to sand off with 1000 grit sponge backed paper. I was aiming at just leaving a witness at the extent of the hollows so I could see that there was next to no paint thickness left. 20200818_190430 by Roger Froud, on Flickr 20200818_190437 by Roger Froud, on Flickr So round we go again, a second coat which I'll sand back less aggressively because this coat is thinner than the last. I just want to see that the surface is smooth enough to prime that whole thing next. 20200818_193455 by Roger Froud, on Flickr 20200818_193504 by Roger Froud, on Flickr
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Post by chris vine on Aug 18, 2020 23:30:40 GMT
Well done on getting the glass syringes, Roger.
I made a copper pipe fitted to the end. Then you can suck up a quantity of paint from the tin and squirt it into your mixing jar. Then the calculated quantity of thinner, again into the mixing jar. Now shake the mixing jar and pour it into the paint cup - through your paint filter cone. You should now have freshly mixed paint in the gun which has just been filtered. The cone filter stops any other muck getting into the paint cup.
So, you should now have really clean, freshly mixed, freshly filtered paint in the gun. With freshly filtered air to the gun as well, you are set to go. Also, you know much more about the dust in the environment (before you spray) than I ever did.
Good luck, with less luck being involved than previously I think... Chris.
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Post by Roger on Aug 19, 2020 8:28:58 GMT
Well done on getting the glass syringes, Roger. I made a copper pipe fitted to the end. Then you can suck up a quantity of paint from the tin and squirt it into your mixing jar. Then the calculated quantity of thinner, again into the mixing jar. Now shake the mixing jar and pour it into the paint cup - through your paint filter cone. You should now have freshly mixed paint in the gun which has just been filtered. The cone filter stops any other muck getting into the paint cup. So, you should now have really clean, freshly mixed, freshly filtered paint in the gun. With freshly filtered air to the gun as well, you are set to go. Also, you know much more about the dust in the environment (before you spray) than I ever did. Good luck, with less luck being involved than previously I think... Chris. Thanks Chris, Sadly the tip of the large syringe as somehow broken off, I think it must have already been cracked. Still, I'm mixing paint in jars, so I just have to stick the end of the syringe into it. Actually, I suppose I could try to bond the end of one of my plastic syringes to the glass one, that would never break. Epoxy resin or Superglue ought to do the trick. One thing I've found is that Etch Primer is a fantastic paint stripper. I'd used one of the stirrers on Black Enamel paint and failed to clean all of it off so it had dried on. The Etch Primer stripped that off in no time and I ended up with black flakes in the primer! I've just ordered some 125micron filters to supplement the tights! As you say, it will all hopefully reduce the luck, but it still feels like a lottery!
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Post by simplyloco on Aug 19, 2020 9:13:28 GMT
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Post by Roger on Aug 19, 2020 13:19:16 GMT
Hi John, Thanks for those, they look useful. It's a pity the pipettes aren't a bit bigger though. They look ideal for filling an AirBrush though, or managing paint for lining. I did find these 10ml versions on eBay though, so I've ordered a pack of 50 so see how I like them.
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Post by Roger on Aug 19, 2020 17:35:43 GMT
Ok, it's time to give the big gun an outing with its new filter and the triple filter arrangement. 20200819_122704 by Roger Froud, on Flickr It's only Etch Primer, so it's not much of a test. Here's the Steam Brake stretcher which I'm painting before fitting to the frame this time. I held it in a gloved hand to spray it, and then trapped it between the bench and the box while it dried. 20200819_122642 by Roger Froud, on Flickr The same goes for the Smokebox Saddle. This will be fully painted and then fitted to the primed frames. The frames may well have had a first coat of Black before I do that, I'm not sure yet. The join between this and the frames will be visible at the front, so I want to spray up to it to make sure there's no gap. The saddle is bolted to the frame with a metal to metal contact, as is the Steam Brake Stretcher. 20200819_122653 by Roger Froud, on Flickr I opted to use the AirBrush for the fine rivet details on the Pannier Tank Support Brackets, and the really awkward places such as the bolts on the inside of the buffer beams. I finished off with the large spray gun set to as small a delivery as it would go down to and only 10psi so I could land the spray some distance away on the inside of the horn blocks. That seemed to work pretty well, but I think that's going to be too low a pressure for the Black Enamel. We'll see. The main thing is that I've covered up most of the blemishes on the outside of the frames and this will enable the Black Enamel to be thinner. A lot of the problems I had last time was due to the paint going on too thickly. 20200819_122658 by Roger Froud, on Flickr
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Post by jon38r80 on Aug 19, 2020 21:06:55 GMT
Glass syringes from China are great, I have several different sizes. I had the problem that Roger has with the needle mount breaking off till I bought Luer Lock ones that have a metal fitting glued on that takes the needle base. I use them for injecting glue into splits on wood. Big fat needles are cheap, I also have some square ended needles that are blunt and can be squashed flat which work better than needles when the gap is big enough.
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Post by Roger on Aug 19, 2020 22:07:08 GMT
Glass syringes from China are great, I have several different sizes. I had the problem that Roger has with the needle mount breaking off till I bought Luer Lock ones that have a metal fitting glued on that takes the needle base. I use them for injecting glue into splits on wood. Big fat needles are cheap, I also have some square ended needles that are blunt and can be squashed flat which work better than needles when the gap is big enough. Hi Jon, Those sound more robust than mine. One just glued the end on mine with superglue, but how long that will last is anyone's guess. I might add a big blob of epoxy resin around the base to beef it up. Alternatively, I could 3d print a support. What it really needs is a nest to protect them. I'm keeping the plungers separate so they can't get stuck with paint if a little gets left in there.
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Post by jon38r80 on Aug 21, 2020 19:33:03 GMT
It's amazing how little dirt, remaining paint or glue jams the plungers. Not really surprising I suppose when they are an airtight fit. I learnt the hard way. I wash mine and then dry and like you leave the plunger out. Once really dry reassemble and put away. Because I bought mine originally when I lived in HK I bought the aluminium syringe tins for the different sizes that keeps them relatively safe. Still get breakages though but as they are so cheap it's not a problem.
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Post by Roger on Aug 21, 2020 21:24:49 GMT
I decided that leaving the glass syringes on the bench was asking for trouble, so I designed this 3D printed holder... 20200821_163550 by Roger Froud, on Flickr ... to fit on the shelf over the bench when I'm using them. There are a couply of holes in the bracket arms that can be tapped M3, but it's actually a nice fit so that won't be necessary. 20200821_203254 by Roger Froud, on Flickr I thought that storing them this way would encourage them to dry. I've got two jars of thinners for cleaning them. One for a first rinse, and the second much cleaner one. I've just sucked and blown on those and then hung them up. I thought I might be able to get away without wiping them off if I did that. We'll see. I've just put a paper towel on the bench underneath them to catch any drips. 20200821_203405 by Roger Froud, on Flickr The seven additional filters arrived from China today, and thankfully they were true to the dimensions given and the 3D printed parts all fitted nicely. Here I've already spotted through the rear sheet and the back of the booth, and now I'm screwing the brackets in place with wood screws. 20200821_155808 by Roger Froud, on Flickr The bottom is left open, that's sealed by the unit sitting on the bench. 20200821_163146 by Roger Froud, on Flickr 20200821_163200 by Roger Froud, on Flickr It's slightly deeper than I would have liked, but there's still room on the bench in front of it. I also realised that I'd been using the front filters in the wrong flow direction. So I blew those down with an air line and turned them round. I've ordered a couple of new ones too. It's amazing how much dust, paint and cobweb detritus is stuck in the filter. 20200821_173812 by Roger Froud, on Flickr I've also added two hinged cardboard pieces... 20200821_201105 by Roger Froud, on Flickr ... to support this large piece of bubble wrap which is intended to keep the dust off. 20200821_212736 by Roger Froud, on Flickr These are the two 1501 number plates which I'd forgotten and left in thinners for about three weeks. Both have acquired a patina and a bright mark on the backs. Fortunately the fronts look fine. I don't want to shot blast these, so I'll just prime them as they are. 20200821_205631 by Roger Froud, on Flickr No, you're not seeing things, I stripped off the paint from the Smokebox Saddle and the Steam Brake Stretcher because I'd been a bit heavy handed with the Black Enamel and I wasn't happy with them. At least now I know it's dead easy to strip them back to bare metal with thinners. 20200821_205637 by Roger Froud, on Flickr So, third or fourth time lucky, I forget which. 20200821_212627 by Roger Froud, on Flickr I've sprayed these from four directions to get into all the corners. The backs dried really quickly, so I put them on a couple of Lint Free wipes that I got from the Nail Bar shop. Those things are SO useful. When I've rested things directly on the supports, I've found that they leave a mark. I'm hoping these will stop that. We'll see tomorrow. 20200821_212634 by Roger Froud, on Flickr This plate is a pain to spray with that vertical lamp bracket. I wish I'd bolted that on! Still it's good practice for when I get round to doing the Bunker. Now that's going to be a nightmare! 20200821_212638 by Roger Froud, on Flickr
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JonL
Elder Statesman
WWSME (Wiltshire)
Posts: 2,976
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Post by JonL on Aug 22, 2020 9:04:47 GMT
I'm amazed you turned the filters round, after collecting so much dust you have surely just introduced dust into a previously clean area?
You seem to be getting a fantastically even finish. Those number plates are astonishingly crisp.
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Post by Roger on Aug 22, 2020 9:09:41 GMT
I'm amazed you turned the filters round, after collecting so much dust you have surely just introduced dust into a previously clean area? You seem to be getting a fantastically even finish. Those number plates are astonishingly crisp. I did give the filters a thorough blasting with the air gun first. Don't forget, there's now a second row of filters to catch anything if it did become detached from the back. Don't be fooled by the Matt finish. Anything looks good when it's Matt!
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JonL
Elder Statesman
WWSME (Wiltshire)
Posts: 2,976
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Post by JonL on Aug 22, 2020 9:15:40 GMT
I shall paint my whole locomotive matt then!
I put a guide coat of matt black on my smokebox and door which was intended to show up any areas that needed more attention. It will be removed once cladding is fitted and the whole thing is painted. However someone at my MES told me I should be proud of the lovely finish.... I'll put it down to their advancing years and associated eyesight.
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Post by Roger on Aug 22, 2020 10:19:41 GMT
I shall paint my whole locomotive matt then! I put a guide coat of matt black on my smokebox and door which was intended to show up any areas that needed more attention. It will be removed once cladding is fitted and the whole thing is painted. However someone at my MES told me I should be proud of the lovely finish.... I'll put it down to their advancing years and associated eyesight. That's a good move if you like Matt. You want a glossy guide finish if you want to see what it's really going to look like in gloss though.
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Post by Roger on Aug 22, 2020 10:25:25 GMT
I was going to buy some more tights for straining the paint for the AirBrush because. I've bought some fine nylon filters, but they're only suitable for the large gun because they are too big. However, I thought I'd look to see if there were any small diameter filter papers on eBay, and found these which might just be a better solution all round. I'm using a glass syringe to move the paint from the mixing jar to the guns, so why mess about with filter papers at all, when you can just put a filter on the end of the syringe? Bought from China they're pretty cheap, and I reckon you can reuse them if you pass thinners through them in the outward direction only.
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Post by delaplume on Aug 22, 2020 14:02:36 GMT
Hi Nobby-------matt black's fine but a little bit of contrast would help give the overall "look" a bit of a lift---- for instance when the full size loco is being prepped in the depot I'll bet you the cleaning gang would give the wheels a good shine !!... so gloss for the wheels with maybe polished steel rims to match the clean and shiny motion rods etc....Against this background some polished copper dummy external lube oil pipes along with all those in the cab would look A-OK as well....then there's a single red line livery to consider ??........and the colourful company badge with yellow loco numbers and I'm drooling already !!
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Post by Roger on Aug 22, 2020 20:04:09 GMT
After a couple of hours, this was the particle count, down from the mid 40's, so a significant improvement. 20200822_113942 by Roger Froud, on Flickr And round and around we go, this has already been sprayed three times, but each time I wasn't happy with the Black Enamel so I'm going to do it yet again. At least it's dead easy to remove the paint! 20200822_204238 by Roger Froud, on Flickr This is the cab roof vent and the rear of the Smokebox Number Plate. 20200822_204243 by Roger Froud, on Flickr I also got around to priming the inside of the boiler cladding. I need to wait for that to dry before attaching it to the spit. 20200822_204248 by Roger Froud, on Flickr I've been using 10psi for these jobs and it seems to come out pretty well. Chris Vine says that this is what he used on the barrel of 'Bongo', and it's a similar type of HVLP gun.
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Post by andyhigham on Aug 22, 2020 21:36:00 GMT
Hi Nobby-------matt black's fine but a little bit of contrast would help give the overall "look" a bit of a lift---- for instance when the full size loco is being prepped in the depot I'll bet you the cleaning gang would give the wheels a good shine !!... so gloss for the wheels with maybe polished steel rims to match the clean and shiny motion rods etc....Against this background some polished copper dummy external lube oil pipes along with all those in the cab would look A-OK as well....then there's a single red line livery to consider ??........and the colourful company badge with yellow loco numbers and I'm drooling already !! Satin black with polished metalwork always looks good
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Post by Roger on Aug 23, 2020 9:49:57 GMT
I stuck the original broken glass outlet back on with Superglue, but as expected, it didn't stay attached for long. So plan B is this effort. I've put a plastic syringe in the lathe and parted off the conical base to leave a decent flange for the glue to bond to. I've used the same thick Superglue, but that's going to take some time to go off since it's not a close fit. Hopefully this will be more successful. If not, I'll open out the hole in the glass and make something that can be bonded inside and out. 20200823_090305 by Roger Froud, on Flickr So here we go again with the boiler cladding. You can see that the clamping piece is much more substantial than the original. I've made the register deeper and the ends shaped so that they bite onto the edge of the cutout. It's not going anywhere this time! There's a whispy length of spider web caught on the edge of the cutout that I'm sure wasn't there when I carefully wiped it with a tack cloth. This isn't the first time I've seen this, in fact it's happened several times before. I think I need to clean the ceiling before starting each painting session to make sure there's nothing about to detach. Here it's easily cleaned off, and it's not in a place where it would be seen anyway. I don't want this happening on a top coat. 20200823_101348 by Roger Froud, on Flickr This is just an odd collection of bits that are at the same stage. 20200823_101353 by Roger Froud, on Flickr I need to get back to the Smokebox Saddle and rub that down as soon as possible so I can finish that ready for attaching to the frames.
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Post by Roger on Aug 23, 2020 19:35:07 GMT
Round and round we go, and when it's going to be finished, nobody knows! This is the third, or is it the fourth time I've sprayed this? I really can't remember. Anyway, I'm using the 3D printed holder and avoiding spraying the ends, which is a much better strategy than the way I was doing it. Yes, I know that this part isn't even going to be seen, but it's good practice to figure out what works and what doesn't. Priming is an absolute doddle compared to a gloss top coat. 20200823_195933 by Roger Froud, on Flickr And what about that piece on the right? Haven't we seen that many times before too? At last, something new, the coal door for the front of the Bunker. 20200823_195938 by Roger Froud, on Flickr Chris Vine has a much more calculated way of experimenting on pieces of material, but that doesn't help gain experience with what you can and can't do when trying to spray complex shapes. So I'm combining the two things, accepting that many of them will need stripping and starting again. That would have been painful if the thinners wasn't so good at just washing the paint off in seconds after a short soak. Anyway, I'm almost through all of the paint I bought from Pheonix Precision Paints, and I've just ordered some more from Craftmaster paints at half the price. It will be interesting to see if I find that any easier to spray.
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