Model Railroading > Brass Advice - Tarnish Paint Prep

I recently acquired a Westside SP P-10 unstreamlined version on eBay. As the pictures indicated the paint job was horrid, but these engines run so well I figured it would be worth the project.

This past weekend I stripped the paint, discovered two paint schemes under there, one lettered for NKP oddly enough. The pictures below show the results, as expected the engine has some tarnishing.

Based on the photos, I'm interested in opinions from those with more experience prepping brass on how I should deal with the tarnish.

Should I use a brass wire wheel on a Dremel tool, bead blast, etc etc.

Thanks in advance!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/14 13:15 by PhillipJohnson.

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If i remember correctly, vinegar bath

Correct, vinegar or clp. Calcium lime rust from the local hardware store works wonders on brass.

Joe

I used brasso on tarnished brass cleans it off but you have to clean it well before paint

If you can not feel roughness in the tarnished areas I would leave it alone and paint the engine. If it does fell rough go on a blast it. It will give the metal a "tooth" for the paint to adhere to anyway.

Fine glass bead blasting is the best way to prepare the metal for painting but it can get pricey if you need a blasting cabinet AND a compressor. Those little compressors you see cheap (= noisy!)or for your airbrush will not supply enough CFM of air even though they have the PSI rating.

I was lucky to have an old Sears "portable" (it has a handle and wheels but ouch loading it in a vehicle) bought in the 70's to spray paint our summer log cabin. Now it runs my blast cabinet and fills bike and car tires!

When you look at the cabinets see what the recommended CFM is and get a compressor that will handle it.

The small "Air Erasers" will work with the small airbrush compressors but you will be all day doing a whole locomotive.

The cheapest way out is the old ............"the best blasting cabinet is your best friend's blasting cabinet".

Good luck. Remember, the prep for refinishing a brass engine is very important to the final outcome.

Peter

Be careful about using actual glass beads for blasting thin sheet metal. Rather than cutting at the surface, the beads have the effect of "beating" or "hammering" the surface and can warp/distort the material. Better to use a very fine abrasive made for this like aluminum oxide, or baking soda, etc.

Mark

Vinegar, straight vinegar. Put the model in a metal loaf pan and cover it completely with vinegar and let it sit over night. Remove the next day and wash completely with DAWN dish soap. Dry in oven and then primer before adding colors. Have been doing it this way for years. Have attached photos of last couple of old steam I painted that had lots of tarnish.

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