Santa Fe GG-1

[loupgarou]

This could go in the Sixties GB, but I cannot wait one month. 
We have already discussed about GG-1 painted for railroads that never had it.
Now I find myself with 2 Mehano GG-1, one missing wheels and front trucks, the other with a cracked body and damaged frame (both very cheap, of course).

Yeeech! The gearboxes I had to open to get wheels and gears were completely filled with old grease  , needed to clean everything in alcohol.
So I have put together a complete working frame from the 2 incomplete/damaged. AND have 2 bodies (the crack on one has been re-glued).

If I can manage to prepare templates for painting the Warbonnet, and find decals for the thin separation stripes (with a relatively close shape), I'd love to do a Santa Fe one.
AND, as a pet railroad for me is the Ferrovie Nord Milano, known for having a light track and railbed, what would be more appropriate than a GG-1? 
Problem now is removing the paint: a 20 hours bath in a drain cleaner  has done absolutely nothing, Must find something else.

[PR19_Kit]

Brake fluid?

[kerick]

I've noticed with oven cleaner you have to check the label to see if it contains sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, to get something that works. I haven't used drain cleaner before so I'm not sure if companies have stopped using it. I suggest checking the label to see what the active ingredients might be.
Santa Fe would look cool.

[loupgarou]

Kit: I have had bad experiences with brake fluid fragilizing the plastic in the remote past, so I am not using it anymore.
Kerick: yes, of course, I check that it contains sodium hydroxide, and if possible, the strength of it.

Checking the silver body under a good light, I have seen that in a corner the paint had began to peel, so I put the loco back in the bath.
I am going away for 2 days, will check when I am back if it has worked.

[sandiego89]

Would a coat of rattle can primer and new paint be too thick? 

[loupgarou]

Would a coat of rattle can primer and new paint be too thick? 

I don't trust rattle cans. I will do an airbrush undercoat, but would prefer to remove at least the markings.

[loupgarou]

After a week in a drain unplugger did nothing, I sanded away the markings with a VERY fine abrasive paper, and started the paint job.
Bad masking and proportions, I wasn't satisfied, so put the body in alcohol. I use Vallejo acrilics, so alcohol is good enogh for paint removing.
And, SURPRISE, it removed also the original paint. So, back to pants with a nice and clean body.
Redid the shape of the separation line with Inkscape, and used it to trace a mask on adhesive foil. Painted chrome, masked, did the red...


I am AGAIN not happy with the result: owing to the GG-1 loong noses, the chrome section is too short, and, checking photos, verified that the separation does NOT run through doors etc (apart from giving masking issues).
So, back to an alcohol bath, and to Inkscape to modify the decal shape.....

[PR19_Kit]

But it does have a 'Santa Fe' look about that scheme nonetheless. 

[loupgarou]

Now it's white again. 
Paint dissolved quite instantly, I will start again with primer this afternoon...

[Dizzyfugu]

Some design options?





I think the second one is a good compromise for the long noses?

[loupgarou]

Yes, I was considering he second option, but a silver cab doesn't seem natural on the ATSF. Also, the silver color in front of the windscreen would cause reflections that damage the driver's vision.
Curiosity: the first one seems a "real" model, but shortened and the trucks are very crude. I wonder what it is.

[Dizzyfugu]

I think it is a O-scale tin toy, but of recent production.

[loupgarou]

THIRD iteration of prime/paint chrome/mask/paint red. It's the final one! Decals designed with Inkscape (used a paper print as mask), now the enxt spet is managing to print and coat a decal sheet that won't dissolve. Doing a test with an HEAVY coat o f Liquid Decal.
It's the problem that's blocking me also on 2 Shelf Queen build...

[loupgarou]

I had not forgotten my builds, but ave been stymied by decal problems for a - long - while- 
Apart from disintegrating decals, had also found hat some colours are not completely opaque, had to reprint part of he decals on white paper, qith the new problem of cutting borders precisely etc.
Now I am - slwly - advancing on various projects.
The Santa Fe GG-1 is being decalled, only one side or the moment, the result is not too good, will have to do some retouching:

[PR19_Kit]

Looking very promising.