Covering a logo?

KCS

Member
OK guy's. I've just about done it all but this is a new thing I'm trying to do. I have two Atlas 3 bay covered hoppers in Cotton Belt with the SSW reporting marks. How do I paint over the the logo and change the number's and reporting mark without damaging the cars or oringnal paint? Kinda like what they do with locomotives when they cover up the reporting marks under the cab and on the side to another color then add new nubems and such.
 

eightyeightfan1

Now I'm AMP'd
Usually, they just paint over the reproting marks with paint that as close as possible to the original. But with fresh paint over paint faded by time and weather, the new paint sticks out. Sometimes(cool detail) to save time, they paint over the reporting marks but leave the original logo.
You could actually use any color. Paint over the original reporting marks with a small paint brush,(doesen't have to be perfect, usually its some guy with a can of paint and a brush) then add your own reporting marks using dry transfers or letter decals.
 

KCS

Member
Would masking tape work to keep strait lines? I used scotch tape for strait lines before on my 200 ton crane when I cut the smoke stack off to make it more modern and used a piece and styrene cut in a square to cover up as if a new pieve of steel had been welded on and painted over. However the paint got to the edge of the tape then it came up enough for the paint to ruuuunnnnn.:curse: 0o0o0o I thought I was going to have a fit. when I saw that. Well sense the hoppers are the ACF 3 bay in a light/ghost gray I wonder if I could get it to look good with flat black cover up's?
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
Are you talking about a situation like when the U.P. bought S.P. and changed reporting marks to convert S.P. & SSW to U.P.? If that is the case, they wouldn't change the logo on the cars. The only thing they would change is the reporting marks. The easy way to do it is to paint over the reporting marks the way the prototype does. To make the effect work best if you have freshly painted cars, spray the cars with a thin white wash to fade the paint. Weather the car. Now Mask off the entire car, leaving a rectangle around the reporting marks. Paint the rectangles in the original car color to to make a nice clean shiney background to your new reporting marks. You then use decals to apply the new reporting marks, and remove the mask. You should have a weathered, faded car with nice fresh painted out reporting marks & fresh reporting marks over the top of everything.
 

60103

Pooh Bah
Are you trying to make the cars look like ones where the lettering was changed? Then you don't need to match the paint; even different colours will work.
 

b28_82

Member
Heres the similar color method I did a couple years ago. http://www.the-gauge.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18475&stc=1&d=1098748338 I just painted over the PC reporting marks and made it CR. I didn't even touch the PC logo. I know this is a heartache to you PC fans out there :D but a Conrail fan's gotta do what a Conrail fan's gotta do.:thumb:


One thing I decided would help is to take a toothpick or something relatively dull and press/rub masking tape as hard as you can against the surface so paint wont get under it.
Jacob
 

shaygetz

Active Member
Hey, Jake, good to hear from you.:wave:

I just mask mine off, paint them a primer color, then mark over them. Looks just like a post sale "get it running" stencil job.
 

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KCS

Member
Well, thing is I don't want the logo at all. I bought these new some time last year not really worrying about the road name as there wasn't much to chose from. The two SSW car's were the only gray ones. The rest were other colors. I played around and masked the side of one of the cars and painted and let dry a little while ago. I ran my fingernails over the tape edges sevral times to make sure there wasn't any open spots for the paint to bleed under. Well It bled. After I pulled the tape off after it dried it still ran but not near as bad as the last time I tried. Now how do I get the paint back off? I still know nothing about painting except touching up on detail parts and such but nothing like the entire side of a car. I'm using Testors enamel and acrylic paint because I don't have a way to get any of the good stuff like Flex. Another thing is where can I find god oil base paints in rust type colors for heavy weathering? If it's at Walmart then no problem.
 
If the paint is bleeding under your masking tape, most of the time it's not the paint's fault.

The problem might be the masking tape you are using. I have painted plenty of models using Testor's enamels and acrylics and never had a problem with paint running under my masking tape-- I use high-quality masking tape like the stuff from Tamiya. Those seal really well, and when properly applied there are usually no paint runs.

The other thing to watch out for is the state of the paint. If you pull off the masking tape while the paint is still wet, of course it's going to bleed. You want to wait until the paint is no longer fluid before pulling the tape off.

Next time before you paint, you should practice on a scrap piece of styrene or shell first. Mask, paint, and see if it runs. If it doesn't, use the same technique on the shell you are going to paint for real.

Good luck.
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
You shold always cut a fresh edge on the tape as well. The "stock" edge will not seal no matter how much you burnish it into place. I second Tom's suggestion of practice!

If you want to completely redo them, why not strip the entire car and repaint?

Andrew
 

brakie

Active Member
Why not remove move the lettering or just pant over it? Also some times the car's number remains the same after its been sold.
 

KCS

Member
Well, I guess the number would be ok to leave on there. I think Mason has a good point to the stock edge. I did wait till the paint was dry but somehow it did run when I applied it. It came out ok so I just carefully used my Xato knife as a straight edge to remove what paint did bleed leaving some decent lines. I used flat black as the patch color because i didn't have anything other that would match without "standing out" like silver. Another thing, I sw somewhere just the other day about someone mentioning making India ink from rubbing alcohol and a black pen non water based pen? I wouldn't mind making my own if this is a good way of doing it but if not then I don't know where you would get it at. I'm prerry good with washes.
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
KCS,

India ink is pretty cheap, and can be had at almost any stationery shops, probably even Business Depot. It is only a few dollars for what amounts to a lifetime supply.

Andrew
 

KCS

Member
Well, I found a way to just remove the logo's off the cars rather than cover them up. I got the logos off and the reporting marks patched up so now hopefully a little dull coat to touch up the shine where the logo was and some new decals. I had some decals in red but long forgot what ever happened to them. So it's gonna be awhile before I can finish them completely. I would like the new reporting marks to be KCS even though the numbers are still in the Cotten Belt font style.
 
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