painting metal

[csxengineer]

I bought the n scale DPM Gold kit of Olsen feeds. I was disappointed to see it is just their modular system, a huge catalog, and some metal accessories. I built the accessories (tractors, etc), primed it, and painted the smaller pieces, but the paint wouldn't stick to the bigger pieces. I tried both POLY S & Floquil. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[CalFlash]

Metal castings usually have mold release on them that needs to be washed off throughly. After drying, priming with the solvent based Floquil is the usual preferred method. After that is dry, you should be able to paint the details with just about anything.

 

[Bill Stone]

It also helps to "etch" the metal a bit to give it "tooth" for the paint to stick to. Ordinary household vinegar works beautifully. Let the parts soak for a while and then wash them thoroughly in water and dry well before painting.
Bill S