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 Posted - August 19 2012 : 12:19:22 AM
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Well, as luck would have it, I managed to screw up the RDC-3 shell I had been given a free Alclad metalizing finish on. Here is the shell as I received it a month ago:
At that point, I was planning to apply Great Northern RDC Microscale decals. No sooner did I start the first one (Great Northern name) then it managed to get distorted in the water soak. I tried to fix it and managed to get it aligned on the shell. I noticed that it needed a little adjustment, so I put a very small bit of Solvaset on it- BIG MISTAKE! the solution started to eat away at the ALclad coating! I subsequently learned that Solvaset does not work well with Alclad, which is a laquer-based coating.
Next up, I had no way to repair the damage, so I removed all the Alclad and rethought the painting scheme for the RDC. I then used my Minnesota, Sioux Lake & Western colors to run horizontal color bands along the top of each car side, then masked those colors and sprayed the remained of the shell with Rustoleum Matte Nickel, which was significantly less "shiny" than an aluminim color and also less shiny than the Alclad (perhaps a bit more realistic, in my opinion).
Here is the shell in the paint shop:
And here is the finished shell:
The roof exhaust ports are painted with primer dark gray rather than black- not much of a difference, but it is a bit more subtle of a "dirty look".
I managed to find a Budd logo online to jazz up the job (on the step riser)
I just got some small warm white round head LEDs in to change out the front and rear bulb lamps, so, when I get done with the electrical, the shell goes back on the chassis and the MSL&W gets its first passenger revenue car!
Hope you like it.
Ron
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Posted - August 19 2012 : 01:07:53 AM
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Looks great! I really like the paint scheme 
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Posted - August 19 2012 : 02:46:57 AM
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Ron,
THAT LOOKS AWESOME! Nice work!
Rubber band drive?
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid... 
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - August 19 2012 : 09:03:17 AM
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I should have mentioned, this is a Proto 1000 RDC-3 that I got from Trainworld for $19.98 a few years ago, before the reissued ones came out, and prices started riding on the Proto 1000 ones very quickly. I kick myself every time I think about it, that I could have bought 2 more back then. The cheapest I have seen the Proto's go for on EBay is in the 40-60 range.
Ron
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Posted - August 19 2012 : 10:20:04 AM
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| I LOVE it I want one boxcar in your scheme hehe
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Posted - August 19 2012 : 11:51:12 AM
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Ron,
Isn't that ALWAYS the way? I got a B&O GP30 from Spectrum, paid I think the same price you did for the RDC......NOW, I'm kicking myself as they are my favorite diesel, and well at $19.99 give or take, well was worth it back then and even more so, today......Not to mention, run VERY well, and looks good for the price too.....
It too, came from Trainworld in NYC.
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - August 19 2012 : 12:14:53 PM
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Wish I had the time or talent for detailing like that. Maybe someday. Great job of recovering after the "fumble" LOL!. Turned out sweet.
Jerry
fan of RDC's also
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - August 19 2012 : 7:30:04 PM
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Jerry:
The thing is, AntonioFP45 (MR forum name) is a very good friend, whom I work with at school and I felt absolutely terrible about being so careless with something he takes great pride in- the ALCLAD process he writes about often in the MR and Atlas Rescue (replaced old Atlas) forums. If I even get my hands on another one (for a reasonable price, of course), I will let him redo it and use it for his ALCLAD promotions. I can't do better than amateur on most of the work I do, but this one was an almost lost cause.
Ron
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Posted - August 19 2012 : 8:42:22 PM
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Nice save, Ron. It's certainly an easy enough mistake to make. Who would think that Solvaset could dissolve a finish? It looks great.
I was lucky enough to snap up 4 of those RDC-3's from Trainworld about 4 years ago for $10 a piece! I just couldn't pass them up at that price.
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - August 19 2012 : 10:11:44 PM
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When I gave the Alcad-painted shell a 91 alcohol bath, the paint came off in large "sheets" followed by the primer undercoat. I then found that the shell was a light-colored plastic, and a lot more delicate than it appeared at first, in fact, similar to a resin mold or 3D copier product.
I am constantly on the lookout for Proto 1000 rdc's at the quarterly swap meets I attend locally, but cry a lot when I turn to EBay and see an initial offering of one for $20 end up near $100 at the lose of a bid process.
I cannot see paying retail for the newer ones, nor the high prices they fetch on bids.
The RDC is one of those "what if" things that could have been a true precursor to intercity mass transit, but while cars got fins and chrome in the fifties, the RDC was poorly marketed. They were elegantly designed, ran well when kept up and could have evolved differently, in another world.
Ron
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Posted - August 20 2012 : 07:06:51 AM
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Nice fix Ron with the Solvaset..... I use the old Champion Decal decal set on EVERYTHING...... I am lucky, a bottle lasts me about what seems an actual 10 YEARS! And, I have a case of it! I bought it from a train show that a guy had from a train shop that went belly up some time ago.......
However, I do have Solaset as well, and others and have tried them and I'm not pleased at how they work, the Champion decal set works GREAT!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - August 20 2012 : 10:37:34 AM
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wasn't sure what solvaset was so came across this
http://www.powaystation.org/Article%20Applying%20Decals.html
tremendous amount of info when you click on the left articles
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