Whats the BEST Way to Remove Lettering from a Factory Paint Job


Trucklover

Trucklover

BNSF SD70MAC's
The title says it all, what methods do you guys use? I am going to need to re-number a whole bunch of cars including 6 Walthers 60' Pullman-Standard Single Door Auto Boxcars and a few Walthers 89' Tri-Level and Bi-Level Auto-Carriers.

I dont need to remove any logos or anything like that, just re-number in most cases. I do have to remove the lettering (ATSF) on the reporting marks for one Boxcar to patch it for BNSF though....

I dont want to have to paint over and match paint if I can avoid it..... I thought I remembered seeing a technique of removing only the lettering and not the pint underneath it, but i cant member where I "think" I saw it LOL.

So what do you guys do when your re-number rolling stock?
 
Trucklover said:
Does this remove all the paint or just the numbering/lettering?
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Josh, here's what I do. Dip the Q-tip in thinner, dab it dry on a paper towel, then rub lightly on the numbering. It might not do much at first, and you'll have to re-dip it a couple of times, then dab it dry again. Then all of a sudden the numbering starts to lift off leaving the paint un-touched.
 
wheeler1963 said:
Josh, here's what I do. Dip the Q-tip in thinner, dab it dry on a paper towel, then rub lightly on the numbering. It might not do much at first, and you'll have to re-dip it a couple of times, then dab it dry again. Then all of a sudden the numbering starts to lift off leaving the paint un-touched.
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Sweet thanks Jerome! Is Testors Thinner the only thing that will work or could I use Lacquer Thinner as well? Reason I ask is I dont have any of the Testors stuff on hand, and I will have to wait a week to get it in, and I have some Lacquer Thinner sitting here...
 
Josh, I've never used Lacquer thinner for that. So test it at your own risk!!! The Testors red can is Enamel thinner.
 
wheeler1963 said:
this one.

http://www.traintekllc.com/product/TES-8824.html
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of coarse, the one thats out of stock at Walthers lol

Thanks Jerome

**Edit** well upon closer inspection, it appears the one I posted the link to and the one you posted the link too are the same thing, just yours is in a much larger can lol. Ill get the smaller can for now since its in stock. I have to order BNSF freight car data/numbers anyways for these cars, so I might as well just wait for everything to come in all at once and do it all at the same time

thanks again
 
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just go easy with it. all of a sudden it'll start to work. stay as close to the numbers as possible. I rub in little circles as I go.
 
Well, I just tried using the 91% alcohol and its working, but its taking the paint from underneath the lettering off as well. Im starting to see black paint/plastic underneath the red paint.... It did take quite some time before the white lettering started to get erased. But right away red paint started to come off even before the white lettering started to fade away. Im wondering if I should cut the Q-Tips smaller maybe? Right now I have a red Q-Tip with most of the A and T white lettering gone, some of the S gone and red paint smeared on the F lol (what does that spell? ATSF lol)

Hopefully the Testors stuff work work a little better. I ordered it today so it wont be in till Friday lol
 
Why not do what the real railroads do........just paint over the old number (or logo or what-ever) and then apply the new numbers. That's why they call it a patch job...it looks like you put a patch on the car......you don't even have to worry about paint matching. It'll actually add a little variety to your cars and seem more prototypical.
 
MRLdave said:
Why not do what the real railroads do........just paint over the old number (or logo or what-ever) and then apply the new numbers. That's why they call it a patch job...it looks like you put a patch on the car......you don't even have to worry about paint matching. It'll actually add a little variety to your cars and seem more prototypical.
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I tried that with the Model Master BN green to renumber an engine. The Problem is that the paint did not really match the paint that was already there. It looked like a "patch" but it was not what i was going for. I did not want a patched engine. I now model P&W and I have not found a color that comes even close to their red.
 
What if you bypassed the chemical idea all together and tried using some tape. Like simple scotch tape and stuck it on the white lettering and pulled it off. It might take off the white lettering with it after several tries.
 
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