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Testors model paint tips for better results

Dave Farquhar Model Building April 27, 2017December 18, 2020decal, decals, Pledge Floor Care

Testors is a brand that’s been around for decades. It’s by far the most common brand of model paint for hobbyists. Here are my Testors model paint tips to reduce frustration, give you better results, and save you money. After all, a hobby should be enjoyable, not frustrating.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.

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Restoring lithographed train cars

Dave Farquhar Toy trains April 15, 2016January 27, 2022american flyer, Bing, clearcoat, ives, lionel, marx, Pledge Floor Care, tin

If you have vintage tin lithographed train cars made by American Flyer, Bing, Dorfan, Ives, Lionel, Marx, or another make I’m forgetting and some of them are worse for wear, there are a few things you can do to improve their appearance.

Keep in mind these won’t make them new, and they won’t fool anyone. One reason collectors like lithography is because they can easily recognize a touchup. But you can make beat-up cars look better, and that’s what I’m going to talk about today.

Dave Farquhar

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Not quite a new floor in a bottle, but…

Dave Farquhar Landlording February 5, 2015September 10, 2017Ammonia, kitchens, Pledge Floor Care, Stain, vinegar

There are several acrylic floor finishes–sometimes mistakenly called wax–that promise they’re like a new floor in a bottle. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but if you have reasonable expectations, they definitely can make a floor look better and easier to clean. And depending on how you use them, they can even make the floor last longer.

Dave Farquhar

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Gesso: Brushable, non-toxic primer

Dave Farquhar model railroading, Toy trains December 31, 2014August 30, 2017clearcoat, degreaser, hardware store, Pledge Floor Care, train layout

The best time to paint figures is when it’s over 50 degrees, because the first step is spraying them with a coat of primer, which requires a temperature of above 50 degrees. The problem is that when it’s that warm, that’s when you’re busy keeping up the yard and other stuff. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could prime your figures with something safe to use indoors?

It turns out you can. I’ve searched years for a brushable, non-toxic primer (preferably acrylic and water-based). Such a thing exists; I was just calling it the wrong thing. What you need is called gesso. You can order it online from Amazon or you can buy it in craft stores like Michael’s, Jo-Ann, and Hobby Lobby and use a coupon. If all they have is white, mix some black acrylic paint in with it (which you can get there as well) to darken it. Or mix in any other color you wish.

Dave Farquhar

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Painting model figures in five easy steps

Dave Farquhar Toy trains December 7, 2014December 30, 2020apple, clearcoat, hardware store, Pledge Floor Care, police officer, Purple Power, Stain, toy train, train layout

Painting model figures for train layouts is a task that few toy train hobbyists relish, but we can borrow techniques from other hobbies to solve that problem. The model railroading and toy train hobbies have solved a lot of problems for hobbyists in other fields, and I don’t think we borrow knowledge back from those other hobbies as much as we could.

One problem the miniature wargaming hobby has solved is painting large quantities of figures rapidly while getting acceptable results.

Dave Farquhar

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How I freshened the paint on a Lionel RW transformer

Dave Farquhar Toy trains February 22, 2014August 30, 2017christmas, KW, lionel, Pledge Floor Care

I have a Lionel RW transformer that I would like to put on Christmas tree duty next year. I had a KW on that duty last year, which is a nice transformer, but it’s overkill, and my sons find it easier to operate the whistle with a button like the RW has than with the KW’s handle.

I repaired the RW last year, but I didn’t do anything about the paint. The original paint wasn’t in too bad of shape, but it had some scratches and dings in it, as you would expect a well-loved 60-year-old toy to have. But since the paint wasn’t perfect, I could repaint it without offending anyone, which is what I wanted to do, seeing as the original paint dated to before 1978, and therefore might contain lead.

The job didn’t take long. I didn’t do a full disassembly, and I didn’t do anything resembling a professional restoration. My goal was to make the transformer presentable and safe, and I think I succeeded at that. Read more

Dave Farquhar

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Waterslide decal tips and tricks

Dave Farquhar Model Building March 23, 2009December 18, 2020clearcoat, decal, decals, dish detergent, Pledge Floor Care

If you struggle with waterslide decal application, you’re not alone. It took me a long time to learn four waterslide decal tips that make life with decals tolerable.

Dave Farquhar

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