On The Bench: Life-Like F7 bodies.

Some filler work requiring at this stage no parts, paints, tools, material, or decals, I can reshspe these old loco bodies into something closer to correct, and finish them up as UP Passenger haulers.

Recontour the Windscreen 

Open and correct the number boards.

Scribe the nose door.

Clean, sand, prime.

Drill for handrails and grabirons

Fill in body mounting slots.

Enough to keep my hands busy while Betty's paint dries ;-)

Nothing like some primer to show what needs more work, and what's good to go.
I had picked up some Badger Modelflex acrylic paint in UP Colors. Starting with UP Armor Yellow. So far, it has been quite difficult to get to spray smoothly. Vallejo thinner, it blobs and spits. Distilled water was recommended. Blobs and spits. Go with a larger brush needle. Blobs and spits. Don't thin, spray straight from the bottle, at high pressure. Guess I'll try that next. Grrrrrr....

You can see the yellow splotches. More wet sanding in small patches.

Decision: Get different paint. After trying three different airbrush needles; two different thinners (and spraying unthinned); straining the paint through a tea strainer (the blobs are in the bottle, not a result of incorrect thinning). It still speckles and runs, while not covering well. I cannot recommend Badger Modelflex. Worst paint I've used in 50 years.

And don't try the "it's just an old bottle" argument. I have decades-old bottles of Tamiya acrylic that are fine. Now I have to clean all the crappy Badget off the shell without removing surface detail. Grrrrrr.....

Here we are using a soak in Pine-Sol and an old toothbrush to remove paint. Will go dowwn to bare plastic and start again.

Progress is slow 

But it does work. Pine-Sol, persistence, and a toothbrush. Let it soak for 90-120 minutes, scrub, repeat. Rinse, dry.

Now it looks like an old F Unit that's been on the dead line for years. A little cleanup and we'll start the whole painting process again...
For the rest of the story, and some unplanned lessons learned, go to 

http://theatomfurnace.blogspot.com/2021/11/union-pacific-f7-part-ii.html