09/02/2026
Wayne (that’s me) painted some Coachyard HO scale passenger car diaphragms today, and one of the challenges was figuring out how to hold them while painting them. I decided on cardboard (from a cereal box), Scotch double sided tape, and bending the cardboard at an angle for easier spraying of the bottoms. By cutting the strips narrow, I was able to get good spraying angles and good coverage. Had I done it it two steps I would have painted the backs first, and used something less sticky to attach them - handling the double sided tape to make it less sticky, or taping down some upside down masking tape.
This was my first time spraying Tru Color paint (SP Olive Green), and though it was a learning experience I am happy with the results. The clear coat is my old standby: 25% Testors Dull Coat, 75% Gloss Coat, thinned 50/50 with lacquer thinner. The light in my photos played tricks; the actual finish is very smooth. Many folks like Deft clear, and I’ll give it a try one of these days.
Additional comments accompany the photos.
Painting the diaphragms is one step of a project, about which I’ll post when completed.
