I regularly get asked how to paint the Shapeways 3D printed Frosted Ultra Detail and Frosted Extreme Detail materials.  There are several methods that work but I thought in this post I’d share with you the method used by one of my fellow modellers, Chris Broughton.

Chris produces fantastic models, such as his Baldwin RT-624 as shown below.

This model has been made from one of my kits 3D printed at Shapeways in FXD. The kit arrives as shown below, except for the handrails which are fixed inside the shell for protection.

Chris also used my etched brass Addition to complete the model.

From here I will let Chris explain his method for painting his models;

“First, I soak the parts in Bestine to removed the waxy coating from the parts. I’ll leave them in for 2-3 days, since the Bestine doesn’t harm the parts. When the parts come out of the soak, I’ll rinse them in water and lightly brush them with a toothbrush.

Once they’re dry, I’ll lightly sand any areas that have a coarse texture from printing. In areas where there’s detail, I’ll using small sanding sticks and try to work around the details.

I use Tamiya Fine Surface Primer to prime the parts. If more sanding is necessary, I’ll sand and recoat with the primer.

As for paint, I’ve been using TruColor paint more recently. I’m used to using Floquil, so I’ve had to adapt since they’re no longer around.

I’ve been pretty happy with TruColor, but I get the best results over a primed surface, and it has to be thinned quite a bit for airbrushing (to the consistency of water). I just use 100% acetone fingernail polish remover for thinning and cleaning. The paint goes on glossy, which is great for applying decals, then spray with Testors Dullcote from a spray can to seal the decals and weathering, and give it a matte finish.”

Chris’ finished locomotive looks fantastic which just goes to show how well his method works.

Many thanks to Chris for sharing his painting method and for the excellent photos.

Last week I had promised to share some new products with you and I will be shortly, I’m just making a few last minute adjustments.  As for this coming weekend I’m going to the NMRA (BR) Benson Winter Meet and hopefully I’ll have some photos and videos to share with you from the show.