Source for Custom Painting?

Hey Everyone,

Could anyone point me in the direction of a hobby shop/custom modeler?

I started a project over the summer and quickly lost patience (and realized my painting skills are atrocious).

I've got an HO scale Athearn GE AMD103 I'm trying to convert from Amtrak Phase IV paint to Metro-North/CT DoT's "McGinnis" paint. See... http://www.justinmcclellan.com/blog/201 ... -p32ac-dm/

See below for photos of my model as it sits. It needs to get blasted and repainted; I don't know what I was thinking I'd accomplish with the Testors rattle can.

I've tried contacting a few I've found on Google. Two only do brass, two never replied, and one said the soonest they could even look at it would be at least a year from now.

Thanks in advance!
- Jesse

Whats that model covered with? Is it white paint or sort of putty?

I did such a paintjob many years ago, if you don´t mind shipping it to germany and back i could do this:



I could also try to buy a AMD103 here and paint it for you...

It's white paint, that I very sloppily applied using a small spray can and then brushed to cover up the spots I missed. I am not proud of my attempt, haha.

Thank you for the offer Acela82, but I did find a shop. I sent the model to Jeff at Accurate Custom Finishing, http://www.accuratecustomfinishing.com/.

He sent me a photo last week of his progress, he's got the model blasted and primed, and is now waiting for the orange paint to arrive. I'll keep the group updated of the progress.

He quoted me a great price and has been extremely friendly and easy to deal with. Once I get this model back I plan on sending him a few more.

Good to hear your model is in good hands, Naugy.

Many model railroaders claim you can't use a "rattle can" to paint models. I do it frequently, with good results. True, it requires a very different technique and is less forgiving than using an airbrush, but it is possible to get good results using aerosol spray paints.

It looks like you were way too close when spraying and thus the paint went on too thick (which would also explain the solvent damage to the body shell), and then when you went over it with a brush the paint had already started getting a little tacky and dragged and left brush marks.

These are not critiques, just observations! It's all part of the learning process - I've been painting models for about 30 years, using airbrushes, rattle cans, even brush painting (another thing you're not supposed to be able to do, but can if you know how). In all that time I have certainly sent plenty of models for swimming lessons in a tub of 91% isopropyl or an ultrasonic cleaner because I goofed it and "nothing to see here, move along!". It's part of the 'fun' of model railroading. Over the decades it has become by far my favorite aspect of the hobby. Still even though my success to failure rate is far higher than Elon Musk's, I'm not brave enough to go into business painting things for other people like the guy you have put your model in good hands with!

Good luck to you, and if custom painting is something you want to keep pursuing, find some old body shells to experiment with techniques on, and have fun learning.

jwhite07 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 18, 2021 11:55 am Many model railroaders claim you can't use a "rattle can" to paint models.

The pictured model from my previous post was painted that way. I made around 50 models before switching to an airbrush...

Good Morning Everyone,

Jeff at Accurate Custom Finishing e-mailed me last night to let me know my model was finished and tested on his layout. The results came out amazing.

I'll post some photos of it next to my Rapido FL9s and other MTA equipment once it gets shipped back to me. This'll look great with the Rapido Comets once they're released (and I have a layout again, lol).

Finally got the unit back in my hands today. Here's a couple pictures of it with one of my Rapido FL9s, and with the rest of my Metro-North and SLE units.

Last year I sent an Atlas RS3, a Walthers caboose, and a Proto GP9 out for custom painting and just got them back today. I'm pretty thrilled with the results...













All three were painted and customized by Accurate Custom Finishing http://www.accuratecustomfinishing.com/.

654 was a cheapo Walthers caboose in Guilford paint that was stripped down, repainted, and provided with new couplers.

9935 was an undecorated Atlas unit that was kitbashed to represent it's DeWitt Geep conversion modifications.

7324 was a Proto Rock Island unit that was stripped, repainted, and provided with new drive gears.

The GP35 and 529 are production Athearn and Atlas units, respectively, and are shown just for comparison purposes.

This is my second time sending trains out to Mr. Tyrrel and I couldn't be happier.