DPM Kits- What is your procedure?

Inkaneer Feb 8, 2023

  1. Inkaneer

    Inkaneer TrainBoard Member

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    Okay, I got a number of DPM buildings to assemble. The part I dread is painting the exterior window trim. I thought of spraying the exterior walls with a brick color and then, when dry, doing the window trim. I had done this in the past and it was very tedious to say the least. Then I thought what if I spray painted the widow trim color then masked them off and spray painted the brick color. When dry all I needed to do was touch up the area around the windows that was covered by the tape. Seems to be a lot easier and simpler so what am I missing, if anything?
     
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  2. handley

    handley TrainBoard Member

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    In the past I have airbrushed the door and window trim and then brush painted the brick color. Works out fine you just need to take your time and use new paint brushes.
     
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  3. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    It's seemingly simple topics like this that are a huge help to me, who hasn't painted anything but 1:1 interior walls before, at least since art class in high school (a frightening number of years ago.)

    Now for an ignorant question on the original subject... What about a paint pen for the window trim, after the brick has been painted and washed with mortar color? Of course, that's assuming I could find the window trim color I wanted in a pen.
     
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  4. C&O_MountainMan

    C&O_MountainMan TrainBoard Member

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    No need.

    Amazon sells empty fillable paint pens. Put the color you want, in.
     
  5. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    I can honestly say I would rather paint windows, than try to mask them. I have good brushes and a steady hand so it may be tedious but much less time involved. The extent of work getting the masking cut just right isn’t worth the time. I have also done as @handley said and sprayed the windows, and brush painted the walls. This works great too just make sure you have a fine haired brush. You don’t need anything exotic like camel hair, just don’t use those crappy Testors brushes. I get mine from Hobby Lobby, they are synthetic fiber, fine and soft and for the most part they last several years.
     
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  6. Inkaneer

    Inkaneer TrainBoard Member

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    Just to clear things up a bit. When I said mask the windows I meant applying tape over the window opening so that the tape adheres to the brick not the window itself. That way you don't run the risk of removing paint that you applied to the window woodwork. Then spray paint the brick with the windows masked off. You will then only have a small area of brick to paint that is far less intricate than the window portions.
     
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  7. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Then you still have some touch up to come back and do with a brush, which will not have the same texture of the rest of the building.

    Imma stick with the good quality brushes. I did forget to mention that the ones I typically buy are not expensive, I get a pack of 12 to 15 brushes of different sizes or shapes for around $10 to $20.
     
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  8. MRLdave

    MRLdave TrainBoard Member

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    I do the "paint the walls, then the windows" routine. Yes, it's tedious, but usually I work for short periods of time. I may only do one wall, and then put it down and work on something else for a while........it might even be the next day before I come back. I use superfine microbrushes and start in the corners.....if you use enough paint it flows into the corners, then I drag it down the side, and finally stick the brush into the window holes and run the paint around. It actually goes pretty quick. I have to admit it's my least favorite part of doing buildings as well.........so I only do the windows that will show. my layout is an "around the wall" type, so noone will ever see the back side of most buildings. And if the building is going in a row of buildings, most of the windows on the side won't ever be seen either, so they don't get done.
     
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  9. in2tech

    in2tech TrainBoard Member

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    This is a great thread as eventually I want the N Scale Town & Factory kit one day. I would also try paint pens, they may or may not work depending on the paint pens. Also an important thing to remember is what kind of lighting does your layout have or will have. Mine is very dark most of the time, so I can't even notice small mistakes. I could have never painted the Walthers Dairy Queen without them. Or the colors exactly right, no, but I am happy.

    The paint does tend to blob up on the tips over time, and I guess you can wash the tips? Like I said my lighting is very dark, but I like it that way cause I enjoy the Just Plug light's so much. I spent so much time on the front brick of the Diary Queen, and of course I chose to put it on my layout where it does not even face me :) I just need to go ahead and buy that dang Town & Factory kit, basically a bunch of DPM kits.

    BTW @Inkaneer be sure and show us your work here as well as others that have painted these types of kits. We can learn from one another.
     
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  10. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    Once you get a consistent order to it, it isn't that difficult to brush paint them. And, I'm with MRLdave on doing a few at a time. Use good brushes.

    Doug
     
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  11. Burlington Bob

    Burlington Bob TrainBoard Member

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    Search YouTube for "assembling DPM buildings". This will yield multiple videos with some pretty good advice and tips for painting, assembling and detailing them.
     
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  12. Jim67

    Jim67 TrainBoard Member

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    I guess I’m the odd person out… I always mask and spray. Yes, masking is tedious, but I’ve never had good results hand-painting, and I’ve tried both methods (brick then trim; trim then brick.)

    It takes FOREVER for me to finish painting a building, as I always wait a day between colors… and after masking I spray to seal before applying a new color. Usually a week to do a DPM building.

    I recently made the mistake of building a “Merchant’s Row” kit… it will be summer before this is painted. But it will look great when it’s done!

    (I also am usually painting a few buildings in parallel though so over the course of a week I can usually have 3 or 4 DPM kits painted…)

    Jim
     
  13. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    Good paint...good brushes..steady hands. 2 out of 3 aint bad...right ?! o_O
     
  14. umtrr-author

    umtrr-author TrainBoard Member

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    I am also of the opinion that paint pens are of highly varying quality. I've had some success with the "Gundam Marker" brand which I believe I bought in a store that sells supplies for in-person non-virtual gaming.
     
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  15. SPsteam

    SPsteam TrainBoard Member

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    I paint the building white or off white and color with colored pencil. You can do the brick in whatever color and if you want the window frame something other than white, you can use a colored pencil on them as well. Afterwards, clear coat the entire building and install windows and details. Works well in the N scale world.
     
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  16. Inkaneer

    Inkaneer TrainBoard Member

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    I never thought of using colored pencils and I may try that for the windows but not for the mortar lines. I don't like to accentuate the mortar lines in brick buildings for two reasons. First, the bricks are usually oversized for N scale and the white mortar only makes them more noticeable. Besides mortar is rarely white or gray as it takes its color from the sand or aggregate used. In my area that is usually brown sandstone. Second, if one involves the three foot rule, which is the N scale equivalent of 480 feet, one will need very acute vision to detect a 1/2 inch mortar line. That would scale out to .0003125 inches or about 3/10,000th of an inch. My eyes are just not that good.
     
  17. Hoghead2

    Hoghead2 TrainBoard Member

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    IMG_20210706_172305_HDR.jpg My route-spray it brick colour, paint stone lintels etc, paint windows (with good brushes). Wash over weathering/mortar. Apply Daves decals for signage. Drybrush to make detail pop, weather with powders (soot etc.) Then dullcoat before glazing. Picture's not a DPM kit, but you get my drift..
     
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  18. Hoghead2

    Hoghead2 TrainBoard Member

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    Some brave souls paint before assembly...just make sure those walls are straight!! dpm.jpg
     
  19. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    I have tried painting assembled, and apart… I do the initial painting apart, get everything looking like it’s new, if I plan on weathering the window frames I do this before the glazing goes in, then I assemble and touch up, then weather the whole structure. If windows are going to be cloudy, I put a piece of scotch tape on the inside, and a little white wash on the outside, it works quite well for the effect.
     
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  20. jwaldo

    jwaldo TrainBoard Member

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    IMO the trick with N scale mortar is to make it a slightly paler shade of the brick color instead of an accurate 1:1 mortar color. That way it stands out just slightly from the background, like mortar viewed from a distance would. Until they figure out a way to mold scale-size mortar lines!
     
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