A few days ago, I learnt a valuable lesson in this hobby. If in doubt, ask the vast knowledge base out there before doing something stupid.

I was prepping another Auscision Models 48 class locomotive for weathering and had decided I would wash the body/footplate in readiness for a dose of Dullcote. For some reason, I had it in my head that methylated spirits would be OK, so I proceeded to apply it with a soft brush, washing it over the body. To my shock, as it dried, it left a white haze everywhere. It had reacted to the paint.

After posting a photo of the results, I was given a few tips to try to resurrect the disaster. The tip that proved successful was to use general purpose thinners applied to the surface sparingly with a microbrush or cotton tip. I think this method essentially has removed some of the paintwork which has in turn removed the haze. As you can see in the photos, there is still some white in areas that were difficult to access, and the paint surface is no longer pristine, but I’m hoping an application of Dullcote and the subsequent weathering will hide this.

Lesson learnt.