Here's a way to save some time in a few painting and masking operations. It works well when you want to paint both the inside and outside of something like a passenger car body, or an engine cab, and there are several holes to be plugged to prevent overspray. It saves much time and frustration when painting a steam engine cab with it's large opening in the back.

First, paint the inside complete with any detail or trim. Let it dry as usual. Then, instead of cutting tape for each window or other opening and applying it from the inside, get some paper towels or tissue paper. Wad up some of the paper and simply stuff it inside the body. Pack it tightly, but avoid crushing any delicate details. Keep adding paper until the inside is full and there is paper filling each window or door opening. Check each opening to be sure paper is covering everything necessary.

Then, spray-paint the outside as usual. The paper stuffing in the openings keeps paint from going inside. When the outside is dry enough to handle, simply pull out the paper stuffing and you're done.

Argent Silver paint, or any other form of silver, can be difficult to get a good painted finish from. It can be hard to apply evenly, even with an airbrush, and the final coating will sometimes wear off with handling leaving a silver powder on your hands. Applying a clear top coating will usually discolor the surface to a flat gray and hides the silver shine.

I've seen several articles about using Rub 'N' Buff or metal foil instead of silver to eliminate these problems, but they are more difficult than painting. Results using the silver paint are greatly improved by mixing the silver from the paint bottle with an equal part of the clear gloss finish from the same manufacturer (don't mix brands). The final mix is ready to spray with little or no thinning required. Just be sure to shake the mix completely each time you use it.

When sprayed as usual, the above mix gives a shiny silver surface. The clear gloss seems to rise to the surface during drying to give a shiny protective coating that won't powder off when handled, with no discoloration. Next time you want a snazzy silver paint job, give this a try.

There are many opinions about the painting of brass and the best way to do it. One area that is sometimes overlooked is the best way to remove a lacquer coating in poor condition.

One method is to soak it overnight in a container full of carburetor cleaner. This works well, and is fine for small models. It may be impractical for larger brass items, however. For these larger jobs, I find that a coating of "Strypeeze" paint remover will quickly loosen the old coating. Then rinse off the model in carburetor cleaner or lacquer thinner to remove everything down to the bare metal. Let the model set until dry and check the surface. A second rinse with lacquer thinner may be needed to remove all residue.

These materials give off a large amount of vapor, so this job is best done outside or in an area with very good ventilation. Rubber gloves are recommended when handling the stripper, and be sure no source of ignition is nearby. When all the old coating and residue is gone, the model is ready to paint. Wear gloves when handling the clean metal, to keep finger oils off the surface.