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6 Responses to Avoiding Couplers When Painting
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When painting rolling stock I always remove couplers and wheel sets. They rely on engineering and geometry to work properly and paint, especially weathering materials will wreck them.
One possibility is to remove the couplers and then put them back when painting is done. A second possibility is to wrap a layer of masking tape around the coupler to shield it from paint.
Good luck!!!
Mike
The simplest answer is removing them. The same goes for wheelsets.
It depends on what you are applying and how you are applying it. A very light coat of a water based acrylic paint lightly sprayed on the couplers will not cause a problem. Same goes for the trucks but I do them with cheap plastic wheels in place that are swapped out for metal wheels when the weathering has dried and a protective clear coat has been applied and dried. The wheels I paint individually prior to installing them in the truck. Just make sure no paint gets on the pivot point at each end.
If you are using Kadee couplers, all the ones I use are already black or dark in color, why paint?
Cover them with cling film. Easy & precise.