This is the Sylvan Small Wonders General American Aerocoach Highway Bus that we receive as a gift from a modeler friend.
Tuesday night I started painting a new kind of kit (for me). This was my first dive into painting a vehicle and what makes this one even more special was that this was a gift from a good friend of ours. He sent us two of these busses and they’re going to look freaking awesome in front of our massive Terminal build. So thanks again, you know who you are… These are awesome and very unique vehicles, even more, special because they’re a gift.
Here is my update on these from the first night of painting.
I first removed the bus from the box and cleaned up the bus windows and parts where the resin casting wasn’t cleanly cast. There wasn’t very much to do as these castings are very clean out of the box, but some finer detail parts did need a little work.
After removing any spurs, I soaked the resin cast parts in a bowl of warm (not hot, just mild water… hot water will warp the resin casting) water mixed with mild dish detergent to release the coating that comes on many resin cast kits. Once it had soaked for a little bit (about 30 minutes) I gently scrub the parts down with just my fingers to make sure they’re cleaned up. These steps allow the paint to adhere to the resin better as you work.
Next up: Time for primer
I sprayed the resin body of the bus with a flat white spray primer. I just use the Rustoleum brand flat white primer and let it sit overnight to dry. I know that it usually dries to touch within 30 minutes to an hour, but sometimes I’ve noticed some ‘gummy’ areas when I don’t let it dry longer, so I’ve got enough projects going that I can set it aside and let it dry overnight.
Let’s give this bus some life!
Once the primer was dried, I began painting the bus according to the colors on the photo on the box. To match these colors, I selected the following paints from my arsenal of acrylic craft paints:
- Craft Smart – Bright Red
- Craft Smart – Premium Ultra Bright Nickel
- Apple Barrel – 21378E Vanilla Ice Cream
I started with the red bottom of the bus and carefully by-hand followed the pattern that was in the photo of the bus on the box. The front of the bus was the most difficult as it had a pointed pattern. I got it as close as I could to the original, so I’m happy with it.
After the red was dried, I followed it up with the Vanilla Ice Cream colored paint which added an off-white cream-colored white to the bus. I think the photo on the box had a more pure looking white, but I liked the off-white cream color-matched with the bright vibrant red. Plus it adds an aged white look to the bus.
I started to paint the chrome bumper, headlights, mirrors and windows but was running into some heavy eyelids and decided to resume the next day. I’ll wrap up the body of this another night and get the remaining metal parts, bottom, and wheels on this to wrap up bus number one of two!
The hardest part will probably be painting the second bus to make it look as close to the first one! Maybe my dad will be into the idea of painting the second one to see how close he can match it… hmm…
I’ll update my progress tomorrow as I wrap up this first bus!
