--- In STMFC@..., "ed_mines" <ed_mines@...> wrote:

Denny-

Do you seal prepainted car sides like Mainline?

Ed

No, making the presumption that the paint already present is functioning well already as
an effective sealer. I do always seal the back side, however.

One of the vexing problems with a lot of the pre-painted wood car sides was that the
wood had not been either pre-sealed nor then sanded, nor the joints between the
planking cleared before painting- thus leaving a relatively rough surface and joints
clogged with tiny whiskers that nothing can be done about.

I love wood cars, and enjoy even more the challenge of building them. However, because
of the above, I am always thankful when I have unpainted sides that I can finish "ground
up" myself.

Mainline: I loved building these, and I still admire the silk screened sides or the early cars.
However, my ardor cooled when (among other things) I realized how oversized the cars
were, and how in so many cases the models represented cars and schemes that probably
never actually existed (and fooled everyone in the process!).

Denny