Perfect Paint Job

 

Topics:

The Perfect Paint Job

Paint Issues

Paint Chips

Weathering

Tire Colour

Final Clear Coats

Dust in Paint

Dry Brushing and Pastels

 

The perfect paint job...

 

Posted By: Mike Gawell <rockavenger@hotmail.com>

Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 8:16 a.m.

 

Hi all

 

I need some help on this one. I utilized the Testors aluminum plate spray on my HasaVAL, and sealed it...now NOTHING will stick to it. Every time I tape up a color on the body, when I take the tape off it looks like the Val was in combat for a few months. That would be great except I am doing Eugusa's Val from Pearl, and the paint as far as I can find out, was very new, so little weathering is called for. If I sealed the coats with say a clear gloss, or a crystal cote, would that solve the problem?

Thanks

 

Mike

 

Re: The perfect paint job...

 

Posted By: Dan Salamone <dano@rust.net>

Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 3:48 p.m.

 

In Response To: The perfect paint job... (Mike Gawell)

 

Hi Mike,

 

This sounds more like an issue of the paint not "biting" the plastic....

I think you may wish to strip the silver paint, and wash the model. Let dry, then spray a primer such as white or a light grey. Then buy yourself some Floquil Old Silver, it is still in the railroad line, and spray this (check other posts on this board about NMF finishes). This should give you the metal effect you want, and allow (once cured) any amount of reasonable masking. Did you spray the Testors directly over the plastic? If so, this may account for the peeling problems. Hope this was helpful Mike,

 

Dan

 

Re: The perfect paint job...

 

Posted By: Rob Graham <rgraham111@aol.com>

Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 10:09 p.m.

 

In Response To: The perfect paint job... (Mike Gawell)

 

Mike:

 

I have had the same problem, I think, with Testors Metalizer. When I pulled up the masking, it actually pulled up the sealer as well and exposed the metalizer. I was more than a little chapped... Testors recommend using wet facial tissue to mask metalizer (last I saw), as it doesn't have enough tack to take the fragile paint. I never tried it, but it seems doable, especially if you put some tape or more tissue over that to prevent the tissue from "sponging" paint onto the metalizer.

Has anyone else tried it?

I WILL tell you that Testors "low tack" masking tape takes metalizer right up as well. Don't even bother. That tape also won't do tight complex curves. It's a waste, as far as my experience has shown.

 Comments?

 

Rob

 

Re: The perfect paint job...

 

Posted By: Jim Eyerdom <jheyerdom@aol.com>

Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 10:14 p.m.

 

In Response To: The perfect paint job... (Mike Gawell)

 

Mike,

 

Is it the metalizer itself that is coming off, or is it paint/sealer applied over the top of the metalizer that strips off when tape is removed? Personally, I've never had any luck using any kind of tape over metalizers. Even when sealed, it seems that the oversprayed sealer or paint, although hardened, will inevitably tear off even when low "tack" tape is applied over the top. I read that they recommend using damp paper as a masking "tape", which probably would work well at low paint pressures (not my 100 psi method, for sure!) Or, depending on the type of masking being done, would a water-soluble masking gel work? I've had pretty good luck with that, especially since to remove it, all you have to do is dampen it a while and, unlike tape, it comes off without taking off any of the underlying surfaces. Also, I've used it very successfully on top of decals on both painted and metalized surfaces when I wanted to touch-up a nearby area without overspraying and ruining the decal, whereas obviously just one slight touch with tape to a decal on metalizer is almost always disaster.

 

Jim

 

Re: The perfect paint job...

 

Posted By: Rob Graham <rgraham111@aol.com>

Date: Friday, 15 October 1999, at 10:17 p.m.

 

In Response To: Re: The perfect paint job... (Dan Salamone)

 

Dan:

 

I have had nothing but the worst luck with priming before metalizer. I can use the acrylics, as the metalizer will bite it, but the enamels make the metalizer do nasty things as far as I have seen. Maybe I did it too soon afterward?

I have had the best luck with putting it on perfect plastic, put it on wet and let it dry 20 minutes, then "dust" it off to take the excess. Follow that with polishing, and I'm done. I prefer the Stainless Steel to the Aluminum Plate for that "polished" look, as the sealers always seem to reduce glossiness.

I hear the SnJ stuff is better, but STILL haven't tried it. Does it do OK with primer, etc?

Take care,

 

Rob

 

Re: The perfect paint job...

 

Posted By: John Acosta <xmdjna@cs.com>

Date: Saturday, 16 October 1999, at 12:16 a.m.

 

In Response To: Re: The perfect paint job... (Rob Graham)

 

Hi Guys,

 

Ah the search for that perfect metal finish! It brings tears to my eyes!

Well in reality the best results I have had have been with SNJ. However you must not use a primer such as Aeromaster primer, which is flat and grainy, not gloss. I suppose you could use Gunze Mr. Surfacer 1000, but I just spray SNJ on Bare plastic. The plastic has to be very, very clean. Use warm water and detergent let dry, then apply Polly S Plastic Prep, let the model dry. Now build some contraption a Cardinal of the Spanish Inquisition would be proud of and hold you model with that so your hands don't touch it. Now mist on a few coats of SNJ and let dry. You can even mix in Testors Metalizer colors or gloss colors to change the tint of the SNJ and still come out with that metal look.

I have found SNJ to be tough and durable and it doesn't come off if you use low tack tape, but you must prep the plastic first as noted above. Also you don't need to coat it with a sealer. However you do have to seal the decals, so dial your airbrush way down and gloss coat them then dull coat if you wish after the gloss coat dries. Sometimes I just use a paint brush for this work and it gives great results as well.

Best of Luck,

 

John Acosta

 

Re: The perfect paint job...

 

Posted By: Dan Salamone <dano@rust.net>

Date: Saturday, 16 October 1999, at 7:51 a.m.

 

In Response To: Re: The perfect paint job... (Rob Graham)

 

Hi Rob,

 

SNJ is wonderful stuff; I've used it a few times without any problems. I apply it (like the directions state) over bare plastic.

I've been told that SNJ shares a similar formula with Floquil paints, however I cannot remember what the difference was (why SNJ is so thin compared to standard paints).

What I was speaking of in my original post in this thread was that Floquil can be tinted/buffed like SNJ, yet affording the luxury of "normal" handling like primer to find flaws in the plastic, regular masking, etc.

There are probably as many ways to paint NMF as there are modelers- I've used the Testors Metalizers and I am not to thrilled with them because of the odor and fragility of them. I think that using SNJ is a good way to go, as well as the enamels. I suppose that if somebody is trying to replicate an aircraft that is weathered it is easier to go the route of enamels because you'll be doing washes, etc. on it and a super shiny finish is not needed, where if you are building say an F-100 in NMF SNJ and buffing would be a better route.

 

Hope this was helpful,

Dan

 

Re: The perfect paint job...

 

Posted By: Rob Graham <rgraham111@aol.com>

Date: Saturday, 16 October 1999, at 10:54 a.m.

 

In Response To: Re: The perfect paint job... (Dan Salamone)

 

Dan:

 

I haven't used Floquil before, but had no idea it could be polished! I'll have to try some before it's all gone!

I agree that there are as many ways to paint NMF as there are modelers. That's because it's tricky and results are spotty, I swear! Airbrushes clog quickly with it, etc. I loved Testors Metalizer until I was coming into the homestretch, now I'm not so sure. But the metalizer in a bottle is EXCELLENT for details if you use Q-Tips for brushes (so you don't trash your sable brushes). I did the underside of a car model in various metalizers and polished parts with Q-Tips as well, and it looked really sharp. Highlights on engines look super, too.

But Mike was knee-deep in Testors Metalizer, and I thought that was the direction he chose.

Would you recommend removing the Testors and redoing with the SnJ? Is the SnJ THAT much better, or do you think he's still salvageable if he's careful?

Take care,

 

Rob

 

Re: The perfect paint job...

 

Posted By: Jim Eyerdom <jheyerdom@aol.com>

Date: Saturday, 16 October 1999, at 1:58 p.m.

 

In Response To: Re: The perfect paint job... (Rob Graham)

 

Hello all,

 

Following along in this thread, what does work for removing metalizer? My experience was that as it was lacquer-based, I've never had any luck using anything that would touch the stuff without ruining the plastic.

I agree with Rob that the metalizer does work nicely out of the bottle without being sprayed for small detail work. Actually, I've never had any problem with the brush cleanup, as lacquer thinner has worked fine on cleaning brushes. Not something you want to use in the house, of course, but for me doing most of my painting in an unattached garage and using a mask it works fine.

 

Jim

 

Re: SNJ is the perfect paint job...for NMF

 

Posted By: Shane Hedlund <axisplastc@AOL.COM>

Date: Saturday, 16 October 1999, at 10:42 p.m.

 

In Response To: Re: The perfect paint job... (John Acosta)

 

I agree, SNJ is the basic silver on all my NMF aircraft. I then use what every I have to spray individual panels (Floquil, Testors etc.) If you want to weather Japanese A/C down to the natural silver, paint over the SNJ with Aeromaster or enamel paints. Then use rubbing alcohol to weather down to the SNJ. If you use Aeromaster, it comes off quickly when rubbed down with alcohol, enamels take a little time and Floquil takes even longer to rub through to the silver. SNJ can be scrubbed through, but it is very tough. If you have an older kit with raised panel lines, this process is excellent for highlighting the panel lines.

To remove any paint or NMF go back to the basics...use Brasso metal cleaner. Not only will you lift the paint, it polishes the surface of the plastic as you go. (Wash the plastic afterwards.) One nice thing about using rubbing alcohol, it cleans the surface of the model as you go, making the areas ready for decal application.

Crude but effective.

 

Shane

 

Re: The perfect paint job...

 

Posted By: Dan Salamone <dano@rust.net>

Date: Sunday, 17 October 1999, at 8:04 a.m.

 

In Response To: Re: The perfect paint job... (Rob Graham)

 

Hi Rob,

 

My experience with the Testors is that it is fragile, and if you try to mask, etc. and are too rough with it that the Metalizer will peel.... I guess bottom line for me is if I was going to weather and dirty it up I'd go with Floquil/SNJ. The buffing powder in the SNJ set can be used on regular Floquil as well, even use it on a smooth gloss white it will give an NMF finish! Take care Rob,

 

Dan

 

Re: The perfect paint job...Disaster strikes!!!

 

Posted By: Mike Gawell <rockavenger@hotmail.com>

Date: Monday, 18 October 1999, at 9:14 a.m.

 

In Response To: Re: The perfect paint job... (Jim Eyerdom)

 

Hi all, thanks for all the ideas. I actually was removing the paint before I read this, and I can relate the following things:

1) NOTHING known to mankind removes the metalizer.

2) Lots of paint remover will actually eventually remove MOST of it, but in the process you will remove the glue, and the strength the plastic may have had.

The end result: My Val is no longer close to completion, and completely fell apart at the seams. Also sustained some damage to small surfaces.

I actually had decided to strip it with tape, which worked great on the acrylics, but wouldn't touch the Testors. This was due to the fact that in order to get the paint to stick, I had to load SO much paint onto the model, that all the detail was buried. As I neared getting the paint off I noticed small cracks in the model, then pieces started falling off. Nothing unfixable, but enough to ruin it for display purposes. So my VAL will end up as cannon fodder in a diorama at some later point. All I was really able to salvage was the cockpit.

I WOULD recommend this paint though if you want to do a late war aircraft with much paint missing.

Off to the store today to get a new D3A1 kit. Now if I can control the application of the paint remover...maybe I can disassemble my Myrt, and rebuild it using modern methods.....hmmmmm

 

Cheers

Mike

 

Re: The perfect paint job...

 

Posted By: Seth Lorinczi

Date: Thursday, 28 October 1999, at 12:24 a.m.

 

In Response To: The perfect paint job... (Mike Gawell)

 

Haven't read all the responses, but I have decent luck applying one or two light coats of Future, then masking with Post-it notes or Parafilm-M.

Best of luck,

 

Seth

 

Re: Good paint recommendation

 

Posted By: Mitch Inkster <mang521092@aol.com>

Date: Sunday, 31 October 1999, at 4:27 p.m.

 

In Response To: Re: Good paint recommendation (Mike Quan)

 

Hi Mike,

In regards to the problem you have with spraying acrylics, I would like to offer the following tips: maybe they will help. I use only acrylics from both the Aeromaster and PolyScale lines. First, I make sure that the paint is thoroughly mixed, then I thin with DISTILLED water-not tap water. Second, as I add the distilled water, I stir the paint and add water until I can lift the stirring stick out off the jar and the paint DRIPS off at a medium rate. If it runs off completely your paint is too thin, a long time to drip or no drip at all, your paint is too thick. When the paint is the consistency of skim milk, the airbrush will not clog, at least mine doesn’t. For CLEAN UP I run the distilled water through the airbrush followed by a goodly amount of Mr. Color thinner from Gunze Sangyo. I find that the cleaner offered by Poly-Scale does not work well. Mr. Color thinner will clean your brush spotless. Expensive it is though at $9.00 for a 250ml bottle. My airbrush of choice is the Badger 150, of which I have two. For my tastes, acrylics by these two manufacturers are unbeatable for smoothness of finish and drying time.

Regards,

 

Mitch

 

Tamiya spray paint- awesome stuff

 

Posted By: Dan Salamone <heroncreek@qwest.net>
Date: Saturday, 21 April 2001, at 10:55 p.m.

 

Hello all,

I don't know how many out there have used the Tamiya spray paints but by all means try it out.

Last week I primered a model with Floquil Old Silver per my usual methods. I let it cure a few days before fixing any flaws and tonight after fixing the flaws I was too lazy to use my airbrush and compressor.

Enter Tamiya "Gloss Aluminum", TS-17. Sprayed it on in the affected areas and you cannot tell where the Floquil ends and the Tamiya begins- really nice spray pattern on these cans. And best of all it dries so quickly I was able to buff it out in only 5 minutes after drying under a fan. Not too offensive a smell either.

Only drawback is the cost- $5 a can. But- if you want a super fast drying spray paint check it out. Hope this helps,

 

Dan

 

Paint Issues

 

Posted By: Max
Date: Wednesday, 19 July 2000, at 10:44 p.m.

 

Thanks to Rick and Jim for their replies on my prior question, it helped a lot. Now what I need to know is how disastrous could it be to airbrush acrylic paint over sprayed enamel. (Spray silver enamel for base metallic coat, followed by airbrushed Tamiya acrylic). Will the acrylic stick pretty well, or is it going to peel off? Thanks again.

 

Re: Paint Issues

 

Posted By: Paul L'Heureux <pnlcnl@gateway.net>
Date: Thursday, 20 July 2000, at 8:17 a.m.

 

Hi Max,

I recently finished painting a 1/72 Hasagawa George. I used a silver base and airbrushed Tamiya acrylics over it. When I masked the model to paint the separation line on the fuselage, the low tack tape I used pulled the paint off the model. I ended up brush painting the model and have a hard separation between the upper and lower colors. On 1/72 it doesn't look bad. Scraping the acrylic off of the silver base (which was Testors enamel) looks very realistic. I don't have a solution to the poor stick of the acrylic paint. Maybe someone else here with more experience can give us both some advice. By the way, I thinned the acrylic with distilled water. Maybe alcohol would help it stick better. Good luck.

 

Paul

 

Re: Paint Issues

 

Posted By: Jim Kaltenhauser <kaltenhauser@yahoo.com>
Date: Friday, 21 July 2000, at 11:01 a.m.

Max,

I have run into a few cases where the Acrylic paint has not stuck, but I generally use (the now defunct) Aeromaster paints and have had great success. I have never used Tamiya paints, although I have heard they very nice to use. I always use Old Silver as a base coat due to its hue and sheen.

 

Jim

 

Re: Paint Issues

 

Posted By: Dave Pluth <dave@j-aircraft.com>
Date: Saturday, 22 July 2000, at 2:03 p.m.

 

Hi Max,

Truth is, not much really sticks well to silver paint of any type. If you don't have to mask, you won't have any problems with paint sticking. It just doesn't peel off, but if you mask with any of the more tacky tapes, you'll end up pealing off significant portions.

In general I've had decent luck spraying most every type of paint over another type of paint (acrylics/enamels and most of the hybrids). It could very well be because my projects sit so long between coats in most instances (most of the time 1-2 weeks or more when things get busy) and that may have a lot to do with it.

 

Dave

 

Paint Chips

 

Posted By: Max
Date: Monday, 17 July 2000, at 10:49 p.m.

 

I'm working on a Tamiya KI-84 kit and was wondering what was the best or most efficient way to reproduce chipped paint, or just plain "wear" on the wing roots and cowl etc.

Or, if anyone has a link to this information.

Thanx.

 

Re: Paint chips on fuselage

 

Posted By: Jim Kaltenhauser <kaltenhauser@yahoo.com>
Date: Tuesday, 18 July 2000, at 1:14 p.m.

 

In Response To: Paint chips on fuselage (Max)

 

Max,

I paint the plane with Floquil Old Silver (a railroad color) and then paint the color of the plane. Once I have that completed and dry I take tape, masking tape or for smaller areas I use a strip of label material for one of those hand held label makers. Then as a finishing touch I use a Silver pencil to soften the edges a bit. If would like to see how it turns out I have a Frances and a Oscar in the Model Gallery. If have other questions send me a ccmail and I'd be more than happy to help out

 

Jim

 

Re: Paint chips on fuselage

 

Posted By: Jim Kaltenhauser <kaltenhauser@yahoo.com>
Date: Wednesday, 19 July 2000, at 6:12 a.m.

 

In Response To: Re: Paint chips on fuselage (Jim Kaltenhauser)

 

Max,

I believe I failed to mention what I do with the tape, I pull off the over coat of paint to reveal the old silver. Sorry for the confusion.

 

Jim

 

Re: Paint chips on fuselage

 

Posted By: Rick Shank <Shank913@aol.com>
Date: Tuesday, 18 July 2000, at 8:38 a.m.

 

In Response To: Paint chips on fuselage (Max)

 

One way is to paint the aircraft silver first and when the paint is dry put little drops of liquid masking fluid where you want the chipping to be. Then paint the aircraft in the scheme of your choice and carefully remove the masking after all the painting is done.

 

Weathering

 

Posted By: Jeff McGuire <jmcguire@j-aircraft.com>
Date: Thursday, 14 September 2000, at 8:39 p.m.

 

In Response To: Weathering question (Keith)

 

Keith,
I use the same that Dennis K alluded to...somewhat. I spray the model with an undercoat of enamel model master aluminum, then spray it with an acrylic of whatever color the a/c is supposed to be. Acrylic pulls off of enamel very easy, but enamel is very hard to pull off of enamel. So always use a combination and it does't have to be in any particular order. I used it on my J2M Jack in the gallery and I learned it from Dan, who also has one in the Jack gallery.

Hope it helps,
Jeff McGuire

 

Re: Weathering question

 

Posted By: Dennis Klepper <Dennis.Klepper@FAA.GOV>
Date: Thursday, 14 September 2000, at 6:01 a.m.

 

In Response To: Weathering question (Keith)

 

Hi Keith, Try this! Go to an arts & crafts store and purchase some old silver "Rub & Buff". Using your finger tip rub the silver paste onto the area you want to show chipped or weathered. Polish it to a high gloss finish. Then paint your model with whatever color you are using but remember where you put on this finish. Get some high tack masking tape and stick to the area several times & remove it. It should pull away your top color coat exposing the high gloss silver finish. This combined with pastel weathering chalks should give you a very realistic finish. You might want to practice this on a piece of scrap before you attack your model.

 

Good Luck

 

Re: Weathering question

 

Posted By: Deniz Karacay <denizkaracay@yahoo.com>
Date: Wednesday, 13 September 2000, at 4:02 p.m.

 

In Response To: Weathering question (Keith)

 

A simple and yet efficient way is as follows.

First paint the normal camouflage paint. I presume some green color.

Then dip a small brush in silver or alu. with only the tip of the brush. Then clean the tip with napkin so that only trace amounth of paint remain there.

Then use it as if as if you are dry brushing but don't make long strokes. If you make the paint on the brush real thin and little then no one can see that silver paint is on the green paint.

 

Re: Weathering question

 

Posted By: Phil <Phil_Graf@baylor.edu>
Date: Wednesday, 13 September 2000, at 4:20 p.m.

 

In Response To: Re: Weathering question (Deniz Karacay)

 

There's also a great how-to about how to do large peeled areas on the "modeling madness" website this month.(www.modelingmadness.com ).

 

Tire Colour

 

Posted By: Grant Goodale <grant.goodale@sympatico.ca>
Date: Thursday, 14 September 2000, at 12:10 p.m.

 

Hello all -

I have a question about the colours for painting aircraft tires. I have used flat black but it looks too black. Living near Toronto International Airport, I see that the tires on the airliners do not look completely black.

I seem to recall someone (probably Humbrol) making a colour called "tyre black" but I do not see it on my hobby store shelves.

Can anyone give me some ideas about what to use (mixes, etc.) so that the tires come out looking "right" ? I realize that any land based a/c in the Pacific would probably be a different colour due to more exposure to the elements.

 

Thanks for any help.

Grant   

 

Re: Tire colour

 

Posted By: Brandon S. Wood
Date: Friday, 15 September 2000, at 3:14 p.m.

 

In Response To: Tire colour (Grant Goodale)

I have used the Testor's "Rubber" that is in the small bottles and a color in their Model Master line called "Interior Black" that is a very dark grey. I then lighten the tread areas even more to get a difference in appearance. HTH

 

Re: Tire colour

 

Posted By: Jeff McGuire <jmcguire@j-aircraft.com>
Date: Thursday, 14 September 2000, at 8:25 p.m.

 

In Response To: Tire colour (Grant Goodale)

 

Grant,
I've found that if you paint them black and the lightly sand them all over you'll end up with a pretty convincing look. Also, drybrushing with lighter-as-you-go paint, starting with gray, white then light tan will also look good.

Hope it helps,
Jeff

 

Re: Tire colour

 

Posted By: Tony Feredo <aferedo@ibahn.net>
Date: Thursday, 14 September 2000, at 10:39 p.m.

 

In Response To: Re: Tire colour (Jeff McGuire)

 

I do the same... Pant black, sand and dry brush using different colors depending on the terrain.

 

Re: Tire colour

 

Posted By: Greg Springer <gspring@ix.netcon.com>
Date: Thursday, 14 September 2000, at 6:05 p.m.

 

In Response To: Tire colour (Grant Goodale)

 

Grant,

I like schwarzgrau 66 (the late war Luftwaffe cockpit color) for tires. Testors make a flat color called 'Rubber' in their small bottle enamel line. It has a nice brown tint which I also like. BTW as a brewer I quite like your family name!

 

Cheers!

Greg

 

Re: Tire colour

 

Posted By: RICK SHANK
Date: Thursday, 14 September 2000, at 4:12 p.m.

 

In Response To: Tire colour (Grant Goodale)

 

Grant, I've used Panzer Gray as a tire color and I think it looks pretty good.

Rick Shank

 

Final Clear Coats

 

Posted By: Harvey Low <harveyl@interlog.com>
Date: Tuesday, 19 September 2000, at 4:13 p.m.

 

I have seen many a stunning model in shows and was wondering what people use as their "final" clear coat after decals. I still prefer Floquil Flat (pouring half the carrier out and thinning with lacquer thinner for a semi-gloss finish), as well as Humbrol, and Testors. The only thing I find with Floquil is that it's not that durable and lifts at the slightest touch. I have yet to try Future but heard that's not bad with Testors Flat applied over it to flatten it out.

Harvey

 

Re: Final clear coats

 

Posted By: Jim Scott <jjscott@execpc.com>
Date: Wednesday, 20 September 2000, at 11:52 a.m.

 

In Response To: Final clear coats (Harvey Low)

 

Just a thought -- maybe the problem with the Floquil not sticking stems from the mix you are using. The liquid part has the "binder" in it (like a varnish); when you use less liquid, more flattener, and lacquer thinner, the result is the evaporation of the carriers and the flat powder just kind of laying on the surface. Maybe mixing the flat well then adding enough Floquil gloss clear to get the sheen you want would work better. I haven't tried this; it's just a theory.

 

Re: Final clear coats

 

Posted By: George Crozier
Date: Tuesday, 19 September 2000, at 6:34 p.m.

 

In Response To: Final clear coats (Harvey Low)

 

Harvey:

I have had excellent results using future floor wax as a gloss coat before decals, then additional future after decals are applied, then using Testors flat. If you add
some weathering, paint chips, stains etc. before, and after the application of the future and flat coat an illusion of "depth" can be achieved ie: [3 dimensional effect].

ggc

 

Re: Final clear coats

 

Posted By: RICK SHANK
Date: Wednesday, 20 September 2000, at 6:05 p.m.

 

In Response To: Re: Final clear coats (George Crozier)

I use clear enamel for my gloss coat allowing at least two days drying time before handling the model to avoid any unwanted fingerprints. After the decals are applied, I flat coat the model using clear acrylic lacquer[auto paint].I spray this at low pressure and very thin about 10 inches from the model. Never spray too close or too wet since this is a ''hot'' paint compared to enamel and can attack the enamel paint causing unsightly wrinkling, destroying the paint job. Always test fire acrylic lacquer before spraying it on your model. If it's too thick it will spray out in ''cobwebs” also causing undesired special effects. I’ve used this system for years with great results. Rick Shank

 

Dust in Paint

 

Posted By: Grant Goodale <grant.goodale@sympatico.ca>
Date: Wednesday, 6 December 2000, at 3:37 p.m.

 

Hello world -

I have found that I tend to get a lot of dust in my model room from sanding, airbrushing, etc. I use a homemade spray booth with a fan and a filter. The only life forms in our house are my wife and myself (empty nesters) with no animals. My wife is a clean freak. I have found that I get dust on my models during construction. Before airbrushing each coat, I spray some "Endust for Electronics" on a lint free pad and give the model a quick wipe down. After spraying the coat, I usually find areas that I somehow missed! How do others deal with the dust problem?

 

Klutzy in Toronto

 

Posted By: rick shank <shank913@aol.com>
Date: Thursday, 21 December 2000, at 9:23 a.m.

 

In Response To: Dust (Grant Goodale)

 

Grant, I forgot to mention there have been times when I thoroughly cleaned a model and then painted it and still had what I thought at first were dust particles. Upon closer inspection I discovered they were not dust specks, but tiny chunks of paint. Most paint, especially acrylics will develop these after a while [I still have some Pactra paint I bought in 1978]I found a simple, inexpensive way to eliminate this problem. If you have a bottom feed airbrush, before you pour your paint in the color cup, tear a small section out of a coffee filter and position it in the cup snugly with your little finger. Then pour in the paint. You will be surprised at what you might find in the filter when you're done that otherwise would have been blown onto your model. LATER,RICK

 

 

Posted By: Grant Elliott <guzzi@space.net.au>
Date: Thursday, 21 December 2000, at 3:45 a.m.

 

In Response To: Dust (Grant Goodale)

 

Hi Grant,
After wiping the model, I tend to zap my models with that old static gun that was meant to be used on vinyl LP records. Find them at garage sales!

Good luck,
Grant

 

 

Posted By: rick shank <shank913@aol.com>
Date: Wednesday, 20 December 2000, at 9:51 p.m.

 

In Response To: Dust (Grant Goodale)

 

Grant, before I paint any model I go over it dabbing it with a wide piece of masking tape. This has a ''tack rag” effect and will remove dust particles that you may not notice until after you've painted over it. We all have been through this frustrating battle and even the most expensive paint looks like crap when it's peppered with dust particles. Hope this helps. Rick

 

Posted By: Jim Fox <jimnfox@net-link.net>
Date: Thursday, 7 December 2000, at 7:04 a.m.

 

In Response To: Dust (Grant Goodale)

 

In my old house, my workbench and spray booth were located within 10 feet of the clothes dryer. Needless to say, I come down stairs after the dryer had been running, and I'd find a layer of dust all over things (not a thick layer, but more of a dusting kinda). I'd usually tack rag the thing, then right before I applied the paint, I'd shoot air from the airbrush across the model to catch the stragglers. Had pretty good luck that way.

 

HTH and Happy Modeling,

Jim Fox

 

 

Posted By: Clark Hollis <Raidenhollis@cs.com>
Date: Wednesday, 6 December 2000, at 6:23 p.m.

 

In Response To: Dust (Grant Goodale)

 

Hi Grant,
I have that dust problem, also. Sometimes I just put the thing under the faucet and wash it off with warm water. Blow-drying it with my airbrush helps get water residue off, then hurry to paint before it gets dusty again.
I'd like to hear other comments, as well.

Clark

 

Dry Brushing & Pastels

 

Posted By: Jeff McGuire <jmcguire@j-aircraft.com>
Date: Saturday, 17 March 2001, at 3:26 p.m.

 

In Response To: dry brushing & Pastels (Garry)

 

Garry,
Drybrushing is very good for bringing out small details. For example, a straight black instrument panel will come to life by taking a very small brush and dipping in silver, wipe on newspaper 'till you can just barley see any silver, then brush over the details of the panel. You'll be pleasantly surprised at this. This method will work on anything with raised detail. However, in cases that you're weathering on exterior of the model as lighter shade of the base coat is the best.
I use pastels in weathering and have found that they are quite effective, even with my very limited skills! I like to grind a mixture of black/brown/gray and feather it in to the panels lines of a/c. It will be the heaviest in the panel line and become lighter moving outward. I used this on a Jack that's in the model (Navy) gallery.

HTH,
Jeff McGuire

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