# Some advice...



## Rascak (Apr 16, 2012)

Is what I'm looking for. I'd like to know sOme of your paint Procedures all the way from start to finish. Keep in mind I use an airbrush which I'm sure most all of us do. 

Back on point I don't think I'm doing my wet sanding right and I can't get my colors to pop and have trouble with streaking on the roofs. 

Any help is much appreciated by this newbie!


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## Rascak (Apr 16, 2012)

Really? No help at all? Zero? 

Wow ok.


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## CorvairJim (Dec 16, 2011)

Sorry I haven't responded sooner, but I just got home from work. I don't have an airbrush myself, but by proper polishing I find I can get a mirror finish with rattle cans. First off, if you're planning on wet sanding anything but a solid color paint (Candys, metallics, pearls, and colorshift for instance), you must use a clearcoat to prevent ruining the effect. For instance, with metallics and pearls, the chrome mylar or mica flecks are suspended in the pigmented paint and sanding even the merest top layer off of them will expose them. Use plenty of water and keep the surface wet. Use a firm pad of some sort (the scale equivalent of a sanding block, but bigger in scale) between the polishing cloth and your fingers to even out the pressure and prevent the streaking you're talking about. This is a lot more important on larger panels like roofs and side panels. Be VERY careful around edges including panel cutlines, so that you don't sand all the way through to primer or, worse yet, bare plastic. On the subject of "Polishing Cloths", these are much more flexible than "Wetordry" sandpaper. They are intended especially for model use. They can be on the pricey side but are well worth it. Mine, a set of 6 grades from MicroMark cost me something like $14 about 10 years ago. Besides, even te finest automotive wet sandpaper is a lot coarser than the middle grades of polishing cloths, which go all the way to 12,000 grit. I've known some guys to go straight to wax after that sheet, although I use Meguair's #7 polish before the wax myself.


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## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

From start to finish? Well, the first thing I do is wash the pieces, whether plastic or resin, to get rid of anything that may be on it. I let it air dry. I then do any trimming or last minute things I need to that I had forgotten about. I then wipe the body down with a tack cloth. Once wiped, I try not to touch the body so the oils from my fingers don't get on it. Sometimes I forget, but that's the goal. Finally, I start spraying primer. I always try to get at least one coat of primer down so the paint has something to stick to. After that and a light sanding, I then spray the paint. Jim covered what to do once the paint is done, so I won't go into that.


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## CorvairJim (Dec 16, 2011)

Oops. My bad. I thought he had the paint procedure down already, but re-reading it, I guess it was good to go through he entire pinting process too. the only thing I would change in your directions is to wash it AFTER the trimming, because you'll get lots of skin oils on it while handling it uring the trimming.


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## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

Sorry - I should have been more clear. I do trim first, but I always seem to miss something (or multiple somethings) after I wash. Thanks for clearing that up, Jim


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## Rascak (Apr 16, 2012)

Thanks guys greatly appreciated! When I get a bit further I'll post some pics.


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## CorvairJim (Dec 16, 2011)

Always glad to help out. :thumbsup:


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