# Paint problems



## 1967stang (Jan 15, 2013)

I hope this is the right place to post this. My son & I have the 1/10th 30th Ann. Grave Digger Traxxas R/C. We picked up a couple of extra bodies for the truck because we didn`t want to trash the Grave Digger. We picked up a `72 Chevy pickup body & a `52 Chevy pickup body. I painted the `72 with orange top of the truck & a clear purple/green kind of color changer for the lower areas. I followed the instructions by washing the inside of the truck with soap & water. I then taped off the top area & sprayed the lower area with 3 coats of paint. It was the proper paint that we picked up at the R/C shop.(overpriced) though. After completing the whole truck, cutting out the body, removing the protective film & applying some decals, we went out to try it out. Everything was fine for the first couple of days, but now I am noticing that the paint is starting to lift away from the body. It hasn`t chipped off yet, but I am sure it will.
What can I do to prevent it from spreading. It would be almost impossible to strip all the paint off & redo it. 
Is this caused from too much crashing it.(Body twisting) We built a ramp & like to do jumps & land on the grass. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. 
By the way, the `52 hasn`t had a problem yet. Thanks. Kevin


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## BallisticBill (Oct 22, 2002)

If u are sure u got the correct paint then the only thing I can think of is the soap and water used to clean the lexan.

I use rubbing alcohol. Put some on a soft cloth and wipe down the entire inside of the body that u are going to paint after u have done the window masking. Let dry then clean again. I do this three times. Do not touch the inside because even the oil or dirt on your hands may cause a problem.

Paint the body as soon as all the alcohol is wiped off and dried.

I think u may have had a little residual soap left on the body and u did not get a good stick with the paint. Rubbing alcohol preps the plastic really good for painting.

Hope that helps.


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## 1967stang (Jan 15, 2013)

Thanks Bill
I never thought about using alcohol wipes. I was just going by the manufactures instructions. I did wash it a couple of times, but I guess that wasn`t enough. Is there an easy way to strip the paint off?


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## ta_man (Apr 10, 2005)

1967stang said:


> Thanks Bill
> I never thought about using alcohol wipes. I was just going by the manufactures instructions. I did wash it a couple of times, but I guess that wasn`t enough. Is there an easy way to strip the paint off?


Not easy or simple but the guy who runs UltimateRC.com ("The Jang") did a YouTube video on stripping RC paint with DOT3 (I think) brake fluid.


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## 1967stang (Jan 15, 2013)

ta_man said:


> Not easy or simple but the guy who runs UltimateRC.com ("The Jang") did a YouTube video on stripping RC paint with DOT3 (I think) brake fluid.


 Thanks!! I will se if I can find it.


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## Berrymartin (Jan 24, 2013)

Paint the body as soon as all the alcohol is wiped off and dried.

I think u may have had a little residual soap left on the body and u did not get a good stick with the paint.


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## Eric0424 (Jan 30, 2013)

All my bodies are washed with plain old dish soap, Palmolive, Dawn etc. and warm water. I don't have paint lifting or pealing. I make sure the soap and water are gone and the body is warm when I apply the paint. I use Pactra spray cans most of the time.


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## tyler talmadge (Feb 7, 2007)

try this

http://www.spazstix.com/90059-ultimate-surface-pre-prep-aerosol-for-plastic-parts

and make sure your paint is made for lexan.


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## hispeedguy (Nov 6, 2010)

*Paint issues...*

Had some similar issues in the past with paint flaking, even with cleaning w/ soap/water and alcohol pre-paint process.
I heat the inside of the body up a little with a hair dryer then immediately apply the paint in light coats. In between each coat I apply heat with the hair dryer to start the drying process faster. (nice idea from Kevin @ RC Soup). This also helps immensely if you are using masks for multiple colors.
I've had decent success with paint sticking using that process. Although, if the body gets beat on a lot (bashing, hard racing, etc) the inherent flex in the polycarbonate could make the paint adhesion fail. Pactra/Spaz stix paints always work well and are specifically made for polycarbonate/lexan. Good luck!


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