# Let,s talk paint



## DOM-19 (Mar 12, 2002)

I have not been building very long, have to use rattle cans,i would like your opinion on paints ,"lacquer-enamel" testors,model master,dupli-color,rust-oleum,black gold,krylan,sem-color coat.
Trying to narrow down paint products? Had a big problem with testors gloss black,what a nite-mare probably my fault ,it seems enamel you need more time to dry , too soon you get finger prints all over,will appreciate your feedback --dom


----------



## 440 dakota (Feb 23, 2006)

I beleive most of the paints out there can produce nice results,it requires practice and proper prep and a few compatibility rules such as you can spray enamel over cured lacquer but don't recomend lacquer over enamel,i'm not sure how acrylics come into play with this I have never used them 

warm your paint before use,wash your kits with dish soap first to remove any residual mold release,make sure air temp is high enough,humidity low enough and shake the paint then shake some more,I always prime first because it gives the paint a surface to bite onto,I usually dust on a couple lite coats of paint then a wet coat,start your spray before you get to the model then after your past it and be sure to keep the can a uniform distance from the body

when I was building about a decade ago I had very good luck with the Patcra R/C car spray paints,nice fine spray pattern and dries very quick most of them need a base coat,silver,white,gold,etc 

I think Testors has a fairly new product called one coat which I have read is pretty good and also Tamiya is supossed to be nice,I havn't used either yet just kinda getting back into building so I need to play catch up


----------



## Disco58 (Apr 10, 2011)

DOM-19 said:


> I have not been building very long, have to use rattle cans,i would like your opinion on paints ,"lacquer-enamel" testors,model master,dupli-color,rust-oleum,black gold,krylan,sem-color coat.
> Trying to narrow down paint products? Had a big problem with testors gloss black,what a nite-mare probably my fault ,it seems enamel you need more time to dry , too soon you get finger prints all over,will appreciate your feedback --dom


_Rattle can?! _Oh, you said a bad word! Yea, I know...you, I and countless others have called them that for years, but there is someone here who gets a bit upset about that moniker, and will gladly correct you. Jeez! Realistically, paint is paint, and it doesn't matter whether the can says "Testors", "Krylon", "Tamiya" or "WalMart". With very few exceptions, formulas for enamels or lacquers are pretty much the same across the board, regardless of brand. They have pigment, carrier/binder, solvent and propellant. Lacquers dry quickly, enamels are slow, and you can get good results from both, if you use them right. As mentioned, the base surface has to be *very* clean, so a good scrub is always in order. After washing, even touching the plastic with bare fingers can leave oils that will prevent paint from adhering. You can wear latex gloves or wipe your hands down with alcohol first to prevent that. Primer is also a must. Literally any automotive primer will do. I use the $1.15 cans from WallyWorld, and it works like a champ. A painting stand can easily be formed from a bent up coat hanger so you don't have to hold the car body to paint it. One thing many people fight with is body lines around doors, trunklids, etc ending up unpainted. It's basic physics. The groove creates a barrier that the liquid paint can't cross or flow into. Spray a bit of your body color into a jar or on a palette of some kind, create a light wash with some thinner, and with a tiny brush, feed the paint directly into the body line. You don't have to brush it - if your wash is thin enough capillary action will make it flow into the seam. Once that's reasonably dry you can spray the body (a couple light mist coats first with some dry time between, then a wet coat) and everything will be the same color. Or, you can do that seam wash with black after you paint the body, because even at a small distance 1:1 body seams look black anyway. Once the body is painted set it in (or under) a clean dust free container. The general preference is Tupperware or some similar plastic container because you can wash and dust them out. Cardboard boxes are dust nightmares no matter how much you might shake or blow them out. Put it somewhere out of the way of two and four legged critters and forget about it for a day or so. Lacquer color coats can be wet sanded and polished somewhat immediately, enamels you need to wait a week or two, but they can be as well. Just bear in mind lacquers dry from the inside out, enamels from the outside in. You can have an enamel surface that feels dry, but the paint underneath isn't yet. Hope all that helps.


----------



## Schwinnster (Sep 5, 2011)

Cool tip about those door lines Disco! :thumbsup: I'll have to try that sometime. 

Seems that 'trying things' is part of this whole paint thing too Dom. Yeah, gotta pay attention to all the basic physics of it all of course, but/and you gotta find what works for you-- and asking about other's experiences are part of that.

I'm finding out that the lacquers seem to be the way to go-- if you can, depending on if the color you want comes that way, etc. The quick dry time, and set up, of the lacquer sure is nice. 

I haven't been very good at washing my bodies before painting, and luckily haven't had any problems, but....... I also hadn't been testing the paint on something else before just putting it on my build, and when I shot Rustoleum Aluminum on the bare plastic of my Malibu dirt tracker... I got busted! It crazed the plastic beyond repair. I thought about putting a coat of FUTURE on the bare plastic first, but didn't. I did heat up the 'rattlecan', and heated up the body a bit, but since I didn't pay any attention to the basics..... I got burnt.

I've sprayed a couple of the 1:1 automotive acrylic lacquers over the FUTURE with good results-- possibly because the FUTURE is acrylic as well.


----------



## DOM-19 (Mar 12, 2002)

Very interesting,keep on going guy,s, i'm making copies of all your replies so when my "wife" is watching her movies i can read replies on my recliner --dom--what about sanding-no-or just prime ??


----------



## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

Acrylics can be placed over enamels and lacquers, but don't put enamels or lacquers over acrylics - I know the enamels and lacquers were mentioned earlier, but that's where the acrylics fit into it. 

I sand before the primer so I can see anything else that needs touching up, then I sane and primer again - I continue this until everything looks good. Then I will spray on the color. 

While the general make-up of the same type of paint is similar (e.i.: Wal-Mart's enamel is mixed just like Krylon's enamel), there are differences in the different brands you should be aware of - some are "hotter" than others. Some paints will be perfectly fine on bare plastic, while other brands will cause the plastic to craze. When in doubt, spray it on a plastic spoon - those are made of styrene so you'll know how it will react on your kit - or just be sure to use primer on anything you spray.


----------



## CorvairJim (Dec 16, 2011)

I'll generally use automotive spray touch-up paint. There are literally hundreds of shades available so it isn't too difficult to find one that comes real close to the vintage color you're looking for. I try to take a chip chart with me to the parts store when I'm paint shopping so that I don't have to rely on memory to find the closest match. One other advantage that I've found with touch-up paint is that they're very easy to use with a good spray pattern, and they usually lay down nice and flat with a minimum of orange peel. 

Something to bear in mind with these paints - Primer is NOT optional! Touch-up paints are almost always 'hot' enough to craze the plastic. A thin barrier coat of primer is a necessity.


----------



## Schwinnster (Sep 5, 2011)

Pretty good 'primer' going on here  Glad you started it Dom. 

Thought I'd write up a little checklist for us. I'm realizing I need one to refer to so I don't make a mistake in my excitement  Feel free to comment and/or correct me guys.

*Model prep:*

1) Wash the model/parts with dish soap and let dry completely before painting

2) Make sure the model/parts are 'warm'-- room temperature, or warmer
(I've started warming them slightly with a hair dryer just before spraying)

3) Have the model/parts on some sort of stand or holder to help position it 
while spraying, which can then be set aside with no chance of it falling 
over

4) Have a safe and dust free place to set it in, or under. Like Disco said, I 
too, have started using a Tupperware type plastic container large enough
to cover the model.

*Paint prep:*

1) Know what kind of paint you're using-- enamel, lacquer, acrylic, etc

2) Test the paint on plastic spoons (I'm thinking white spoons most likely)

3) Always start with a primer as the very first coat on bare plastic

4) If painting outside, make sure it's not windy

5) Warm up the rattle can. I've started filling a large thermos with hot tap
water and letting the rattle can sit in it for about 5 minutes. Be sure to
dry the can of any water before proceeding

6) Shake shake shake the can right side up, and upside down-- making sure
that little ball does indeed rattle 

7) Spray a little test spray _before_ any spraying on the model to make sure
the nozzle is clear and the can is working. I just had a can die after two
passes on the model 

8) Like Ron said, start your spraying before you move it onto the model, and 
keep spraying until after you passed the other end of the model.

9) After spraying, do like it says on the can, and turn the can upside down
and 'spray' until no paint comes out, to clear out the nozzle for next time.

Hope that helps Dom, and that I got all that right. Guess my next spray job will tell, unless somebody here does first


----------



## Rondo (Jul 23, 2010)

Great stuff here. :thumbsup: I'm going to print it out when the dust settles. My painting is hit or miss at this point. Still experimenting.

One thing you might think about though: I use plastic spoons to test paint for gloss and reflective qualities, but if I wanted to see how the paint might attack a model I would (and do) spray some sprues or extra parts from the kit in question. Styrene used by kit producers varies and is likely not the same as your spoon.


----------



## DOM-19 (Mar 12, 2002)

Great replies "keep on going" i,m printing copies of each page,too bad i have more cans of enamel than lacquer reading about drying time ,probably spray body first then work on chassis??? When i first got started i bought styrene sheets & sprayed them ,ian anderson said no spoons , i took that one step further & went to soup spoons a little larger,what i did wrong with 40 ford which i will post mon. Used enamel & taped & touthed it with my hands to soon ,felt my fingers sticking to paint ,thats why maybe do body first if using enamel ==dom


----------



## 71 Charger 500 (Jan 27, 2011)

I use Testor's Lacquer paints almost exclusively. They lay down nice if you use it in thin coats, covers well and dries quickly. 

I always wash my bodies, interiors and chassis but I never ever use dish soap. Dish soap can contain silicone which can lead to problems with paint coverage. I always use Ivory brand bar soap and an old tooth brush. Wash in warm water, shake the excess water off and put in a closet to dry overnight. I use Testor's Lacquer White Primer under the paint. 

I personally prefer Rattle Cans to an air brush. Just don't care for the air brush. Seems to me like it just adds too many variables, again, just my personal preference. 

Mo


----------



## Schwinnster (Sep 5, 2011)

Rondo said:


> Great stuff here. :thumbsup: I'm going to print it out when the dust settles. My painting is hit or miss at this point. Still experimenting.
> 
> One thing you might think about though: I use plastic spoons to test paint for gloss and reflective qualities, but if I wanted to see how the paint might attack a model I would (and do) spray some sprues or extra parts from the kit in question. Styrene used by kit producers varies and is likely not the same as your spoon.


Thanks Rondo-- I think your idea of testing the paint on the sprue, or spare parts, from the kit is great :thumbsup::thumbsup: makes perfect sense to me

Thanks Mo for _another_ vote for the lacquers-- they do seem to be much less trouble.


----------



## DOM-19 (Mar 12, 2002)

Wow ,what do i do with about 50 cans of enamel??? Spray chassis/ seats/ interior buckets ??? ?dom


----------



## 71 Charger 500 (Jan 27, 2011)

DOM-19 said:


> Wow ,what do i do with about 50 cans of enamel??? Spray chassis/ seats/ interior buckets ??? ?dom


I'd use them up. Just takes longer to dry is all. What I did was just use up most of my enamels and as I needed more paint, when it was available, I bought something in the lacquer line.


----------



## DOM-19 (Mar 12, 2002)

My head is spinning, i have so many enamal paint i was thinking of painting the body first ,put it aside & work on everything else 1,st to give it plenty of time to dry,enamel seems to dry outside & then goes under which takes forever -like i said i have so many cans of enamel, butttt i am colecting "laquer paint ,i wonder why "tamiya" is all on back order look at tower hobby ==dom


----------



## 440 dakota (Feb 23, 2006)

think I read that the paint had to be relabeled with some updated warnings, I'd still use your stash of enamel as well just let it cure good


----------

