Repost hobby paint and fuel proof clear coat information.
10-29-2013, 05:39 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Kiefer,
OK
Posts: 232
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Repost hobby paint and fuel proof clear coat information.
I tried to copy and paste here an article I wrote and it didn't work out well so I am rewriting it now. The first thing I will say is, I have a lot of experience using the method I am going to reveal here. Some here may know it, but others may not. I am not saying my way is the only good way so if you have tips that can help please do say so.
When you mix paint the way I do, military or flat colors are dry in about ten minutes, gloss colors are dry in about an hour and if you don't use the right primer, it will turn your plastic into a puddle of sticky goo. Let me reiterate that last line. You have to use the right primer.
Duplicolor primers are the only primers I have seen that will protect any kind of plastic from any damage by any kind of paint also I haven't found any other canned primer that won't attack plastic. There are two types, the gray and the black. They are for two different purposes and I will explain that. The gray primer is a buildable primer. If you need to block sand something like a fiberglass part, or maybe an area you have used filler that you need to fill light sanding marks and things like that. It's very easy to work with. The black primer is the best primer I have ever seen when you don't want the paint to hide model details. I have used it on 1/72 plastic tanks and you would have to really be trying to get it thick enough to hide detail. This stuff amazes me.
I wish I could count the time people have told me Testors oil based paint is crap, well it's not. When applied as the manufacture suggests and also cans it, the paint mills are too thick because the pigment in the paint gasses out so large and rough. If you've ever looked at built military models for sale on ebay and seen a model painted with Testors olive drab the way the manufacture says to use it. The model will have the strangest color in the picture that doesn't look at all like olive drab, but when you are looking at it in person, it will be the right color. The reason is the paint pigment is so large the color won't photograph correctly because light is playing tricks on that large paint pigment. Here's how to melt the pigment in the paint can and bottles, make it dry in ten minutes and make it more durable while handling the part.
You can buy automotive acrylic lacquer thinner at about any parts store, when you mix it into Testors paints it melt the pigment and makes it lay down the way it should. If you mix it in any Humbrol or Testors oil based flat colored paint the paint will be dry in ten minutes any gloss color will be dry in an hour. It also seems to harden the paint a little. The draw back to doing this is you have to make sure the humidity is low, as humidity will discolor the paint. I have had some people tell me that if you mix a little stronger amount of the Acrylic lacquer thinner into the paint, humidity will not discolor it, I have not had the occasion to try that yet.
If you have spray can Testors and want to use it this way. I first shake the can to mix the pigment, then drill a very small hole in one side of the can bottom to let the pressure out. Then I drill another hole on the opposite side of the can bottom to pour the paint through into an airbrush bottle, then mix in some acrylic lacquer thinner. After you have used the paint you want, put metal screws into the holes in the can bottom, the paint will keep for a long time.
Acrylic lacquer thinner is hard on paint nozzles and needles. It will take a few paint jobs to need to replace a needle or nozzle. I have always kept several needles, nozzles and rebuild kits on hand for all my airbrushes.
Now for clear coat. The one I prefer is automotive polyurethane, it is dangerous to use, so if you try it be sure to read the warning labels, but it's also the best I have ever seen. It's fuel proof, lightweight, somewhat flexible and will not harm any sort of decal.
I have drawn decals onto models with ink and clear coated with it and the ink doesn't run. It won't hurt waterslide decals either, it just seals them. To keep a water slide decal from silvering, I spray the are the decal will be on with Testors gloss, after it dries, put the decal on. The Testors wil keep the decal from silvering. Then put the decal on and when the model is ready, clear it with the polyurethane. Polyurethane is a soft finish so I usually put a few coats on the model, it's very glossy but you can kill the shine by using fine polishing compound. If you want a glossy shine, I use polishing compound then wax it. It takes a hard impact to make it turn loose of your paint. If you go look at the plastic on a wrecked car, you'll see what I mean. Some people will clear coat with flat gloss over the polyurethane.to kill the shine. I personally always liked to put a coat of polyurethane between my color coats when I am doing a multi color on the outside of a model, because it helps to seal the paint and helps to prevent paint lifting.
Some years ago, I used to sell airbrushes and paint equipment, I had to know some about both for my customers, also I was in a very large US based model builders club where we used these methods time and time again. I have a lot of my own experiences with them, but I am sure there are others here who have some good methods too, so if you do please share.
When you mix paint the way I do, military or flat colors are dry in about ten minutes, gloss colors are dry in about an hour and if you don't use the right primer, it will turn your plastic into a puddle of sticky goo. Let me reiterate that last line. You have to use the right primer.
Duplicolor primers are the only primers I have seen that will protect any kind of plastic from any damage by any kind of paint also I haven't found any other canned primer that won't attack plastic. There are two types, the gray and the black. They are for two different purposes and I will explain that. The gray primer is a buildable primer. If you need to block sand something like a fiberglass part, or maybe an area you have used filler that you need to fill light sanding marks and things like that. It's very easy to work with. The black primer is the best primer I have ever seen when you don't want the paint to hide model details. I have used it on 1/72 plastic tanks and you would have to really be trying to get it thick enough to hide detail. This stuff amazes me.
I wish I could count the time people have told me Testors oil based paint is crap, well it's not. When applied as the manufacture suggests and also cans it, the paint mills are too thick because the pigment in the paint gasses out so large and rough. If you've ever looked at built military models for sale on ebay and seen a model painted with Testors olive drab the way the manufacture says to use it. The model will have the strangest color in the picture that doesn't look at all like olive drab, but when you are looking at it in person, it will be the right color. The reason is the paint pigment is so large the color won't photograph correctly because light is playing tricks on that large paint pigment. Here's how to melt the pigment in the paint can and bottles, make it dry in ten minutes and make it more durable while handling the part.
You can buy automotive acrylic lacquer thinner at about any parts store, when you mix it into Testors paints it melt the pigment and makes it lay down the way it should. If you mix it in any Humbrol or Testors oil based flat colored paint the paint will be dry in ten minutes any gloss color will be dry in an hour. It also seems to harden the paint a little. The draw back to doing this is you have to make sure the humidity is low, as humidity will discolor the paint. I have had some people tell me that if you mix a little stronger amount of the Acrylic lacquer thinner into the paint, humidity will not discolor it, I have not had the occasion to try that yet.
If you have spray can Testors and want to use it this way. I first shake the can to mix the pigment, then drill a very small hole in one side of the can bottom to let the pressure out. Then I drill another hole on the opposite side of the can bottom to pour the paint through into an airbrush bottle, then mix in some acrylic lacquer thinner. After you have used the paint you want, put metal screws into the holes in the can bottom, the paint will keep for a long time.
Acrylic lacquer thinner is hard on paint nozzles and needles. It will take a few paint jobs to need to replace a needle or nozzle. I have always kept several needles, nozzles and rebuild kits on hand for all my airbrushes.
Now for clear coat. The one I prefer is automotive polyurethane, it is dangerous to use, so if you try it be sure to read the warning labels, but it's also the best I have ever seen. It's fuel proof, lightweight, somewhat flexible and will not harm any sort of decal.
I have drawn decals onto models with ink and clear coated with it and the ink doesn't run. It won't hurt waterslide decals either, it just seals them. To keep a water slide decal from silvering, I spray the are the decal will be on with Testors gloss, after it dries, put the decal on. The Testors wil keep the decal from silvering. Then put the decal on and when the model is ready, clear it with the polyurethane. Polyurethane is a soft finish so I usually put a few coats on the model, it's very glossy but you can kill the shine by using fine polishing compound. If you want a glossy shine, I use polishing compound then wax it. It takes a hard impact to make it turn loose of your paint. If you go look at the plastic on a wrecked car, you'll see what I mean. Some people will clear coat with flat gloss over the polyurethane.to kill the shine. I personally always liked to put a coat of polyurethane between my color coats when I am doing a multi color on the outside of a model, because it helps to seal the paint and helps to prevent paint lifting.
Some years ago, I used to sell airbrushes and paint equipment, I had to know some about both for my customers, also I was in a very large US based model builders club where we used these methods time and time again. I have a lot of my own experiences with them, but I am sure there are others here who have some good methods too, so if you do please share.
