HerrSavage

OK, bought a Dodge Durango body for my Savage X yesterday. The guy at the shop said:

1.) Cut out body
2.) Drill holes(doesn't seem to make sense BEFORE painting..)
3.) Wipe body with dry cloth
4.) Paint inside of body
5.) Let dry 12 hours or so

So far, I've only cut out the body. The cut lines are not exactly professional looking.. I left about 1mm around the whole body to be safe. The wheel-wells are kind of jagged and not so nice looking.. My questions are:

1.) Can I file or sand down all the edges, and if yes, with what?

2.) I bought Lexan scissors, but was too cheap to buy the reamer. Is there a cheaper alternative at the hardware store for making the post holes(I live in Germany and those pointy little tools cost like €20), perhaps?

3.) So, when I go to paint it, I just go down to the cellar, lay some newspaper on the floor, and spray away? I just want it to be simple black, but hopefully shiny and decent looking.. The guy told me LRP paint isn't so great, plus he didn't have it in black, so I got some Tamiya stuff. The name of the color I think is "Outlaw Black".. So, could somebody give me a quick list of pointers for getting this thing painted? Thanks

ps When it comes to thin layers, does that I mean I paint one layer, wait several hours for it to dry, and then repeat - basically til the can's used up? Also,anything special to know about applying the window stickers?


THANKS..

claccytim

1. yes you can sand/file the edges, but try to cut as straight as possible, then sand to smooth them, normal fine grit sandpaper will work fine, but a dremel with sanding wheel is best for the wheel cutouts ( use on slow speed or the lexan will melt)

2. I only ever use a drill to make post holes, then smooth off with a dremel and cone shaped fine sanding stone.

3 before you spray, you should scrub the inside of the body with a scouring pad to key the surface for the paint, DONT scuff the windows though, then wash out with soapy water and dry well, apply the window masks, then spray away.

Spray in thin coats then leave for 5-10 mins between coats, dont leave too long between coats, as if the surface of the paint dries, the next coat wont stick so good.

Tim

HerrSavage

Thanks a lot. Sounds good. I asked the guy at the shop and he said it wasn't really necessary to wash with soapy watter, that just wiping with a dry rag would do..

And I guess the last question is, should I drill the post holes before or after painting(got a reamer yesterday..)???

So I guess I'm just gonna' get some fine sand paper after work, sand the edges(don't have a dremmel - or any power tools..), clean out the inside, and paint away as you suggest. One layer, 5-10 minutes, then another, and so on 'til the can's empty(BTW, how many layers is good?)

Thanks again.

gm72

Paint maybe 3-4 layers. Light layers are better. Wash the body with soap and water. Some bodies ship with a protective coat of anti-fungal chemical. It is necessary to remove this coat. Drill the post holes before painting.

HerrSavage

Thanks, but in the end I was impatient and just did it. Pretty happy with the results. Shiny, sleek, black and neat looking. All I really wanted. Next time though I'll be more patient about doing light layers. I ended up having paint running on me on the grill, and had to get heavy handed with it. But it looks good I think. Not on my computer at the moment, but you can see the results on the Savage X thread at HPI Monstertrucks - not sure, think page 70 or so..

tom111

Hi,

What about when painting layers of different colors? How much time should I wait between these? I mean let’s say I use a mask & I paint most of the body in blue color, after I’m done with all the blue coats, when can I remove the masks & paint with the other color? How much time should I wait then, I would probably want the blue to be completely dry???

Thanks,
Tom

WD-40

My Feedback: (2)

Next time you paint a body I wouldn't "go do to the cellar & start painting" you need to have lots of ventilation when using spray paints.