ts-13 clear paint help

[fox mulder]

hi, ive just got some metalic blue and ts13 clear tamiya paint for my king hauler. how long should i leave the blue before spraying clear on. also i have read about putting stickers on then clear coating model. does this look better and protect stickers. mainly gonna be a shelf model this 1 may use it once or twice.

thanks

[dave.t1]

Hi,

I would leave the paint for a couple of weeks myself... It may sound excessive but you really really need the base coat to cure before you paint on top. It does not matter so much if you are rubbing down and laying on another coat of the same but clear will dissolve the paint underneath if it is fresh. If you have two colours on your body, then they will blend into each other and metallics will go swirly! Assuming the base colour has no runs and is smooth enough for a top coat, I would spray a very light coat on first to seal the paint underneath, (more of a dusting really). Then I would apply several light coats and then rub the body down with really fine wet and dry. Just enough to remove any blemishes or spots, etc. The finished effect should be a matt - flat finish, (note, too much rubbing and you will be through to the base coat and maybe even the primer). Then spray a couple more light coats on. Try spaying from one end to the other of the body so that you are continuosly spraying onto wet paint. This helps to give a nice flat finish with no roughness or overspray which will make the surface dusty. Again leave for a couple of weeks and then either just polish with very fine polish or wax. Either way the paint must be hard enough to stand abrasion.

If adding decals I would apply before the topcoat goes on.