Paint Frustration

[Gregor]

Please help me!!!!!!

 Experience is the key here!!!

 Blitzer Beetle shell: Paint appears to melt the plastic when it dries.  I am using Duplicolour that you get at Walmart or Canadian tire (Autoparts stores).   I tried everything! Primers, tamiya primer w/ wet sanding etc... this is driving me crazy!!!!  They all melt enough that the sold lines show..

 I am scared to paint the f350 now with all the problems that I am running into.   I want a custom look on my projects but am getting really angry at the results.  I find tamiya w/clear dulls out evern with heavy coats. ?????

[backtomyroots]

Well, I have very limited experience with hard bodies, but I know you should keep to the same product line in general. For example, Tamiya Primer followed by Tamiya paint followed by Tamiya Clear. My first hard body paint job I laid down 2 light coats of Tamiya Primer, then followed with around 5 light to medium coats of Tamiya Red (spray can & let it dry between coats). Then I just threw on one coat of clear tamiya spray. I didn't do any sanding this is what I got:

[Shodog]

I would change your paint brand.  I am a big fan of the tamiya paints as they always leave a great finish

[MikeT]

They do leave a nice finish Jim, but i find that the paint is too thin?

[Shodog]

i find that the paint is too thin?

The reason they are thin is so they don't gum up any of the details on the body.  I also think the thin statement is true of their solid colors.  Their metallics on the other hand provide great coverage and are not as prone to running like the solids are.

[T.C~Tamiya]

Please help me!!!!!!

 Experience is the key here!!!

 Blitzer Beetle shell: Paint appears to melt the plastic when it dries.  I am using Duplicolour that you get at Walmart or Canadian tire (Autoparts stores).   I tried everything! Primers, tamiya primer w/ wet sanding etc... this is driving me crazy!!!!  They all melt enough that the sold lines show..

 I am scared to paint the f350 now with all the problems that I am running into.   I want a custom look on my projects but am getting really angry at the results.  I find tamiya w/clear dulls out evern with heavy coats. ?????

It sounds to me like you might be putting on the paint with too much paint in one layer.

If you apply a few thin coats, leaving them to dry between coats then you get better results than if you try to get complete coverage with one coat.

Also it's important to shake the can really well beforehand.

[T.C~Tamiya]

* Double post deleted.

[techie]

I used automotive plastic primer and an automotive topcoat on the lexan Lunchbox body

Didnt have any issues with paint at all.

[Dephcon5]

They do leave a nice finish Jim, but i find that the paint is too thin?

As Jim (Shodog) said, its thin to prevent hiding the details on the body.

If you have problems with it running your attempting to apply too much too fast and prpbably too close. Tamiya paint if used correctly will yield a result you will definately be proud of.

Try this article. It explains it in detail and it an entertaining read.

http://www.tamiyausa.com/articles/feature.php?article-id=35

Good luck.

g

[kingeddie]

i too have had problems with burning in when using automotive plastic primer, i did two lunchbox bodys last year and the primer burnt in leaving an orange peel effect, took a lot of striping and flatting to get it to look even half decent. i have on the other hand seen steve paint a blitzer shell with the same automotive paint a couple of weeks ago and it looked fine. all i can assume is that i layed it on too heavy, but it is making me reluctant to paint my highlift too! there are only so many tamiya colours and i can see the 350 being so popular that there are going to be clones. keeping my sceem top secret till its done!

[DJTheo]

I also preffer Tamiya paints, give the best finish as they are finer then automotive ones, if I need different tones, I use Motip Automotive spay, its best alternative I have used till now:

Cheers 

[john45677]

greg

i dont post much but i'em on here  reading everyday,

i do alot of painting (see my showroom for some of my work) and i have encounterd alot of different paint problem's every type of paint that you paint with has a catalyst  (cureing) some are a chem some are water ,and some are air.so every time you are going to paint you have to add that in with relation to your project type of material (ie) wood,metal ,plastic ,paper etc,etc,etcto the type of paint you are going to use,for example you would'nt really want to use a heavy chem catalyst on MOST! plastic due to the HEAT caused by the chem (catalyst) reacting with the air to force the drying process. most over the counter  CAN! automotive paint's have a high part of catalyst to paint to ease the unknowledgeable consumer with use of the product. (in no way em i saying that your are unknowledgeable just trying to state a point)Than there is the primer issue not all primers are the same ,some primers will actually mess up a project due to reactions with the paint that is sprayed UPON! it ,and also on the starting product that it was painted on.i could go on for day's about the whole paint process,but we will save that for another day,after reading your question,is there a chance that you painted that body at night,are on a cold day, the very first thing that i do when i paint is make sure that my paint is warm ,and also if i can get what ever im going to paint warm also. if you go to paint and the can is cold are the project(body) is cold when you spray, you will get coverage at first than a little time later you will get a contraction, do to the catalyst having too cold of air to start the reaction(drying) wich in results in a ripple effect,sometime's a cracking effect,and yess even the bunched up in spot's effect,some of these are cool if you are going for that effect.but not good for the solid color look,kinda think of it as the oil and water theory,but with chem and paint,,there are alot of different things that could have gone wrong,you could have even gat a bad can,but as was said before try to stay with the same company of paint through out your whole process,MOST! paint is developed that way,the best paint that i have ever used for my body's is  PACTRA comes in can's and also airbrush bottles,hope i was somewhat of a help if you have any questions that you would like in more detail i would be happy,also one more little helpfull hint is if you are unsure of the paint on the body do atest spot on the inside some where ,see how it come's out might save a little headache. 

[Gregor]

Thanks for the great advice everyone! []

 Ok, So if I use a plastic primer, is that going to melt the plastic also?   I find that the plastic used in the blitzer is softer than the plastic in a highlift.  I think that I am going to paint one coat of tamiya primer and give it a 1200 wet sand on the hood and the primary shine area's. After than a light to medium coat of base colour and a heavy coat of clear (Maybe 3 coats).  My opinon on tamiya clear is that is not 100% shinney as we would expect with a clear coat. A nice polish after the fact should brighten it up. For the Highlift I might do a light gun metal with a silver lower part.  

[Corpse Thrower]

Clear definitely comes up well with a polish. I polish until a light globe reflection becomes sharp and clear, rather than large and blurred (if you know what I mean....???)

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/pictureframe.asp...006103059_1.jpg

 

[MikeT]

Hi Dephcon,

 I know how to use them fella, i know you can't cover a body in one coat!

Yeah, i've read that article before, it's a really good read!

In my oppinion though, i still prefer to use automotive Acrylic sprays.

Mike