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marhun

What Grade Of Wet/dry To Use

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Hi there

I was just wandering if someone could help me, what grade of wet/dry should I use to initially scuff the body of my Monster Beetle before priming it and then what grade should I use after that between coats of colour and clear.

Thank

Mark

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Is it a new shell or old?

On a new shell I dont normally sand first just wash and air dry.

On stripped shells I wash and dry thoroughly, at least twice - then gently scruff with a scouring pad (like a kitchen cleany thing) - just take the gloss effect off.

You dont want to scratch too deep as you will just have to fill the marks with primer - meaning lots of coats and a possibility of filling in the smaller moulded details.

Oh and make sure you use a proper plastic primer.

Between coats I use 2000 grit - better to spend longer with the 2000, then go quickly with a rougher and go through the paint!

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It's and old monster beetle shell that was painted back in about 1991 with Tamiya spray and which I'm about to strip with caustic and recondition. Thanks for the advice I'll get all the required stuff and take my time over the job making sure I do it right this time unlike my botched job as a 14 year old.

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It's and old monster beetle shell that was painted back in about 1991 with Tamiya spray and which I'm about to strip with caustic and recondition. Thanks for the advice I'll get all the required stuff and take my time over the job making sure I do it right this time unlike my botched job as a 14 year old.

Golden rule is not to try and fill/cover anything with primer or paint. Paint hides nothing. Fill and smooth any imperfections before you paint as best you can.

It is often a good idea to 'key' the plastic surface with 300-600 paper, which will result in better coverage from the primer, but with modern primers it's not 100% necessary. You will find that the old paint has probably etched the surface in some areas, so you'll need to flat these out.

When you spray primer, you'll find that further imperfections pop out. So the primer stage is useful for finding imperfections. Correct undulations and imperfections in the shell at the primer stage by filling sanding back as necessary and respraying that area with primer.

When finishing the paint, use a clear coat over the colour, and work with 1000 up to 2000 grit, and finish with a polish or model wax.

- James

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