Painting: How Do You Get That Shine?

[SteelRat]

One thing I've always been impressed with by some of the showroom submissions is just how shiney some of those paint jobs are. One thing it's taken me a long time to master is painting; getting the distance between nozzle and shell, making sure to leave plenty of time between coats, not making each coat too heavy, etc, but I'm after some masterclass advice on getting that really smooth shiney finish associated with all the best looking models. I see talk of 1200 grade wet and try, T-cut and other polishes, but never really sure what order to do what, and how to know when enough is enough kinda thing.

Any tips for this anyone has would be gratefully received. (Have done a search, but couldn't find anything specific.)

[caprinut]

You could do as the 1:1 show cars do, wetsand between each coat of paint with 2000 paper, that make the paint yber smooth.

On top of that you can clear coat it with gloss clear and still wetsand with 2000 paper...

I'm not patient enough to do that, so I just paint away and hope the best

[SteelRat]

You could do as the 1:1 show cars do, wetsand between each coat of paint with 2000 paper, that make the paint yber smooth.

On top of that you can clear coat it with gloss clear and still wetsand with 2000 paper...

I'm not patient enough to do that, so I just paint away and hope the best

I must admit that's what I've always done in the past; patience has never been my strong suit either. I find if I make sure I've got something else to do as well, I'm less likely to go back and put another coat on or whatever before it's ready. Also given all my cars are runners, I've never reeally been that interested in making it uber shiney because I know it's just going to get chipped and scratched to wossname anyway. I just would love to know how to do it to make the pics I take look as good as they can before it get's bashed to smeg!

How long do you leave it between coats to do the wetsanding? 24 hours, or does it need to be longer than that? I'm using plastikote enamel spray paint straight out of the can. I don't really want to have to buy spray guns and the like if I can possibly help it.

[Skottoman]

I got a very smooth shiny coat on my SS 2010 by following these simple rules.

- TS Paint, color 1.

- Let dry 2 days.

- Wetsand 2000/3000 grit very lightly until smooth.

- TS Paint, color 2.

- Let dry 2 days.

- Wetsand 2000/3000 grit again very lightly until smooth.

- TS Paint, Clearcoat.

- Let dry 2+ days.

- Wetsand 3000 grit lightly.

- Rubbing polish and rag, and polish/rubdown

- 3+ coats of automotive wax.

LOOKS AWESOME!

Cheers,

Skottoman

[SteelRat]

I got a very smooth shiny coat on my SS 2010 by following these simple rules.

- TS Paint, color 1.

- Let dry 2 days.

- Wetsand 2000/3000 grit very lightly until smooth.

- TS Paint, color 2.

- Let dry 2 days.

- Wetsand 2000/3000 grit again very lightly until smooth.

- TS Paint, Clearcoat.

- Let dry 2+ days.

- Wetsand 3000 grit lightly.

- Rubbing polish and rag, and polish/rubdown

- 3+ coats of automotive wax.

LOOKS AWESOME!

Cheers,

Skottoman

Spot on Skottoman, just what I was after, thank you!

Any particular brand of rubbing polish you use?

[igbandy]

I use Farecla G3 rubbing compound. Its not cheap but a tube will last along time. Halfords also do two types of rubbing compound one in a squeezy tube thats OK and one in a spray tin thats awful. If you can get the Farecla G3 its worth the few quid more.

For applying the compound I use cotton wool pads, dabbed into a bit of water. You can use the G3 without water, but it works better with a drop of water as well.

I also use Autoglym Aqua Wax, its farily new stuff but its a doddle to use. The easiest wax that I have ever used.

[KEV THE REV]

I must admit that's what I've always done in the past; patience has never been my strong suit either. I find if I make sure I've got something else to do as well, I'm less likely to go back and put another coat on or whatever before it's ready. Also given all my cars are runners, I've never reeally been that interested in making it uber shiney because I know it's just going to get chipped and scratched to wossname anyway. I just would love to know how to do it to make the pics I take look as good as they can before it get's bashed to smeg!

How long do you leave it between coats to do the wetsanding? 24 hours, or does it need to be longer than that? I'm using plastikote enamel spray paint straight out of the can. I don't really want to have to buy spray guns and the like if I can possibly help it.

The plastikote sprays are good ,and used right can give a great shiney result without any other work , especially on a runner, but if you do want to polish I would leave it for at least a week as they can take longer to cure than cellulose or acrylic .If you want to spray a good quality 'runner' finish then Halfords sprays are the thing , a good shiney finish can be achieved 'out of the can' with the right prep work .Shelf queen finishes are a different ball game ,and the previously outlined techniques will help you .

[MadInventor]

I can recommend the halfords paint as well for a quick, reasonably shiny finish if you're terminally impatient. The yellow Jugg2 I've got in my showroom was primed with halfords white primer for a couple of coats, then 2 coats of colour, followed by a couple of coats of lacquer. I did the whole lot on one afternoon in the summer when it was sunny and the paint dries well. The last coat of lacquer I put on quite thick so it looks 'wet', this helps to give a glossy finish. The lacquer I used was a can of toyota 'touch up' spray. I didn't bother to wet n dry any of it, I figured something like a jugg shell with all the bends and curves and recesses, it would be difficult to get and even smoothness. Don't forget paint highlights unevenness and imperfections, rather than hide them.

[Tamiya1/10]

I got a very smooth shiny coat on my SS 2010 by following these simple rules.

- TS Paint, color 1.

- Let dry 2 days.

- Wetsand 2000/3000 grit very lightly until smooth.

- TS Paint, color 2.

- Let dry 2 days.

- Wetsand 2000/3000 grit again very lightly until smooth.

- TS Paint, Clearcoat.

- Let dry 2+ days.

- Wetsand 3000 grit lightly.

- Rubbing polish and rag, and polish/rubdown

- 3+ coats of automotive wax.

LOOKS AWESOME!

Cheers,

Skottoman

holly molly that is really painting.

But tell me, after a week of painting, sanding and polishing do you take it for some rock crawling???

A question for the paint master!!! Do you apply decals after the wax coats or after the polish / rubdown or before or after the clearcoat?? I just paint and apply decals, which is why is never smooth.

[neo]

I have a question with regards to gritting/flattening the paint before laquaring. Is it advisable to wet and dry where I have a clean line where the blue I have painted stops and the white carries on along the body. Would sanding cause any blending of colour at the line where the different colours meet?

[Skottoman]

I have a question with regards to gritting/flattening the paint before laquaring. Is it advisable to wet and dry where I have a clean line where the blue I have painted stops and the white carries on along the body. Would sanding cause any blending of colour at the line where the different colours meet?

Just sand very VERY lightly, a few strokes to feel the 'ridge' go down. 3000 grit or so. Sand any more than a few strokes and you'll start to smear out the crisp line.

I put the decals on after rubdown, and then wax. Some people clearcoat again over the decals.

There are a few scorchers on here that have TONS of clearcoat over the decals. Looks pretty cool, I may have to try MASSIVE clearcoat sometime. wetsanding and rubbing down between coats of course.

Check out the CLEARCOAT on Slimmy's Scorcher and RR!

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/pictureframe.asp...010201540_1.jpg

Cheers,

Skottoman

[neo]

This is a very helpful thread. Have decided to lightly go over and smooth everything a tad just to be on the safe side. All looks set for a clear coat tomorrow weather permitting. It's the first multi coloured shell I've done which is why I'm a bit hesitant. Hope everyone else has as much success following this thread the trickiest part yet to tackle is painting the inside of the shell to make it look neat lol.

[neo]

Have just finished the last stage of wet and dry and then ribbing compound. A rub over with some Auto Glym wax polish and it's looking mighty fine.

Thanks for the tips

[Skottoman]

Have just finished the last stage of wet and dry and then ribbing compound. A rub over with some Auto Glym wax polish and it's looking mighty fine.

Thanks for the tips

Pictures of the mighty fine shine?

[neo]

Ok, I'll try and get some pics taken and posted asap

[neo]

Pictures of the mighty fine shine?

Here we go. Took these tonight.

Still work in progress as shell needs painting inside, window/door handle detailing and also the driver to add. Not to mention the license plates.

Pretty please with the shine as this is pretty much my best result yet of all the hard shells i have painted. Previously I used to try and get the final clear coat as wet as possible and just polished it once dry, but the wet & dry paper method with a dab of rubbing compound and final wax polish has given me a better result.

[Skottoman]

Looks great!

Cheers,

Skottoman

[dazvr6]

****! Thats shiny.

[SteelRat]

Neo that is an absolute beauty!

Well done!

[smegs]

Awesome paint color combination. Where you get your exhaust system looks so real.

[Dephcon5]

The above suggestions are worth while and work well. Time tested and proven, you really cant go wrong.

I do have a few suggestions when doing hard ABS shells from my own time tested experiences.

Mistakes in prep will show in the finish no matter what you do.

I use the Tamiya synthetic spray lacquer from the can and always heat the can in medium hot (110 deg F) water before I use it. Not too hot that I cant hold the can, just warm. I dont want to paint my house, just the intended target. Warming the can thins the paint and helps it to flow better and it increases the pressure in the can which helps atomize the paint to finer droplets. Down side of the increased temperature is that the thinned paint dries faster. With that I move the can closer and move it faster to compensate for the increased flow of paint.

Patience here and I prefer to wait 24 hours between each THIN coat of paint allowing the solvents to escape.

If I notice defects, such as dust or orange peel, I take care of the problem before the next coat.

Wet sanding is to make the surface of the paint as level as possible. Between coats I use a 3800 and 4200 grit paper grit and I wet sand with a 80/20 mix of (80) rubbing alcohol and (20) water.

Final coat and then prep:

After final coat I wait 1 week before final prep.

So now I have the paint leveled out and I need to remove the fine scratches left by sanding.

At this point I will put the painted shell in the fridge for 30 minutes to help the dissipation of heat generated by sanding in the next steps.

Starting with a 3800-grit sanding cloth and water/alcohol. I work through each grade of progressively finer sanding cloth until I reach 8,000. Now I switch to a pure dry sanding method and go to 10,000 and finish with 12,000 grit. Once I am satisfied the finish is as smooth as possible I go to the Tamiya polishing compound with a Q tip ONLY on areas that I can not sand due to contours in the shell. Lacquer tends to pull away from edges and will be thinnest easy to burn through in tight spots or over details so I refrain from sanding those spots and in some cases I simply cant sand it due to the shape. (like the inside corner of a fender/door/running board)

Thats it.

Apply a coat of Tamiya (or any modelers) wax if you like and buff with a soft cloth.

With this method I never used clear coat and from the reactions in the past, everyone thought I did.

I won several concourse with this procedure including one with my original box art SS. (see link)

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.a...838&id=1920