Painting guides

[Boothy]

Are there any good guides about on the net? I am going to do my lunchbox and want to get a nice glossy finish.

I have seen a few mentions of using car wax or a clear coat top layer, just looking for hints and tips on how to get a good finish.

Andy

[mongoose1983]

TCer Shodog wrote a good one. You can google to find it.

[speedy_w_beans]

Pretty comprehensive guide here, but not for hard bodies...

http://www.rctech.net/articles/painting_hauntedmyst.shtml

[Vrdetailing]

A good coat of clear will make it shiny

[Boothy]

Cheers guys, its hard bodies I am really interested in getting the best finish with. So its three stage, prime, paint, clear?

do you rub down in between coats or just polish up afterwards?

[Boothy]

Cool. found shodogs paint guide. Very helpful

http://www.j2drc.rchomepage.com/Scalearticles/paint%20guide.pdf

[Vrdetailing]

For a perfect finnish follow the guide... I am not that patient and get out bashing... Around 2 hours to paint a body...

[Boothy]

In honesty I don't think I am either but I do want a pretty good finish on my next project and was using lunchie as a bit of practice.

[Vrdetailing]

Well my incorrect guide Lol

Wash shell with soap and tissue dry.

Two light coats of primer 15 mins apart

Three light coats of Base.

Two Light coats of Effect if used

Two Light coats of Clear

And a final wet coat of clear

Polish next day and go have fun.

Cheap and fast LOL... Dont get me wrong I would not paint my harley like that but its an RC car

[Shodog]

Thanks for the plug on my guide. Take your time and let the paint cure. So many good paint jobs are messed up from not being patient. On my Landy below I let to paint cure two days before taping off the roof and fender trims. Trust me, I wanted to keep going on it but you just have to be patient

[Vrdetailing]

A professional paint shop does not let the paint cure for a day between coats... Would cost a fortune...

When I was painting Harley Davison tanks I would get the sack taking 5 days to paint one lol...

The environment you paint in is also critical... When in a loft or store room like shodog temperature and dust is your biggest enemy...

Just remember nice and light

[Boothy]

When you say a final wet coat of clear is that a thicker coat mate?

[Shodog]

A professional paint shop does not let the paint cure for a day between coats... Would cost a fortune...

Real paint shops don't use subpar model paint either. They use paint with catalyzers that dry quickly and are sprayed within specialized booths that can heat and filter the air inside them.

My point for recomending waiting for cure is that the paint will definitley be dry, allowing you to tape off areas on the body and not damage the paint. This is just knowledge gained from my own personal experience. If waitng a shorter time works for you then all the better for you.

[Vrdetailing]

Not dissing you shodog you results are epic... Just a different approach ....

The final wet coat is just enough paint to coat and give a wet or finished look without running or blooming

The hardest one to do ...

[WillyChang]

Pro paintshop uses 2-pak paint which cures like an epoxy, not like oldschool

lacquer paints that need to gas off (solvents evaporating) before the paint is "dry".

Pros can't use these old lacquers anymore due to VOCs.

Using 2-pak also requires repiratory protection.

Your other big challenge is finding a warm place to paint with zero dust yet good ventilation.

Dust is your worst enemy if you're after a mirror-gloss black finish.

[Boothy]

Well just between primer coats and arrrggghhh hair!! Will be from one of the cats no doubt

Will have to wait till its dry now and try to remove.

[SteveU30]

Just get a hair dryer on it to bake it dry, then flat it over with some 1200 wet and dry (or similar) and you'll be good for another coat straight away.

[Boothy]

I just tried some between coats but it cut in to much, however I did not bake dry. Just applied a further fine coat but I can see small bits landing on it.

I am having to paint in the garage and it's still a bit dusty since having the kitchen done. Although I have raised the shell up and got it on a plinth. I'll give it 30 and then bake dry and see if I have any finer wet & dry.

Andy

[SteveU30]

Warm the can in some hot water (out of the tap, it should be hot but not scolding) for about 5 mins then shake the badword out of the can for a further 2 mins before you paint, it'll make the world of difference as the paint will atomise better.

[Boothy]

Ok so I tried my first coat of black but it's either showing up the dust worse or I ended up with a few more so I am leaving it to harden tonight before a light sand tomorrow then try spraying inside.

What should I use to sand? Wet and dry? If so what grade?

[wood5tock]

Ok so I tried my first coat of black but it's either showing up the dust worse or I ended up with a few more so I am leaving it to harden tonight before a light sand tomorrow then try spraying inside.

What should I use to sand? Wet and dry? If so what grade?

Use at least 4 figures, i.e 1200 1500 wet'or'dry and rub down the area giving grief. Did you notice if there was dust on the shell before or did it land in the paint. With hard bodies they can build up an unhealthy amount of static especially if you use a prep fluid or a panel wipe. This is where a 'tack rag' is your friend, this is a impregnated scrim type material that has a light adhesive quality that you wipe over the body which the dust sticks to.

Tack rags are used in the auto refinish and decorating industry, in fact any industry that does painting.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got when learning to paint was, If it's going wrong leave it and walk away, leave it to harden off and then flat it and try again. What you are going to do above is the right course of action

[Boothy]

Top man, it may of been static, I washed it in soapy water and then dried it with kitchen roll. Then took it in the garage, in honesty I was really careful and kept it raised up so I am not sure how the dust got on it other than static or already being on when I took it in.

Where do u get tack rags from?

[Vrdetailing]

No matter what you do dust is you enemy... Not many have a dust free environment..... I just accept the odd dust fleck ....

A few good coats of clear can hide a lot of sins

[wood5tock]

Where do u get tack rags from?

Loads on eBay take your pick

[wood5tock]

No matter what you do dust is you enemy... Not many have a dust free environment..... I just accept the odd dust fleck ....

A few good coats of clear can hide a lot of sins

You should see my garage, it had a flood through it last Friday