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how should you spray testors spray enamel


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Harold, the trick to Testors is warming the can and light coats from 8-10" inches away. too close and the propellant can't escape the paint, causing the gas to bubble out on the model. too heavy is the same result. enamel also takes longer to gas out, or "dry", so don't expect to be able to handle the model too soon after painting.

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I guess that is what separates builders from assemblers (not meant as a shot to you Jon or Harold). When shooting enamels straight from the can, get them quite warm and start with a very light mist coat. Wait a few minutes, and with a warm can, add another mist coat. Roughly 10 minutes, warm can again, lay out a slightly wetter coat for even coverage. Let it dry to the point of being tacky, and take the warm can and lay down one last color coat. Let that dry completely (usually takes about a week), then clear over it with your favorite clear.

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Warming the can applys to all paint in a spray can, but testors enamels take a little bit of work to get a good finish . Just make sure you turn the can upside and clear the nozzle after each use, or you will get little globs of paint on the body the next time you use it. A sided from getting the can warm, shake the can to , I would keep the can in warm water for at least five minutes

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That Vette is a great example of the double-edged sword that is enamel paints; Enamel paint takes forever to dry (bad to hurry-up modeling), but because it takes a while to dry it exhibits more self-leveling properties (Great for a smooth, shiny paint job). Enamels have their place, and I for one prefer enamels on Die-Casts (Hot Wheels) as I can shoot the body, let it sit for a moment to get its' 'tooth', then stuff it in the incubator at 200* and let it bake all night. I have had amazingly shiny and smooth paint-jobs come out of this method.

I will have to agree on an airbrush being the way to go as far as any paint (same with heating the can if you must shoot a can-job). Look at what can be accomplished with enamels and one (Donn Yost quickly comes to mind, but there are others and those who came before Donn who got super results with enamels and an airbrush).

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"wow; the instructions are right on the side of the can: shake well for 1 minute (use a timer, that's actually quite a long time) and not only will the paint get thoroughly mixed, it ought to be at LEAST body temperature by then. it's really not that hard to do."

It is kind of hard for some people. That why there are countless threads of people complaining about Testors canned paint. Just.because someone can rhad doesn't mean they will get good.results.

"buying an airbrush then requires that you either buy cans of air or a compressor, and then paint and thinner..... nice to have, but a luxury in my opinion. it also nearly demands that you have a paint booth...."

Maybe a luxury to some, but $100 will get you super results almost every time with an airbrush, whereas canned results vary greatly. Some people live in warm climates and can paint outside without a booth.

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