Does this need to swim in the purple pond or can I fix it?

[Againmikewins]

I was almost done with this kit. I've been working on 4 different kits. 2 had bad paint jobs and are soaking now. Another one has good paint and I'm afraid to shoot clear because I'm worried about ruining it. This GTO had a solid paint job. 2 coats of Tamiya primer, 3 coats of Testors silver and then I shot a coat of Testors One Coat Clear Lacquer. This is the result I've got now. 

Will wet sanding fix this? I'm extremely discouraged at this point. 

[Foxer]

Sometimes it's tough to tell what's lighting and whats real. Is it the "shading" on the side that you mean? Could you describe the problem more?

[Againmikewins]

It's the shading. I sprayed two coats. Didn't go to heavy on either and this the result. 

[MeatMan]

I'd at least give wet sanding a try.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Strip it.

Wet-sanding will only smooth out the clear. It looks like you shot your clear too wet and have disturbed the metallic particles in the silver by re-wetting them too much, which lets them fall over and become blotchy.

Get your procedures down by testing before you commit to painting a model you want to look good.

If you don't have any spare bodies to practice on, I have found that soda bottles that have molded details make excellent stand-ins for practice-painting. Scuff them with Comet, hot water and a stiff toothbrush (also the best...by far...method of prepping model car bodies). Then primer and paint with the materials you're trying to learn.

The Testors materials you're using WILL produce quite nice results...

 

Edited November 25, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[Muncie]

was working on a reply and I'm going the same direction as Bill - the clear coat was applied too heavy (especially for one coat) and softened the silver  - then the metallic started to drift and went crazy.

For clear, but colors as well - best to start out with a mist coat, very light so it can tack up a bit - the first coat doesn't even need to cover the paint underneath - then follow with wet coats (but not drowning) that will flow out as it dries.  Most good paint jobs came after some experience - for me, luck can still be a big factor.

 

[High octane]

I usually shoot two mist coats of clear and then a "wet" coat with 20 minute intervals between coats. I once tried to get away with just painting one "wet" coat of clear and was I sorry. I don't remember which car it was or how I fixed it as I'm not a big fan of the purple pond. If I can fix a paint job rather than soaking it and starting over, I will.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I'm betting that you used Testors "Metallic Silver" enamel?

If that's the case, that particular paint is pretty fragile & doesn't play well with lacquer clear coat.

It looks to me as if the lacquer clear coat basically "ate" the silver paint & any place that the clear coat sagged a little, it took some of the silver with it, hence the uneven color.

I would absolutely strip it.

polishing will only shine the surface, it won't correct the color "blushing".

Many years ago I built a '31 Cadillac, black with silver fenders & got an excellent result using Testors silver enamel & one coat of Testors "enamel" clear coat.

But you have to be careful with enamel clears, they can yellow horribly!

I would suggest using a lacquer silver as the base color & then at least 2 or 3 lighter clear coats.

 

Steve

[charlie8575]

I'm tending to agree with Bill- too much material at once. Silver can be a very, very tough color to do well. 

Many, many years ago, prior to their takeover by the Evil Empire, Brand "S" magazine did an exemplary article by Larry Booth(e), sp.?) on how to do a killer silver paint job- it was around 1987-88, using his award-winning all-stock T-Bird Turbo Coupe. 

It came down to careful, even application of the color, plenty of time between coats, and believe it or not, contrary to many people's practices, an LMG polishing kit, going through all the steps from 2000 up. I don't recall if he used a clear or not, but with that polish, it might not be necessary. 

I also agree with Steve- try the Testors lacquer system in its entirety. I also suggest a good sandable lacquer primer like Plasti-Kote or Dupli-Color.

For color, go with the AMC Platinum. It's a bit softer in tone and will be closer to the stock color if that's what you're going for.

Charlie Larkin

 

[gtx6970]

I'm betting that you used Testors "Metallic Silver" enamel?

If that's the case, that particular paint is pretty fragile & doesn't play well with lacquer clear coat.

It looks to me as if the lacquer clear coat basically "ate" the silver paint & any place that the clear coat sagged a little, it took some of the silver with it, hence the uneven color.

I would absolutely strip it.

polishing will only shine the surface, it won't correct the color "blushing".

Many years ago I built a '31 Cadillac, black with silver fenders & got an excellent result using Testors silver enamel & one coat of Testors "enamel" clear coat.

But you have to be careful with enamel clears, they can yellow horribly!

I would suggest using a lacquer silver as the base color & then at least 2 or 3 lighter clear coats.

 

Steve

 

Agreed,

its going swimming

[Tom Geiger]

I had a problem with the Testors One Coat Clear. I had Duplicolor primer and paint over a red plastic body.  I added the clear and it seemed to pull the red color out of the plastic, ruining the paint job.   It is probably best over their One Coat colors. but I'd shy away from trying this again. A member of my club swears by this clear though!

[High octane]

I had a problem with the Testors One Coat Clear. I had Duplicolor primer and paint over a red plastic body.  I added the clear and it seemed to pull the red color out of the plastic, ruining the paint job.   It is probably best over their One Coat colors. but I'd shy away from trying this again. A member of my club swears by this clear though!

I don't think that you would have had that problem if you had sprayed the red plastic body SILVER  first under the primer. I've tried this method with a few different colored bodies and it works great without the colored plastic bleeding through the paint.

[Tom Geiger]

I don't think that you would have had that problem if you had sprayed the red plastic body SILVER  first under the primer. I've tried this method with a few different colored bodies and it works great without the colored plastic bleeding through the paint.

This was on the Lindberg Grand Caravan which has a shiny promo type plastic. So it may not have behaved as well as a standard AMT or Revell red plastic.

Funny you should mention silver  Nick.  After I soaked the body and started over, I used my Duplicolor primer gray, then a coat of Duplicolor metallic silver as that barrier coat you describe.  Then I looked at it and thought, "This doesn't look half bad in silver."   So the Caravan became silver.