Picking out the frame on a modern chassis

[Greg Myers]

Ok, I've given the chassis pan a squirt of flat black. Now how do I mask off the frame, keeping it black, to paint the rest of it ?

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Most "modern" chassis don't have separate "frames" but only "hat-section" frame rails that are spot-welded to the unibody. Everything is the same color on that type of construction.

Typical hat-section stamping, would be welded through the flanges on the edges... 

Edited November 7, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[Greg Myers]

OK, '64 GTO Pontiac ?

[Ace-Garageguy]

OK, '64 GTO Pontiac ?

A '64 Pontiac isn't exactly my definition of "modern", but that's just me.

If you have a full-frame car with the frame molded to the floor, I'd suggest some kind of liquid mask.

There are many builders here who specialize in that era of cars.

I don't, so somebody else who has the technique down needs to chime in.  

Edited November 7, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[GMCMAN52]

some guys  use masking tape and other have used silly putty as masking tape.  You can  also paint the bottom your main color and the hand brush the frame a different color

[Spex84]

I did a '59 Impala frame in gloss black once, with masking tape carefully sliced into thinner pieces to fit around the curves. It took a long time, but the results were pretty decent.

[Xingu]

You can  also paint the bottom your main color and the hand brush the frame a different color

This is how I usually do it (not that I am an expert at it) and I was told that you can use a wash on it so that it blends together a little better.

[Belugawrx]

That's what I do, spray the whole thing a grey primer, then mask the pans and spray the frame black, then a bit of grime wash,..

Not exact, but I like it

Cheers

[Ace-Garageguy]

That's what I do, spray the whole thing a grey primer, then mask the pans and spray the frame black, then a bit of grime wash,..

That's a unibody car. The "frame" members are welded in hat-sections as above, not separate.

 

 

[Greg Myers]

64 Pontiac isn't exactly my definition of "modern", but that's just me.

More modern than what I usually build, Tee buckets, Model A's Gassers  

[Mike Chernecki]

I have a couple Revell 55-57 Chevys in progress. On each I primered the entire chassis, then airbrush the frame rails semi gloss black. Masked the entire frame with different widths Tamiya tape and Jammy Dog tape. Paint the floor pan in red oxide primer. Mask off the center floor pans between the frame rails. Over spray the outside edge of the floor pan in body color. Unmask and done.

[Model Carnage]

I brush-paint the chassis on GM body-on-frame vehicles with some custom-mixed semi-gloss black, slightly thinned to be a little more runny than normal but still thick enough to cover in one pass.

GM frames were dipped in large tanks of chassis black, an asphalt-based product. It's very normal to see runs and sags on new GM chassis. Just like my brush-painted chassis.

GM light truck frames are still dipped in chassis black today. It only has to last long enough to sell the vehicle.

I also open up the body mount holes in the bottom of the frame rails but that's not an answer to your question, either.

 

 

 

[IceMan Collections]

Silly Putty maybe? You can reuse the putty plenty of times after. 

 

 

Edited November 9, 2017 by IceMan Collections

[Belugawrx]

yep that works

[Lovefordgalaxie]

I first paint the factory primer, then the paint overspray, then brush paint the actual frame.

1956 Ford Fairlane Victoria by CCCP Digital Studio, on Flickr

1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Club Victoria. by CCCP Digital Studio, on Flickr

If it's a unibody, I usually airbrush everything, and the structure is part of the actual body, and thus, painted along with it. 

1966 Fairlane 500 427 by CCCP Digital Studio, on Flickr

1962 Ford Thunderbird Convertible by CCCP Digital Studio, on Flickr

[Snake45]

Ok, I've given the chassis pan a squirt of flat black. Now how do I mask off the frame, keeping it black, to paint the rest of it ?

 

You might be surprised at how many of us just shoot the whole chassis in flat or semigloss black, call it "undercoating," and are done with it. (At least on less-than-"special" builds.) 

[Greg Myers]

Man some great stuff here. And Richard, more and more that's where I'm headed. Thanks.

[Greg Myers]

Now, on the Silly Putty, what happens to the paint on the putty when you're done ?

[ChrisBcritter]

I sprayed a whole chassis in Tamiya semi-gloss black, masked the frame with Micro Liquid Mask and hit it again with Tamiya Matt Black. Found to my chagrin that the "matt" black was identical to the semi-gloss, so I hit it with a coat of Testor's Flat Black. That worked, but I had a devil of a time removing the liquid mask with two coats of paint on it.

[Belugawrx]

Now, on the Silly Putty, what happens to the paint on the putty when you're done ?

Just roll it into the silly putty...it can be used again

[Snake45]

. And Richard, more and more that's where I'm headed. Thanks.

That was pretty much standard procedure "back in the day" and for many, many years. It was only in the late '90s or early 2000s that people started discovering the real cars often/usually had primered floor pans and black frame rails. And then modelers started trying to replicate this.

My standard procedure is to shoot the whole chassis in flat or semigloss black and then do the gas tank in flat steel and the exhausts (if molded in) in flat steel or flat aluminum. But then I only build for my own enjoyment.

[Greg Myers]

Very nice work there Túlio Lazzaroni, thank you for the inspiration. That's what i was looking for.

[dartman]

I love the silly putty masking technique,I am going to try that,thanks......

[Greg Myers]

But what happens to the paint on the putty when you're done ? 

Does it get rolled back into the putty?

Does it dissolve into the putty?

How long before the putty gets inundated with old paint becoming unusefull ?

 

[Bill Eh?]

Greg, I use a product called Blue Tac, in a similar manner to Silly Putty. The volume of paint that covers the putty is almost negligible. After you remove the putty after masking, kneading the putty will make the broken-up paint particles all but disappear. I have used the same Blue Tac now for several masking jobs. It has discoloured a bit, but is still very much usable. I hope this helps.