Painting Questions

[TheSDTrucker]

What is the best way to paint the cabs, frames, and engines on these kits? Do you sand them and prime them, or what all do you do? I would like to know before I start painting my projects so it can turn out good.

[PettyKW43]

What is the best way to paint? My guess is   10 different ways from 10 different people. I restore and customize cars for a living and in my line of work there are many different ways to achieve the same goal. But I will attempt my answer . In following your posts you are building a lot of commercial trucks and as such here is the method I use , my current build is a Kenworth K125 Australian Road Train (4tankers) The chassis is assembled almost complete ( less fuel tanks , rear fenders, engine and trans and wheels and tires and fifth wheel). I have primed it as a unit after all sanding and filling . The same for all 4 tankers. I will paint the chassis unit ( purple , tank frames as well) . Cab shell and tank bodies will be multi color so  light color to dark, then clear as an assembly, . It depends on what type of paint you are using, hobby enamels I will use over bare cleaned plastic, but automotive paint needs  an automotive primer or you will have a bad case of crazing plastic. I do tend to prime everything for paint coverage and adhesion, you end up using less paint in the long run . Any questions please ask , it’s hard to make up a general way to do it, every project has different variables! Been at this for 50+ years 

[TheSDTrucker]

On 10/1/2018 at 6:27 PM, PettyKW43 said:

What is the best way to paint? My guess is   10 different ways from 10 different people. I restore and customize cars for a living and in my line of work there are many different ways to achieve the same goal. But I will attempt my answer . In following your posts you are building a lot of commercial trucks and as such here is the method I use , my current build is a Kenworth K125 Australian Road Train (4tankers) The chassis is assembled almost complete ( less fuel tanks , rear fenders, engine and trans and wheels and tires and fifth wheel). I have primed it as a unit after all sanding and filling . The same for all 4 tankers. I will paint the chassis unit ( purple , tank frames as well) . Cab shell and tank bodies will be multi color so  light color to dark, then clear as an assembly, . It depends on what type of paint you are using, hobby enamels I will use over bare cleaned plastic, but automotive paint needs  an automotive primer or you will have a bad case of crazing plastic. I do tend to prime everything for paint coverage and adhesion, you end up using less paint in the long run . Any questions please ask , it’s hard to make up a general way to do it, every project has different variables! Been at this for 50+ years 

Wow that's a lot of information! Thank you so much for your advice. I am going to start a GMC Astro soon and I didn't want to ruin it with a bad paint job.

[JerseeJerry55]

6 hours ago, TheSDTrucker said:

Wow that's a lot of information! Thank you so much for your advice. I am going to start a GMC Astro soon and I didn't want to ruin it with a bad paint job.

Brenden,

Depends I guess on a few variables. Such as the type of climate you live in? Where I am in NJ humidity is always a major concern. The only thing I know about the weather in South Dakota it's generally cold, and snowy. Additionally do you use use an airbrush, or rattle can's? I have an airbrush but have never used it. Because I am part as stubborn as a mule, part I don't have a compressor, part I have to clean it, part I have been using rattle cans since the early 1970's. Next would be which paint medium are you comfortable with. Good old enamel? Acrylic's? Lacquers? I use either lacquer (Tamiya, Testor's) or enamel (Rustoleum, Krylon, Testor's) which is dependent on what finish do I want. Work trucks (fleet unit's) I generally use enamel's. For owner operator type units (Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner), or classic car's I like lacquers. Hope this helps you somewhat.

[Mike77]

I paint basically the same way RIchard does. I've used rattle cans all my life with satisfaction and at my age I don't see a reason to dive into airbrushing. I always use Duplicolor paints whenever possible, and I always use primer.

One tip is that if you're unsure of anything paint a test piece. Either an unused kit part or a piece of styrene stock is preferable so that you're using the type of plastic you'll eventually be painting.

[TheSDTrucker]

2 hours ago, JerseeJerry55 said:

Brenden,

Depends I guess on a few variables. Such as the type of climate you live in? Where I am in NJ humidity is always a major concern. The only thing I know about the weather in South Dakota it's generally cold, and snowy. Additionally do you use use an airbrush, or rattle can's? I have an airbrush but have never used it. Because I am part as stubborn as a mule, part I don't have a compressor, part I have to clean it, part I have been using rattle cans since the early 1970's. Next would be which paint medium are you comfortable with. Good old enamel? Acrylic's? Lacquers? I use either lacquer (Tamiya, Testor's) or enamel (Rustoleum, Krylon, Testor's) which is dependent on what finish do I want. Work trucks (fleet unit's) I generally use enamel's. For owner operator type units (Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner), or classic car's I like lacquers. Hope this helps you somewhat.

Thank you for the reply! South Dakota (especially around this time of year) is mostly cool and humid in the fall and spring, with cold snowy winters and hot, humid summers. As far as I know, isn't the recommended temperature for painting 70ish? How good are those one coat lacquers? I've seen them in the Hobby Lobby here but I haven't tried one yet. I also noticed the grey primer for models, I want to say it's Testors. Is this the kind you recommend? Lastly, what about interior colors? What types of paint to do use for those?

[TheSDTrucker]

2 hours ago, Mike77 said:

I paint basically the same way RIchard does. I've used rattle cans all my life with satisfaction and at my age I don't see a reason to dive into airbrushing. I always use Duplicolor paints whenever possible, and I always use primer.

One tip is that if you're unsure of anything paint a test piece. Either an unused kit part or a piece of styrene stock is preferable so that you're using the type of plastic you'll eventually be painting.

Thank you for the tip! I do have some scraps laying around that I'll be sure to test on.

[PettyKW43]

I live due north in Winnipeg Manitoba, climate here is the same as South Dakota, when it’s high in humidity, I don’t paint , I wait till the humidity is down , it really doesn’t matter what paint you are using, prep is the most important part and making sure where you spray is clean and dry. I use air brushing, rattle cans and a full size spray gun depending on what I am working on ! Usually I prime everything, it does make a difference for coverage!

[TheSDTrucker]

4 minutes ago, PettyKW43 said:

I live due north in Winnipeg Manitoba, climate here is the same as South Dakota, when it’s high in humidity, I don’t paint , I wait till the humidity is down , it really doesn’t matter what paint you are using, prep is the most important part and making sure where you spray is clean and dry. I use air brushing, rattle cans and a full size spray gun depending on what I am working on ! Usually I prime everything, it does make a difference for coverage!

Do you clean your parts with anything before painting?

[PettyKW43]

11 hours ago, TheSDTrucker said:

Wow that's a lot of information! Thank you so much for your advice. I am going to start a GMC Astro soon and I didn't want to ruin it with a bad paint job.

I look forward to seeing your project come together, the Astro was one of my favourite kits and have built a few in my time ! As with all AMT kits, test fit and prep are most important. Again do the main assembly of the chassis, engine etc then paint in sub assemblies!

[PettyKW43]

Not always, maybe I have been lucky in the last 50 years but I have mostly been building old AMT kits and never had a problem. But I will add that by the time I am done with most assemblies any residue that might be there is gone. However, it goes back to primer of all my parts , if on the first pass with primer I see edges of the plastic peaking through then I know that I should wash everything. I use plain old dish soap for that purpose, and have been doing it more these days since I have been using some of the Round 2 reissues . Most of the kits I am working with are 40+ years old and I don’t worry as much.

[PettyKW43]

If you do run into any trouble after application of paint throw the painted parts into a bath of Castrol Super Clean , works great and if you are wanting to remove chrome plating this is by far the best solution to use. You can leave parts in the stuff for days, it won’t hurt the plastic and it cleans it right to bare plastic.

[TheSDTrucker]

On 10/6/2018 at 11:24 AM, PettyKW43 said:

If you do run into any trouble after application of paint throw the painted parts into a bath of Castrol Super Clean , works great and if you are wanting to remove chrome plating this is by far the best solution to use. You can leave parts in the stuff for days, it won’t hurt the plastic and it cleans it right to bare plastic.

Haha, its lucky that I have some then. I've used it to degrease engines before, and I've heard it does wonders on "fixing" the AMT chrome. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thank you for all the tips!