1949 Mercury

[joy]

Great job!

i am learning a lot

just one question, why you did not use clearcoat on your model?

some people say that in the past cars didnt have clearcoats

so for an accurate model it is not necesry, just a good polishing work

what do you think?

Sorry for my english...

Cheers!

Aldo Villegas G

Cd de México

[asco]

And here is the result after just a few rub outs. There are still some fine scratches to get rid of, but after I get done there will be none.

Chamois cloths are great as opposed to using a t-shirt or flannel as they can leave scratches after each time they are used.

Like usually, I'm asking stupid questions again... I didn't get it, how did You got rid of those scratches on the roof, did You repolish it with the polishing kit? Can it be redone after the waxing, or do the wax must be removed first?

-Sorry sir, I still feel a bit confused with this...

I just realized the roof looks like a mirror now on the newest pictures.

Oh, and I can see that Your healing gets progress, You've continued this project. Great thing to be noticed.

[MrObsessive]

Great job!

i am learning a lot

just one question, why you did not use clearcoat on your model?

some people say that in the past cars didnt have clearcoats

so for an accurate model it is not necesry, just a good polishing work

what do you think?

Sorry for my english...

Cheers!

Aldo Villegas G

Cd de México

Solid colors like this, there's no need to clear-coat. I think it's a waste of paint as there's enough hardener in the color coat itself that with enough polishing, the solid color will buff out to a brilliant shine.

Metallic colors should be clearcoated as you don't want to sand those..........the metallic flakes are not evenly suspended in the coats, and if you try to rub those out------it can lead to a swirly, mottled finish which doesn't look good at all. In some cases if you get a few dust particles, you can rub those out in metallics and then clear-coat. The only exception to this are paints that are a bit pearlescent. Those you can rub out, but clear-coat wont hide where you did this-----you have to lightly repaint the area you rubbed out.

Frankly, too much clear-coat can also give a fake, dipped in shellac look which doesn't lend itself well to a replica stock car as you mentioned. Customs though it's perfectly fine because, well it's a custom!

Like usually, I'm asking stupid questions again... I didn't get it, how did You got rid of those scratches on the roof, did You repolish it with the polishing kit? Can it be redone after the waxing, or do the wax must be removed first?

-Sorry sir, I still feel a bit confused with this...

I just realized the roof looks like a mirror now on the newest pictures.

Oh, and I can see that Your healing gets progress, You've continued this project. Great thing to be noticed.

I just keep waxing the roof with the chamois cloth until they're gone! Sometimes it can take a while, sometimes not long at all. It will all depend on how well you rub out the surface and that you don't skip any grits on the cloths. You want to work from 3200, all the way up to the 12,000 grit. Depending on how well your paint laid down in the beginning, sometimes you can start with the 3600, or 4000 and work your way up.

If you get an area that's still a little orange peeled, you can go back over that area with the cloths..........once again go through the whole sequence of cloths, not skipping any. There's no need to remove the wax if you need to do this.

Hope this helps!

[JoJo7]

You mentioned cotton swabs...I like to use the foam makeup applicators to help burnish BMF down. They look very similar to cotton swabs but have foam tips on them. They actually buff the foil as you burnish it down. Here's a pic of what I'm talking about.

Good tip about the eraser, I wouldn't have thought of that! I used to use cotton swabs for burnishing, but got tired of pulling the little strands out of the darnedest places when it came time to pull the excess off!

Edited November 9, 2009 by JoJo7

[93Z34]

Thanks for plugging along on this tutorial Bill! I HATE foiling models. I think it ranks as one of the worst things I have to do when building a model. Unfortunately, modeling 60's and earlier cars and trucks, I'm relegated to fighting the devil when it comes to foiling.

I have found that the Black Chrome BMF still does not stick well at all. I have purchased almost a dozen sheets and I have yet to find a sheet that has good adhesive. I have written off the Black Chrome foil, but have been able to use the Chrome foil without much trouble. I will be utilizing the chamois method in the future as well. I learn something new with every post you make in this thread!

[wgflatliner]

Awesome write-up Bill!

now some questions for the buffing.. i apologize in advance for the amount of questions asked. hehe

does the same sanding/polishing method work for spray paint?

when sanding, you say you start at 3200 grit, and work your way to the 12k grit.. do you put much pressure on the sand paper at all or just let the paper slide over the paint "naturally"?

What are all the increments of the sandpaper in terms of grit?

where do you get this sandpaper and for cheap?

where can i get balsam wood, how would a person use it, and what makes it so great (not asking in a sarcastic way)?

please let me know if i understand this right: you do each layer of sanding, and when you get finished with the 12k grit, you then start the liquid polish/shammie polishing and keep polishing with more wax/buffing until the scratches are gone?

do you wash the car after each layer of sanding?

you definitely have awesome tips with this write-up and will definitely make good use of them.

thanks again - now get to writing that book!

Edited November 12, 2009 by wgflatliner

[MrObsessive]

Awesome write-up Bill!

now some questions for the buffing.. i apologize in advance for the amount of questions asked. hehe

does the same sanding/polishing method work for spray paint?

If it's enamel paint no....at least not with the same effort. Enamel paints are much "softer", so you'll have to be careful how much you effort you're putting into the sanding/polishing effort. Some of the "hobby" automotive paints I've had trouble with also. I'm not a big fan of Tamiya/Testor's automotive colors as they're just too soft for my tastes and for the cost, you're better off buying and using the real deal such as Dupont, or Duplicolor, etc.

Don't get me started about the Testor's enamel spray paints.............yuck!!

when sanding, you say you start at 3200 grit, and work your way to the 12k grit.. do you put much pressure on the sand paper at all or just let the paper slide over the paint "naturally"?

Not a lot of pressure------this is something I can't describe.....one will have to get a "feel" for the cloths to get an idea of how much or how little pressure is needed.

What are all the increments of the sandpaper in terms of grit?

The cloths go in number like this-----3200, 3600, 4000, 6000, 8000, and finally 12,000 grit. If you're talking about workaday sandpaper, I use 220 for rough bodywork, followed by 400, then followed by 600 grit.

where do you get this sandpaper and for cheap?

The cloths can be picked up at any well stocked hobby shop------some sets have the foam block included which I highly recommend for flat surfaces. The regular sandpaper can be picked up at any hardware store. Don't get the kind sold in sets from the hobby shop with the plastic "backing"------it's expensive and not as versatile as getting the cheaper stuff where you can fold things up and size it as you need it.

where can i get balsam wood, how would a person use it, and what makes it so great (not asking in a sarcastic way)?

I get mine from the hobby shop-----I would guess a hardware store should have this too or maybe a craft shop. What makes Balsa wood so great? Ease of cutting into whatever shape you need for sanding. It's soft enough (and cheap enough) to be shaped into whatever curves or shape you need for getting into odd shape areas, but tough enough that it doesn't deform while using it. As far as how a person would use it-----------that's up to the builder! Some wrap sandpaper around it, some might cut it into different shapes and whatnot for whatever is needed. Ya gotta experiment with it!

please let me know if i understand this right: you do each layer of sanding, and when you get finished with the 12k grit, you then start the liquid polish/shammie polishing and keep polishing with more wax/buffing until the scratches are gone?

You got it! This is where patience comes in...........also you'll want to make sure you have enough layers of paint on the body------a good rule of thumb for me is at least 6-8 coats of paint not including primer. The key is light coats not super huge heavy coats at each spraying. Once again, it'll depend on the type of paint/color one is using. You'll see some of the color come off on your chamois cloth as you're polishing........I wouldn't get crazed about it as this is normal and if your paint is durable enough (such as Krylon), it should hold up to the polishing.

do you wash the car after each layer of sanding?

If I'm using the water, I'll take a paper towel and wipe away the residue after each grit of the cloth. This keeps a check of the progress I'm making.

you definitely have awesome tips with this write-up and will definitely make good use of them.

thanks again - now get to writing that book!

Thanks for asking! Feel free to ask any more questions if you'd like!

[wgflatliner]

thanks!

one more question i just thought of:

if a person is using a metallic flake color, do they spray the clear, and then do the polishing, and how many coats of clear would be recommended??

[MrObsessive]

thanks!

one more question i just thought of:

if a person is using a metallic flake color, do they spray the clear, and then do the polishing, and how many coats of clear would be recommended??

Metallics can be very lightly sanded------note that's VERY LIGHTLY! I've seen folks trying to rub out and polish metallic paint only for the paint to have a swirly, uneven look to the paint. That's because the metallic flakes are not evenly suspended in the paint, so when you rub out a metallic you're not hitting the flakes evenly-----kinda shaving some of the flakes at their "edges" so to speak.

Now I have rubbed out metallics in the past-------my '69 Dodge Daytona Charger which was painted Hemi Orange (posted in another thread), was rubbed out and polished with no clear-coat. The difference is that color has a very subtle hint of metallic (gold flakes) so I was able to get away with that.

So yes, if there are any dusties in your metallic paint, very lightly rub them out, clear-coat, and then rub out and polish. As I mentioned in another page of this thread, the only exception might be paints that have some pearl in them. Putting clear-coat won't cover up where you sanded (it can change the hue)------you'll need to very lightly spray that area again and then clear-coat.

How many coats of clear? I can't answer that as there can be too many variables to what you're using...............type of paint, color, method, etc. One of my strong recommendations when someone is fairly new to doing this is.......TEST, TEST, TEST, and Test again! Too many builders try something new on a project when they're a novice and end up frustrated because they haven't got the skill down pat yet.

Hope this helps!

[JayC]

Great tutorial, Bill! I've bookmarked this thread because by the time I do another car I will probably forget what I read. I'm beginning work on the USS Constitution. That's gonna take me a while. Anyway, the car looks great so far. Seeing the foiling process makes me cringe somewhat. I came to quickly realize foiling is not fun. I've learned, too, that a new #11 X-Acto blade is mandatory. I thought my older blade work work. I botched my first foil that way. It's very maddening to be about halfway done on a narrow piece of trim to have it completely tear due to an old blade! I tried using a cotton ball and don't really care for that. There are too many fibers left behind. I prefer the Q-tip. It wasn't as bad and is more precise. Even though foiling is about as much fun as getting a tooth pulled with no pain reliever, you can't argue with the results. It just looks great.

[MrObsessive]

I wanted to show you guys the completed body now that it's all BMF'd and such-------but Mr. Murphy paid a visit and I ended up snapping one of the rear window dividers in half!

I was able to get it back together, and right now the glue is drying. I have to file it down carefully so the split isn't seen, and BMF the divider again............ahhhhh such is modeling!

Here's the latest of what I've got so far.........

Here's the primer I'm using to simulate red oxide primer. A lot of American cars from the '40's (maybe earlier) through the '70's had red oxide primer as a base on chassis floors.

This particular brand of Rustoleum is pretty decent as it dries very quickly, although I did let it sit overnight before I handled it to be sure.

I pretty much spray bombed the chassis floor............I didn't feel like decanting the spray into an airbrush jar, as the spray nozzle wasn't that yucky "fan spray" which is annoying.

After the primer was dried sufficiently, I hand painted the frame rails with water based acrylic Polly Scale "Engine Black". Good stuff as it is not a total flat, but not really a semi gloss either like Tamiya's paint for instance.

It's great for simulating vinyl roofs or interiors for that matter.

The brush I used I think is a 2-00, although I can't be sure as I've had my brushes so long, the markings have worn off. I just go with what looks sufficient when it comes to brush painting.

The frame rails are all painted---------one thing I did do was mask off each section with Tamiya tape as shown in the pic above. It takes a while, but it's much worth it in the end for appearance.

Okay, here's a step that can be a pain in the tush, but it's very important for getting a clean look to chassis components.

You DEFINITELY want to file down any mold lines on even the little things such as these shocks. If you're ever planning to enter a judged show, the judges will notice if you've missed this step!

One thing I did do but forgot to take photos was fill in the small dimples with a home made "plastic putty". It's too much work to mix up body putty to fill in small dimples and such, so I took a bunch of scrap plastic, put it in an empty Tamiya thinner jar, and then poured some Ambroid over the plastic.

Let it sit overnight, and then in the morning had a nice melted goo which I took a little bit and filled in those dimples.

Once the plastic was hardened up, I just filed it down to shape and it's good to go!

Afterward, I painted the shocks with Tamiya white primer.

When I want to paint chassis parts a glossy black, IMO nothing beats Model Car World's lacquer black! I don't know what kind of thinner Dave uses, but I've found that you can spray the paint directly on the plastic without primer, and it will not eat into the plastic!

This saves some time-------however, if you've sanded away any mold lines or whatnot, you'll want to follow the steps I previously described earlier in this thread to keep them from reappearing.

Here's the axle airbrushed with the black------along with the springs painted with Alclad Steel.

The model has working steering which is nice, but it never seems to fail that the tie rod never wants to stay in place no matter how well they snap onto the kingpin end.

We'll have to fix that..............

Stay tuned................

[MrObsessive]

I lit up a candle and put my X-acto blade over the flame--------heated it up for a spell and then..................

Heat swaged the pin down just a scooch to form a "head". Now that tie rod's goin' nowhere!

Moving on to the exhaust, I used Alclad aluminum airbrushed on.............I did cover this exhaust pipe and the muffler with Future before painting as there were prominent mold lines present that were sanded away.

Once again a pain in the tush, but needs to be done!

Gas tank was painted the same............

And here she is with a nice clean chassis! The drive shaft was painted Engine Black as well after its mold lines were sanded away.

Now it's on to the interior............I got some good detail shots off a car that was sold on eBay recently. This will come in handy to getting the interior colors mostly right.

Thanks for tuning in!

[Smart-Resins]

Still great work as usual. Only one thing I am surprised at, that you did not fill in the sink marks on the side of the front frame? LOL. Yes, I know when its sitting on the shelf, no one will see it! LOL. Jody

[MrObsessive]

Good catch Jody! I'm trying to speed things along as I have another buildup/tutorial coming along right after this one! It's the mold lines and such on axles and exhausts that drive me the craziest, even though this will never see a contest table most likely.

The interior which I'm about to leap into I'm going to do a bit different being that it's a tub type. I truly hate painting these types of interiors so some slicing and dicing is in the works.

It's a technique someone else described in another thread, but I'm going to go through it step by step for those that also hate painting tub interiors.

[Smart-Resins]

yes as detailed as you get, I can tell two things. yes, your hurrying through it. But alls, you are also doing the major basics for the beginners. Wich is tha main thing! LOl. Jody

[Harold]

Looking good, Bill. I'm thankful for this tutorial, because it's nice to go back and revisit the basics from time to time. We all become so set in our ways, that sometimes we forget how we got there . Keep up the good work.

[Longbow]

Say Bill,what &where are the sink marks that smart-resins noted?

[MikeMc]

The interior which I'm about to leap into I'm going to do a bit different being that it's a tub type. I truly hate painting these types of interiors so some slicing and dicing is in the works.

It's a technique someone else described in another thread, but I'm going to go through it step by step for those that also hate painting tub interiors.

I've heard of cuttin a rug but never cuttin a tub

Bring it on Bill!!!

[MrObsessive]

Say Bill,what &where are the sink marks that smart-resins noted?

There's one on the inside of each frame rail, behind where the front wheels would be. I didn't focus as much on the frame itself as the body because once the wheels and whatnot are on, (and as he said once it's sitting on the shelf) it won't be seen.

If you look at the pic below, you can see the one sink mark on the inside of the right frame rail next to the engine.

A bit shallow, but there just the same.

[Dr. Cranky]

BEAUTIFUl!!!

[Tony T]

Wow, that is a great looking chassis! Hope Mr. Murphy has moved on!

[Fisher61]

Good catch Jody! I'm trying to speed things along as I have another buildup/tutorial coming along right after this one! It's the mold lines and such on axles and exhausts that drive me the craziest, even though this will never see a contest table most likely.

The interior which I'm about to leap into I'm going to do a bit different being that it's a tub type. I truly hate painting these types of interiors so some slicing and dicing is in the works.

It's a technique someone else described in another thread, but I'm going to go through it step by step for those that also hate painting tub interiors.

Thanks for starting this tutorial Bill, even a long time modeler can learn a lot here! I'll be watching with great interest when you attack the interior tub, my 48 year old fingers get real clumsy when I try to foil a door panel in a tub! Thanks again for posting your work!

[charlie8575]

Bill:

1. Hope you're feeling better.

2. You learned why I've tended to stick to model cars and trains, books and my 1:1 car over women, regardless I'm sorry to hear about what happened.

3. I'm really enjoying this and picking up some good ideas. I'm very glad you did this.

4. To continue beating a dead horse, one of the problems I admit to is no matter how careful I am, I always seem to end up with orange peel. On metallic paints (which, until recently, nobody ever said to me not to polish,) what have you found is an acceptable solution? I've usually used something like Soft-Scrub for doing a light buffing, but I'm looking for the Tamiya fine-grit polishing compound or something like that.

Charlie Larkin

[MrObsessive]

To continue beating a dead horse, one of the problems I admit to is no matter how careful I am, I always seem to end up with orange peel.

Charlie, while there's probably no clear cut answer to your trouble, you might want to check your thinner to paint ratio when airbrushing. It's hard to describe here in text, but I like to thin my paint to where when I swill the jar around, the paint leaves a slight film on the inside of the jar before it settles.

I guess the old "consistency of milk" adage comes into play here------that's pretty much what I try to shoot for. Also how far away are you holding the model when spraying? For me, no more than six inches or so is sufficient. Too far away, and the paint is drying almost before it hits the surface, and thus making the orange peel appearance.

The type of thinner makes a difference too. Most of the time I'm using acrylic enamels for paint. I've found that acetone (readily attainable in the hardware store) is better at cutting acrylic enamel than lacquer thinner.

Lacquer thinner cuts it, but I notice inside the jar when the paint is "washing away", there are tiny particles of paint clinging on the inside of the jar. Almost as if the lacquer thinner didn't dissolve those little particles. The acetone cuts right through that completely.

Hope this helps!

[Bruce Poage]

What a fabulous tutorial. I've been building since--Highway Pioneers and learn something new everyday. You spoke quite highly of the polishing cloths. What is your opinion/observation of the pads that can be used for the same purpose?

On this day I give thanks to God for the time, resources and support I have to pursue this fun hobby. Please pass the turkey