Dragonhawk1066

That is a beautifully smooth paint job!

I got some clear on both bodies this morning. They're not super shiny, but it's only the initial coat before BMF and decals, and they weren't miles deep in clear back in '70 anyways. I got my decals in from Keith Marks, but I think I'm going to have to wait a couple of weeks to order another set because the size script I need has only one of each color on the sheet. I also got the chassis pans painted red after research showed that they were indeed red, at least on the 90% or so I saw on google, and I sprayed the wheels in Vallejo Aluminum. Hopefully tomorrow I can wire the engines and get some dash detailing done.

That really turned out great! The GSX stripes are a perfect contrast, great choice of wheels with the red stripe on the outside edge of the rim, and the red steering wheel and shifter grip are perfect touches!

There's something you don't see every day! Very nice and Very cool!

Very nice! I really like the color you ended up with!

Man that laid down nice, and I love the color!! I spray my craft paints at 20 psi give or take a couple, and I'm a little closer when I spray, at about 4-6 inches. Obviously your method works very well for you! I'd be very curious what the gold decals would look like on that blue. I might be tempted to put a couple on to see, lol.

That's exactly why I use them. If I want to build in the winter, I'm using craft and acrylic paints. The wife and son are very sensitive to the solvent based spray cans, so if I do any painting it's water based paints through my airbrush. I do still use spray cans, but only in the warm months and out in the shed, lol.

Thanks guys! Thanks Mike, it's really just all about getting the right consistency. I knew better on the first try that it was a little thick. I over-compensated on the second one and it was too thin. The third started too thin, then I added a little more paint and got it just right. I don't know if they need it, but I'm giving them a couple of days before a coat or two of clear so I can foil and decal them. As you just learned, I don't think the lacquer and enamel clearing after paint window applies to craft paint, especially depending on the clear. I am going to use this Gloss Varnish instead of Pledge for these, which I think is very similar to Vallejo and even Createx gloss varnishes/clears. I've used it before with great results and it can even be wet sanded after a couple of days. Patience is my worst trait as well, but that Mustang looks great and I've seen your other work, so I think you have the body painting thing down more than you realize.

So I got the white sprayed on Monday and it turned out quite well. I'm pretty happy with it, and now just have to make sure nothing stupid happens to ruin the paint before I can get a coat or two of clear on it (white paint shows everything!!). After the second botched blue paint job, also on Monday, I'm happy to say the third time's the charm. I ended up thinning it with windshield washer fluid, and after a too thin first coat, managed to get the perfect consistency and the paint job looks great (at least to me, lol). Now to protect this on until I can clear it as well, lol.

I did give the Decoart one more try and thinned with windshield washer fluid. I tested it on a spare hood and it came out wonderfully, so onto the car it went. Third time was the charm! I had been working on color mixtures, and thinning with Pledge last month with great success, but I just couldn't seem to get the ratio right on this one.

Well, after spending a few minutes on the hood I decided not to bother saving the blue paint job either. So into a container of warm water it went for a few hours. One of the great things about craft paint, strip it in some water, or at worst LA's Totally Awesome and just peel and scrub the paint off with a toothbrush. I'm pretty sure I know what I did wrong, so here's hoping for better results tomorrow or Tuesday. Did you use the Deco Art? I used it on the Mustang model in progress and did'nt like how it looked so used some Anita's Metallic Black Craft I had previously and it went on smoother and actually with a bit of gloss. Yes, I did use the Decoart, I've had really good results with it before this. I liked the Anita's too. I've been thinning the Metallics with Pledge and that usually levels and glosses pretty good, I just didn't thin either color enough, my own dumb mistake. That Mustang looks great too!

I got the bodies painted yesterday, sort of, lol. The white didn't cover over the light gray primer very well, so into the sink it went with some warm water and a toothbrush to take it back down to primer. I then sprayed a coat of white primer over the light gray and will wet sand it today and re-paint hopefully Monday. The blue on the other hand covered very well, but has a bit of a texture to it. I'll work on that today or tomorrow and see if I can save it. I'm pretty sure I can, but we'll see.

Very well done! I agree, that is a nice kit. I built one back in the late 80's/early 90's, and definitely need to pick up one or two of the newly re-released kits.

Very nice! That Purplicious is a really nice color! I'm pretty sure I would never be able to complete a 24 hr. build, let alone have it come out as fantastic as yours.

Looking mighty fine so far, Mike! How'd you like the craft paint? Looks like it laid down pretty good for ya.

Got the interiors painted today. A custom mixture for the blue, and some semi-gloss black for the other. I had previously drilled the small holes on the steering wheel spokes. I also painted the engines and transmissions and the gas tanks. I might get the bodies painted tomorrow, then onto all of the detail painting.

Looks awesome!

I went back to Hobby Lobby today to take advantage of their 40% off all model kits for what could be the last time, who knows. Personally, I think even though they are doing away with the 40% off one item coupon, they might only plan to lower the percentage savings similar to what Michaels did by going down to 20%. They could even continue to run specific % off sales on certain categories like they always have, maybe just not as often. We'll see at the end of February. It doesn't really matter anyways, unless they get more stock in, at least at the Flint, Mi. store, as the selection hasn't changed or been re-stocked in at least a couple of months. Pretty slim pickin's there lately.

That looks great, I love the colors!

Very nice!

Looks good! Great color!

I got my spraygunner.com (they have great prices and quick shipping) order in today. Createx Reducer, Retarder, Balancing Clear and Gloss Clear as well as a couple more Pearlized colors, Tangerine and Turquoise. I also got some ebay orders in, four sets of Pegasus Wheels from Burbanks House of Hobbies, and the '29 Ford Roadster flame masks by New York Speed Shop, sold by iceman collections. I also re-upped some supplies from amazon, 400 double tipped swabs, 300 6 in. long bamboo double tipped swabs, 100 eyeliner brushes for fine details, 120 foam make-up applicators for burnishing BMF, a 10 pc. metal file assortment, wet/dry sandpaper 20 piece 400-10000 grit assortment, 100 medicine cups for paint mixing, a 3-pk of 6 mm. Tamiya Tape, and a 30 ml Molotow Chrome refill for airbrushing the stuff.

A little more progress made on the Firebirds. I stripped the chrome off the wheels and alternator/power steering pump assemblies using LA's Totally Awesome for about 24 hours. It's weird that the chrome from one of the kits was a little more stubborn coming off and required another 24 hr. bath. I mixed up a batch of Stynylrez primer in an airbrush bottle using mostly white with 5-10 drops of black for a light gray. It's better and easier for me to gauge coverage this way, as white on white is too hard for me to see where there's coverage. It should also be light enough to spray the white paint over without too much trouble. In continuing my love/hate relationship with Stynylrez, the black primer for the chassis and other parts gave me some clotting problems, even when thinned. Hopefully it's just this batch, as my first batch of the white/gray/black worked very well. I'm also expecting to be able to finally try my other airbrush, a cheap dual-action purchased on ebay last year. I had not been able to try it yet due to needing a quick connect fitting for the air hose and for my Paasche H airbrush. I have both now, but still need a 1/8 to 1/4 inch adapter for the air hose. Why can't airbrush companies make their fittings the same size, lol??? Anyways, everything's primed and awaiting paint. More adventures soon, lol.

Keith, that looks fantastic!! I really like the gold stripes on that beautiful maroon paint job!

Nice! I do like the color!