Dave G.

Many of these out there I suspect are the same ones rebadged. Like x amount of models but two dozen names lol I'm not sure any of them get bad reviews at Amazon, people seem to like most of them. I think Point Zero tend to be one brand of supplies like this who discerns a bit and has decent QC, researches manufacturers to put out a decent product for instance. I've seen Ophir listed at Amazon in the past, I may even have considered one along the way.

Which brand are these ? I know there are a bunch out there like them.

Well Craig, too we ( the wife and I) grew up in an era where hobby paints were solvent based and early acrylic paints not so great. That and we ran an auto body shop for a bunch of years. Actually it's me more than the wife who has a certain intolerance to especially lacquer fumes. She likes the stuff ! Enamel doesn't bother me so much but I use as much acrylic as I can. Sometimes like with a classic car kit it's mighty tough to pass on enamel though. I'm building a 1/16 scale 1911 Mercer runabout now. I did test paints for this build and Model Master enamel won out. Almost went with Tamiya acrylic though but that enamel just had the look without clear coating.. A lot of people use booths like those, how do you like them ? Oops,never mind that, you said they work for you !

It would take a combination of exact circumstances to get the concentrations from model airbrushing high enough to burn, actually explode is more the term. It's a flash fire. I know of one incident, the guy decided his shop vac would make a good evacuation system. Well he collected fumes in a 30 gal closed container and flipped the switch on essentially, and it blew up burning the side of his face and breaking a bone in his arm. No, the idea is to move the fumes out quickly not collect them. In 1/1 painting in spray rooms we always had fans and heat sources already running before shooting any paint. But with model airbrushes in an open room you would be really hard pressed to get the fuel air ratio high enough to blow. Spray cans maybe, they put out more over spray and I've read where some are propelled with propane. Even so if you have a running evac system going ( and not through a container lol) then start spraying is key. This is my experience in 60 years of spray painting, from models to 1/1, commercial painting and now back to models again, wood working as well. But each person needs to evaluate their own situation and safety for themselves and family. But I've put some pretty heavy over spray out through various kinds of evac fans over the years, 100% sure not all were sealed for explosion. Regardless of your system, have it running when you start spraying is key. Don't let a bunch of fumes and particles build up then decide to flip a switch on.

The real heart beat of Donn's system is an exhaust fan installed in a basement window ( yah I know it's a sheet rocked room, so are most rooms). He sprays mostly enamels and the fan draws the fumes outside. Very very old school but most folks today wouldn't want to be in the room with the fumes till they got drawn out. Obviously you use a respirator ( I see where good ones are down to about $12 these days, we used to pay $60 or more). A spray booth can be rigged up the same way and you don't sit in the room with the fumes, the fumes are in the booth and drawn out from there. The way Donn does it is how most of us did it not so long ago ( Talking about the fan and in the grand scheme of eternity a few decades is not long ago). You can stuff an exhaust fan in a window (shroud it right) of any room and do the same thing. You spray near that fan the fumes are going outside. You put the proper venting on a spray booth the fumes are going outside. If you got a spare room then all the better ( I spray in the kitchen presently and my wife doing her nails stinks up the house more than my model painting with a booth). Not being confrontational, just sayin. FWIW I have a shed and a basement, the kitchen for me is more convenient, plus the coffee can be brewing as I work at 4 am or 5 pm.

However you get it stripped you then need to pickle the metal ( white vinegar will work and rinse with distilled water) and prime with a zink based primer before painting. Zink Chromate is best but zink phosphate will work too. Or a self etching primer should work. Avoiding these steps will lead you back to what already occurred, peeling paint.

I'm not qualified to speak on Vallejo primer but all the comparison tests and reviews lead me to Stynylrez instead and I'm glad for it, been using it nearly exclusively for two years now with no fails. Stynylrez is very good primer. I believe though that Vallejo needs no thinning as I recall, someone more familiar with it can confirm that hopefully.

I'm sure it will be fine, you're not gonna beat on it like the circle track guys did back when I was a kid and at that they didn't do all that bad really in terms of finishing races.

A 216 splash engine with twin carbs must put out about 96 hp flat out for about six minutes then blow up lol ! Sorry, couldn't resist ! Still all in all good stuff. They were great little engines but not much to work with for hot rodding, people tried anyway. BTW 6.5-1 compression ratio !

You could grab a caddy engine from the AMT 49 Ford coupe kit too or an Olds from the 40 Ford Sedan for that matter ( even has a blower option with that one or injected I think). Nail Head Buick from the AMT 40 Ford coupe. Just some thoughts. Someone on the forum probably has a few of these kickin around.

Good to know it's ready to spray. Thanks.

Does it come pre thinned or do they sell thinner separately ?

I didn't know this. Too bad, the thinner is decent in at least a few acrylic paints ( the airbrushes should have gone for what they get for them long ago imo). But I suspect US Art Supply acrylic thinner may work too. I haven't tried it yet though so don't quote me on that. I mostly use my own thinner I make up for most craft paints anyway but DecoArt is the problem child and so happens DecoArt has some nice colors. If Aztek is going out then I'll get to work right away on a substitute thinner to use in DecoArt craft paints.

IPA is isopropyl alcohol.

It's going to be a little fussier than a rattle can on distance and speed of your passes. I mix it just short of 1/1 for straight up clear @ around 24 psi with a Paasche H and medium nozzle (.6). The more factory look ( less wet look) is 110-115% thinner, so a bit thinner than 1/1 ratio and I shoot that between 20 and 24 psi. Again it's the distance and speed of pass that you want to nail down , so get yourself a good test subject before you go painting a model with it. That said it won't be as prone to hazing in humid weather as lacquer can be. I've shot this stuff as high as 26-27 psi fwiw. And I put it down real wet with the nozzle pretty opened up. For what ever airbrush youo use you may need to tweak but this is how it works for me with the H. I use lacquer too, sometimes even Rustoleum gloss lacquer. I have used Liquitex varnish and also Pledge. Right now I'm on the X-22 kick,I like what I'm getting without going to what I consider dangerous K2 clears.. Years ago I used to clear with enamels, all of which yellowed eventually, so now I try to avoid those. Good luck with it and if you want to get into details while you mess with it just shoot me a pm. I'll help best I can.

Something I find works for me with nail polish is a 50/50 blend of lacquer thinner and xylene ( I use Klean Strip hardware store variety), then thin the nail polish with that around 50/50 also. You will get less dry effect and sometimes more gloss. Nail polish also can be put on with pretty low pressure which makes it go on wetter too. And finally shooting distance from the subject matters. Get all those things right and you can get a pretty natural looking buffed finish without clear coat. Or clear coat if desired. I make my own thinner for Folkart and apple Barrel craft paints too. You can use straight IPA too. Also Aztek thinner does fairly well with them, or a blend of it and alcohol too ( helps leveling though it shoots on a bit funky, levels beautifully). Aztek thinner works in DecoArt craft paint but don't ever put any alcohol in Decoart. My thinner blend works in Martha Steward and Craft Smart craft paints. Beyond these I have not experimented with craft paints, oh except Color Technic ( not my favorite). Right now my clear of choice is Tamiya X-22 acrylic clear thinned with lacquer thinner. It makes for a very clear clear. Or you can thin it a bit extra and get a more traditional production looking clear. I use varnish and Pledge too, just depends what I painting or what my intent is. Not all clears are for automotive final finish.

Wow, never had anything like that happen with Stynylrez fwiw.

64 that tractor is awesome !

Badger Stynylrez is a superior poly acrylic primer to Vallejo. Right off the bat it has a shorter recoat window, is more sandable and it sticks better. It's nearly as good as a solvent based primer with 0 stink factor. If you're going to buy an acrylic primer I suggest you buy it rather than Vallejo. It's the only primer I use anymore ( for about two years now). Vallejo primer needs 24 hour dry time if you end up going with that fwiw.

Just a suggestion, you don't have to listen to me: Lose the windex in your mix and mix your IPA with 60% distilled water instead. If you have some retarder, mix in a few drops of that ( ends tip dry helps leveling). Assuming the paint is good and not old and lumpy this will spray fine ( if it is old a lumpy you can get a new bottle for around $.80 at Walmart or $1.40 minus a coupon at Micheals so it won't break the bank) . Try it, it works very well. If you have some Aztek thinner, mix the solution I mentioned 50/50 with that then thin, this will increase flow out and gloss if it is satin or gloss FolkArt ( lays down different initially though). The same thinners for Aapple Barrel paints. I have these two brands spraying as nice as some model paints. Don't let alcohol anywhere near DecoArt paints when thinning, instant gel. Again just a suggestion but I know this works and works well.

Depends what I'm clearing, you didn't specify that.

That may not be a universal time in all climates. I've seen lacquer flash off in ten minutes and also seen wet or softer pockets in 30 depending on weather and depth of coats. And that's just flash off, says nothing for being dry down to the painted structure. It could still be out gassing in an hour. Course the above says nothing about force drying in a cooker or using a hair dryer.

As good as my eyes are at pushing 70 yo, a little coat of glue painting the tips silver would serve fine for clips lol. I just need the allusion or suggestion at this stage of the game.

You could hog out that stove pipe that is standing there and dead head your wires into it. Then run just short leads out the side of the channel to each plug. Skinny wires, 5mm with L shaped clips, no boots on the spark plugs, originally anyway. Curious, Which 32 Chrysler kit are you building ?

I clean my mixing bottles as I go, each time I paint. For enamel I use lacquer thinner and it just swishes right out and or wipes off. If you let em sit and get caked up with paint it might take more work. But I don't do that personally.