LoneWolf15

Dave , I don't use primer as a rule , with standard colors , I simply shoot the color directly onto the bare plastic . I do however , prep my bodies by sanding all the way up to 12000 under cold running water . When it comes to pearls or metallics , I use Testors aluminum metallizer . I sand the body the same way , wash it , blow it dry with compressed air , shoot the metallizer on , 30 seconds later , I'm applying my color coats . When I do use primer , I use the Testors cut at a 2 to 1 ratio with cheap laquer thinner . I only use the primer if I have done extensive repairs or body work to the model's body . It goes on thin , drys quick and tight with no loss of detail .

Air compressor , a must have ! Running low on pressure in the middle of a sweep will cause the airbrush to spit paint or simply sputter . Terrible way to ruin an otherwise pristine finish . You should also have at least one good inline moisture trap , it goes a long way towards preventing unwanted oil and water from marring a beautiful finish !

I never do . Virgil hit the nail on the head . This especially holds true for show builds . Stuff happens ! You just might need to go back in to replace an interior piece , replace the glass , maybe to add a part that you inadvertently left out the first time around . Tough to do if it's all glued together !

Virgil , Breath , Son , deep breaths ! Lol ! Yep ! It is addicting ! Tomorrow is my day for it , Jack Bouman is coming in from York Pa. In the morning to paint in the booth with me . Do me a favor , Doc ! Hide the package that the DVDs came in so your Honey can't track me down and brain me with a skillet . If she finds that return address , I'm hurtin' for certain ! Just out of curiosity , besides trips to the hobby shop , have you even left your shop ? You know , sleep , eat , etc ! I can't bust on you too much for this , I'm guilty as charged . This is why there is not a clock in the shop , time has noooo relevance when I'm in there ! I love the smell of enamel in the morning ! You , Sir , are now officially , enamel corrupted ! Ain't it grand ? Lol !

Scotch tape will pull decals off without hurting the finish . Left over decal glue residue can either be wiped off with a dampened soft cloth or lightly polished out with Novus 2.

Doc , Please explain this to our buddy Mike ! Tell him it doesn't hurt and no harm can come to him ! Lol ! Mikey .... Go to the light. ! Enamels , enamels , Mmmmn ! Preeeetttyyyyy , Shhiiinnnnyyy ! Doggone it ! Where's Crazy Jim when I need him ?????

Hmmmn ! What this thing you call " mind " ? I seem to have lost touch with that apparatus long , long ago ! You are correct , the possibilities are truly endless ! I promised myself that I would hit the booth over the next 3 days and just paint my behind off . The bodies are prepped and ready to go and so am I ! NNL East is going to see a complete color spectrum come next April , sunglasses will be a must have accessory ! The Pearl X glitter pearls caught my attention the other day , a bit of sifting to obtain the smaller flake , who knows ? Might be another new venue to play with that has endless possibilities . For me , this is what the fun is all about !

Mike , I really hope you're happy ! I've been holding my breath for over a year now and I'm about the prettiest shade of purple you'd ever want to see ...... Lol ! C'mon , Buddy , I'm waiting !!!! I corrupted Virgil , you're next ! Oh , by the way ! Boyd's Purple Pearl base , PearlX violet , red/ blue mixed in the clear . Alternate the pearl coats with straight clear coats , I think you'll be extremely pleased with the results ! As Crazy Jim would say " Ohhh ! Shiny paint " It just dances and shimmers like you wouldn't believe when the light hits it .

Virgil , Check with Slixx .com !

DVD .... Oldmansmodels.com . Pm Doctor Cranky for information on the book . Bob Downie also has an excellent book on airbrushing.

I use the orange and the red as a base coat quite often . I cut it at a 2 to 1 paint to laquer thinner ratio, be sure the thinner is the hardware store variety . Light mist coats from about 4 in. away until you have a complete overall smooth finish. This dries really quick !

The heater is sealed, you're good ! Be sure to wipe the tubes off and keep the paint dust off of them . This way , you won't lose heat capacity . As much as I joke about it , I'm glad the heater is there ! No more looking at the thermometer and cussin' Mother Nature ! Just fire it up for 10 minutes and the shop is 72 degrees in the blink of an eye ! Not much goes on most winter weekends so I can paint all day with no worries .

There are 30 completed bodies sitting in the shop just glaring at me ! Most of them have all of their parts painted . I'm as prepared for it as I'll ever be ! Smartest thing I've done was install the heater in the airbrush booth , now I can paint year 'round . Did I just say the smartest thing ? Hmmmn , debatable for sure . Not sure how much will get done over the winter , modelwise . The ' 85 pickup is getting a complete makeover , the ' 94 GT is getting some extra tlc under the hood to make her even prettier under there ! Last but not least ... Restoring the engine compartment on my buddy's ' 69 Goat . Yah for me ! Anybody got a transmorgifier ? I need about 10 copies of me , post haste ! Good Lord !

Marty , Krylon and Rustoleum are enamels . Using different clears over hobby paint can be a hit or miss proposition ! I stick to the Testors enamels straight across the board , both paint and the clear . This way , I have no worries when it comes to the compatability with the plastic . As for the Tamiya line , Mike Mc or Bob Downie will have a better answer for you . I don't use the product . Donn Yost Lone Wolf Custom Painting

Greg , They were rather simplified as compared to what we are used to seeing today . That being said , I would love to see them reissued ! Take Slixx decal's excellent product , add in the wealth of aftermarket products that are available , and we could have some fantastic early prostock kits to build ! Best scenario in my opinion would be complete new tooling and new kits of the ' Cudas , Challengers , Dusters , Vegas , Pintos , etc ! I believe they would be a windfall for Revell or whoever decides to make a wise decision by following through on this .

Let me clarify .... When I suggest cutting enamels with laquer , use the cheap stuff ! As in bargain basement , hardware store variety laquer thinner . No automotive related brands whatsoever ! Lownslow , I believe you simply used a thinner that was hot and not a cheap brand that is simply " warm " I use Sunnyside laquer thinner which is available from the Do It Best hardware chain .

John , I cannot say for all ! I have used it with several different brands of enamels , however , and had no problems whatsoever. I use a 2 to 1 paint to thinner ratio with the Testors enamels . Donn Yost

Virgil , 10 or 12 mist coats gives a good base to polish with . By controlling the paint environment , the need for excessive polishing is removed . Being aware of high ridges and points on the body also prevents burn through . I use Novus 2 to polish out with and The Final Treatment's Detail Wax to finish it off with . Without any debris in the finish , you can start with 6000 and work your way up to 12000 , then polish it out . I do not use primer under the standard colors. I polish the body up to 12000 under cold running water , wash it off , blow dry it with compressed air , then immediately begin to paint it . I use Testors aluminum metallizer as my base coat when using pearls and metallics for a top coat . These can also be polished out sans clear as long as all of the painted parts are sanded and polished equally .

Virgil , In answer to your question , I use the Model Master Clear Top Coat at the same 2 to 1 ratio . It will yellow in time when used over white or ivory . I have not had any problems with it over metallics or pearls . When using standard colors , I forego the clear and simply polish out the finish.

Virgil, Cut it with cheap laquer thinner I use a 2 to1 , paint to thinner ratio . It flashes out pretty quick and tight . I know you're in Florida , but from what I've see in the photos of your shop , it appears that you're painting in a temperature controlled environment . If so , humidity won't be a factor . Seems that is always the biggest gripe / myth. , enamels never dry ! Use the cheap laquer thinner and they will , real quick ! Maybe working on the shiny side of the fence for awhile might open up the horizons even more so with the enamels !

Thanks to Mike Mc , the Pearl X powders were brought to my attention . A local art supply carried the entire set and I couldn't resist the temptation ! What intrigues me about them the most is that there are more than a few corresponding colors that can be blended together . When applied in misted coats between straight clear coats , they form a waiting array of color . The slightest movement of the eye or light causes the color to change and blend into another . I always found the Chrome illusion paints of the '90's to be offensive to the eye . Brown to blue to green to purple just makes no sense to me at all . These pearl additives are a whole diffrent story ! Violet to purple to blue , one example , is much more appealing to the eye for my sense of color rather than the aforementioned sequence . There are many more combinations that can be brought out in just this one set ! The micron size is perfect for 1/25th scale modeling , drawback being , it is very difficult to capture the full effect of the pearls spectrum with the camera .

Virgil , Maybe it's time to take a step back and think old school , enamels ! Testors has a well rounded spectrum of colors available , plus are easily mixed together to produce an even larger array . Word has it that there is a new color line on the way for the enamel line . Using these colors for base coats , with an overlay of Jaquards pearls , might be just what you are looking for !

Ladies and Gentlemen , the Master of the Diorama has entered stage left ! Enjoy ! Nice to see that you haven't lost your touch , Brother D !

See ! You don't remember either ! I knew all that Geritol was gong to catch up with you ! Of coarse , it might be an allergic reaction to the Depends ! One never knows !