CadillacPat

Alligator Clips are one of the items all Modelers begin using early on in their Hobby. My DieCast Paint Stands began with the simple Alligator Clip but quickly morphed into a variety of ways to hold DieCast of all scales. CadillacPat

Here's the method I came up with to show other Customizers how to make use of cheap Aerosol paints. I also have it here in an old post somewhere. Toy Car and Model Mag contacted me to ask if they could run it in one of their issues many years ago. You will need a 3" - 4" length of plastic drinking straw, some 1" wide tape, and of course a suitable container. I collect the empty film cans from local WalMart Photoshops. This soft pliable plastic will not react with automotive paints. 1st-----Butt the straw up to the hole in the button of the Aerosol can. In most cases with Duplicolor, the straw will actually slip over a short protrusion in the button. 2nd-----Wrap the tape around the straw and button so they are held together firmly and tightly. 3rd-----Just spray your paint into whatever container you've chosen. The straw will perform like a muffler, choking down the escaping gases and allowing the paint to gently run out the end of the straw. If you're only using small amounts of paint, you can just spray the paint directly into your paint cup. I will add this note. I have an alternate method for removing the paint from aerosol cans when I want to completely empty the can and transfer all its contents to another container. You can of course use my above method to completely empty an Aerosol can but this second method is quicker. Remove the spray button from the can. Shake the can to thoroughly mix its contents. Set the can down on a flat surface. Using a file sharpen a small nail to a point and with a small hammer gently tap a pin hole just inside the lip at the top of the can. A pinhole is all you need. Just barely break the skin of the can. Allow the pressure to fully escape, about 15 minutes. Now similarly tap another pinhole opposite from the first on the other side of where the spray button was. When all pressure has escaped enlarge both holes with a larger nail or phillips screwdriver. These two holes will equalize the air pressure in the can so you may pour out the contents. Now you need a suitable container to hold the contents. You may use any soft plastic container i.e., polyethylene not hard styrene. I choose either Ketchup bottles or Barbecue Sauce bottles. Yeah, I do a lot of Barbecuing around here. These bottles are constructed of soft vinyl like plastic which will not react with the chemicals in Enamel or Lacquer paints. They also come with the benefit of having a small mouth opening so you may safely pour your thinned paint directly into your AirBrush Cup. Gently pour the contents of the can into your new container and leave it open for about 4 hours. Return every so often to swirl around the contents assuring that the gases get released. The paint still contains propellant in liquid form and will create pressure in your new container if shaken. Diluting it with the prescribed amount, 35%, of Paint Thinner will deactivate some of this tendency to bubble up and boil over. I screw on the cap, gently shake the bottle and very easily loosen the cap 4 or 5 times repeatedly to allow all remaining propellant to escape. So here you have methods of removing paint from aerosol cans allowing you to either release small amounts as in using the Straw Method or to completely empty the can and transfer the contents to another container. All my painting is done completely with House Of Kolor products, Of Course!! But I like to give alternate methods so that anyone can get perfect results using products they can easily obtain. CadillacPat

Darren you are talking about 2 part Urethane Clear in a can. It's the same type Automotive clear we use for real cars but in an Aerosol Can. When you use it you break a seal inside the can allowing the Clear and Catalyst to mix. Once the seral is broken you must use the entire can as the Clear within will set up. This Automotive type Urethane Clear is far superior to any cheap aerosol Enamels. The cost of these cans is around $20 so you can see that using an AirBrush becomes a money saving procedure. CadillacPat

Just search online for Acrylic DieCast Cases CadillacPat

Sure Jim, don't let the Tech Talk sound intimidating. Decals are very easy to make, you just have to follow some steps for great results. Jim you always want to spray your sealer coat (for printed Decals) as thin as possible. Just enough sealant to create a barrier to protect the Decal ink when it is slipped into water. More sealant in thick layers would make the Decal more difficult to conform to compound curves. It's not such a big deal on a flat surface like the hood or the roof, but too much sealnt will make the eges of the Decal more prominent. A thinly sealed Decal when applied properly sees its edges disappear once the final Clearcoat is airbrushed onto the model. Here's a copy of part of my Decal Tutorials I have up on the Net titled Decal Fixative Alternative “Decal Fixative Alternative” For coating my Decal sheets as they emerge from the printer I've tried lots of products with good to excellent results. I started out using cheap Painters Place Enamel #20014 in the aerosol can from the spray paint department at WalMart. It wasn't bad and only cost 90 cents. Then I used Duplicolor Clear Lacquer DAL #1695 also in an 11 oz. aerosol can from AutoZone. This was a better product that dried much quicker and thinner for $4.59. Recently, for a little over a year I've used DEFT Clear Gloss Varnish in the 11 oz. aerosol can in the Paint Stain Dept at Walmart, about $5. By far, until now this has been the best and makes the edges of the Decals disappear after final ClearCoat. However, tonight I tried House Of Kolor InterCoat Clear. InterCoat Clear is a product used to protect your art as you lay down progressive layers. It's used to coat an existing layer so it can be taped off without fear of raising the paint. It's also used as a carrier to lay transparent colors or pearl powders over basecoats. Well the results are fantastic. One 1/4 oz. AirBrush cup filled 2/3 way with a 50-50 mix of InterCoat Clear and RU311 Reducer is enough to coat a full page of Decals. It dries to an almost negligible thickness in a matter of minutes. With this InterCoat Clear the edges of the Decals disappear as they are laid down. The extra control of applying the InterCoat Clear through your AirBrush instead of blasting some other product out of an aerosol can gives you the ability to lay down just the barest minimum needed to seal the ink on the Decals. The Decal film remains just as thin and pliable as if there was no coating at all. Nothing is wrong with the DEFT but this InterCoat Clear is giving far better results. --CadillacPat the UnCustomizer--

Vector is not so necessary at our scale sizes. If you create or work with images of as high resolution as possible you will be just fine. CadillacPat

Retroguy I have been making Decals for DieCast Customizers for years. There is a lot more involved besides type of Paper but I use paper from Papilio.com after trying everything out there. The Decal Paper from Papilio.com has always been of a consistent quality. http://www.texascraft.com/hps/home.php?cat=250 The Printer you have will be just fine. Even simple InkJet Printers will turn out remarkably great results on Decal Paper if your images are of high resolution and you use the correct Printer Settings. This reply only answers the 2 questions you submitted. If you have more just ask. CadillacPat

For a lttile over 200 bucks, the price of this unit, you could build yourself a heck of a Hobby Paint Booth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There was just a whole lot of discussion on table top paint booths only a couple of weeks ago with dialogue on these, Pace, MicroMark, Tamiya and how to produce your own home made booth. Just check the board a few pages back for all the info. CadillacPat

I've been showing people the benefits of Silly Putty for "quick masking" for years. I use any kind I find, Dollar Store or the real stuff with great success. CadillacPat

I still suggest you try using Nail Polish Thinner instead of Lacquer Thinner, You say you are shooting at 30 psi so you must be way back from your model allowing much of your paint to dry in mid air before reaching the surface, causing your sandy buildup. If you were shooting at 30 psi from close up , as you should be, you would be loading up the model with paint. Crank down the air presure and move in close. There is a reason they call it "laying down paint", because you actually lay it down close to the surface, making overlapping passes to effect a wet coat. Most of my work is done with 20-25 psi from no more than two inches from my DieCast. Lacquer Thinner is a very dry chemical and could itself be part of your sandy overspray problem. Use the right products for the right paints, check out Nail Polish Thinner. CadillacPat

Lacquer Thinner is not a universal thinner. Have you tried using Nail Polish Thinner? CadillacPat

What Race??????????????????? Like everything else today it was "regulated" down to a crawl. Clonelike, identical vehicles that looked more like a Homecoming Parade. CadillacPat

I airbrush all my projects with House Of Kolor (not the premixed) and sometimes use the Parafilm I have but usually use Tamiya Tape. Parafilm will really cause problems if allowed to warm up as you say the model did. I have 2 rolls of Parafilm several years old but age has not diminished it's efficiency. If you find yourself needing to clean up overspray or even bits of residue left from the Parafilm, use a little Paint Thinner or Mineral Spirits. Put a few drops of Paint Thinner in a bottle cap and dip the end of a toothpick in it until the end is soaked real good. The end of the Toothpick will swell up and soften allowing you to use it to rub off overspray or roll up gummy residue. think of the soaked Toothpick as a wooden paint brush. Additionally, If you have laid down your InterCoat too thick it will dry to appear almost just like the Parafilm and can be pulled up in large pieces. I also use Intercoat Clear in my multi stage paint schemes but if you have prepped correctly and mixed all your paint properly, the adhesive properties, especially those of House Of Kolor products) make it's use unnecessary. CadillacPat

Use a good modeling tape like Tamiya and you won't have any problems with bleed under. I would not spray Clear over any tape. CadillacPat

I keep my Milliput White and Apoxie Sculpt in the refrigerator. They are both 2 part putties and will last for years and years if wrapped in a baggie in the Fridge. CadillacPat

A paint scheme layout is determimed by the shape of the body or your own personal taste. Body Prep, proper easy release tape, possible use of InterCoat Clears. and more are essential to creating a two tone. What exactly is your question?? CadillacPat

There's another thread here just from a couple of days ago discussing the cost of House Of Kolor and its use. CadillacPat

Grayghost, House Of Kolor is really very easy to mix and to use. Just follow the Tech Sheet. Primer, BaseCoats, ColorCoats, Candies, Intermediate Clear and Urethane Clear will all use the same Reducer. Candy and Clear each use their own Catalyst. Lacquer Thinner for flushing your gun and cleanup. Just follow the mixing ratios and you're fine. After you paint for awhile you'll be mixing paint by eyeballing it. CadillacPat

Okay, I will be "blut" also!!!!!!!!!!!!! If the Model has more than one part and can be disassembled, customized and then reassembled, then it is a Model. Plastic, Metal, Rubber, it makes no difference, it is a Model. This from a guy who began building Models in 1957 and nowadays works mainly with Metal DieCast. I've seen a lot of other Model Sites shoot themselves in the foot by running off Members who have much info to offer, simply because a handfull of very young Members felt those who work with Metal do not belong there. I also see AirBrush and DieCast Customizing Sites wholeheartedly embrace Model Building with a respect for the Techniques, Procedures and Tools involved. I did find this portion of your post interesting, so whoever is doing it your an idiot we all know its a diecast take your diecast and leave this forum myself and other builders dont wanna to see your diecast cars we put way to much man power into our kits to have u people mistake or mismatch a model or a diecast nascar. I can understand you pointing out that a piece declared in a post as Plastic is actually in your belief, Metal. But beyond that, what is the difference? CadillacPat CadillacPat

Like the Creative Explorer just said, What kind of paint did you use? CadillacPat

Mark that really clears things up, As I said, Forget About It, I would not give a second thought to someone taking you to court over your cardboard cars. CadillacPat

Glad you like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! More to come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CadillacPat

Forget about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't give it a second thought CadillacPat

Rustoleum is for lawn furniture. If you want to ClearCoat without ever worrying about ill effects to underlying layers of any brand, use a good 2 part Urethane Clear. CadillacPat