RobRus

Here is a picture of my test using Future as a base/barrier coat with Dupli-Color primer and paint. I put 2 coats of Future on the top section and let it dry 1/2 hour between coats and about 12 hours before my test. The picture doesn't show it clearly but the Future section crazed as soon as I put the primer on and crazed a bit more when I color coated it. They are a very small and fine cracks but enough to spoil a paint job. The next one down is just primer and paint. You can see no crazing at all. The final one is just color over bare plastic. As a note, I laid both the primer and the paint down in 2 double wet coats giving it only about 1/2 hour between priming and painting. I was quite surprised to see that neither the primer or straight color didn't craze the plastic. @ Doctor Cranky, Thanks for the reply and info. I just bought some Plastikote. Obviousely you get excellent results with it so it is well worth a try. I also just bought some Tamyia Acrylics I want to try but that will be another build.

You mean this one?

Thanks guys, @Ron, Trying the Dupli-Color primer right now. I had a couple of coats of Tamiya White primer on already and had the body blocked out so I just shot a dry coat on and let if flash off and a second wet coat. I'll give it a day or so to dry and shoot it. Just today I went to my local unclaimed freight store and found boxes and boxes of Dupli-Color for a buck each... Couldn't pass it up so I bought a few. @Jonathan , FUNNY... I have a little experiment trying exactly that! Does it create a good barrier for lacquer? Will it allow me to lay a good glossy coat of auto paint on? I am using the fastest thinner I can get so it isn't too hot. Thanks for any help you can give, I am not new to making models but never shot lacquer on them before. Bob

What do guys use when spraying automotive lacquer as a top coat. I have done a lot of custom painting on 1:1 cars and have a pretty good stock of Metalflake Candy colors and base coats I would like to use. I know that they are quite hot and can melt plastic so is there a primer/sealer that will act as a barrier coat?

Thanks Harry, Earlier I tried to upload a picture from my pc and was giving me an error but now it appears to be working. Much easier to do it directly than through another web site. Thanks for the fast response. Bob

Got some help with uploading pics... First one is a shot showing that the problem is not the entire car, just part of the hood, roof and deck lid. Sides are nice and glossy as it should be. Second is a close up showing the problem better. Hope these help. I also stripped all the chrome and used Alclad II for the first time... nice stuff Bob

Thanks for the quick reply guys, I got my Avatar working, You are right... It has to be 200 X 200 px even thought it says: "Once uploaded, you can adjust the cropped image. Recommend an image 200px or larger" On uploading pictures, I was trying to upload directly from my PC as the video suggests. I really dislike having to go somewhere else to upload a picture but I guess if that is the only way to upload then that is what I will have to do. Thanks again guys, Love the forum and all the great info here. It also appears that it is a very friendly place to be. I think I will enjoy my time here. Bob

I recently joined the forum and am unable to post any pictures or set my avatar. I tried to search for restrictions you have on new members but didn't seem to find anything. I made a post about a problem I am having with a paint job but it doesn't help much if people can not see a picture (as the saying goes "A picture is worh 1,000 words). Can someone help?

Hi All, I just got back into modeling and decided to build something simple to get back into the groove of working on plastic again. I have a lot of painting experience, almost 20 years of painting 1:1 cars but I quit painting back in the mid 80's to go to art college. So I have been away from the field for some time. I started building models when I was about 10 years old and always had something I was working on up until I went to college. I have bult a few models since then but they have been pretty much box stock and sprayed with Testors rattle can enamels. I have been lurking around here reading up on new materials and processes and decided to do a pretty much box stock AMT 1969 Cougar CJ428 (which was one of my first real cars). I started by cleaning up the body and then priming it with Tamiya white primer. I put about 3 coats on letting it tack off between coats. Let it dry for 3 days before blocking the body with 1000 grit and then gave it another couple of coats of primer and another couple of days drying. All was well and the body was looking very good. So I was ready to apply color and chose Tamiya Racing Blue (rattle can). I decanted it into a jar and let it sit open for a couple of hours until I didn't see any more bubbles and put it in my airbrush and sprayed 3 light coats. I let it dry for a couple of days before I color sanded and put the final color coats on (1 light coat and 1 wet). Looking beautiful at this point. Another couple of days dry time and I lightly blocked it with 1200 and ready for the clear. Now is where the problem is... The guy at the hobby shop suggested Testors Gloss Coat (lacquer) and said it was great stuff for what I wanted so that is what I used. I decanted it and let it sit for a couple of hours and put it in my airbrush but on a test spray it was not coming out smooth so I added a touch of thinner. I am using a very fast thinner so I wasn't too concerned... After the second coat I noticed it didn't seem to be laying down very smooth so I let it flash off for about a half hour. When I came back the hood, roof and deck lid had crazed... I got my wifes hair drier and proceded to help the drying along to keep it from crazing any more. I gave it about 45 minutes under low heat to try and bake out the thinners which did seem to stop the crazing. Now a day and a half later the paint seems gummy and soft. I suspect it is the Testors Gloss that is the problem. I am not sure if anyone had had this problem and if there is anything I can do to fix it or should I just plan on stripping it. I would love to post a pic so you can see what I am talking about but the forum will not let me... :-( So to explain... The crazing is not horrible and most of the paint laid down very smooth, mainly on the hood and roof. If the paint actually dries I could probably wet sand it out and buff it but I am not sure at this point. Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks

Hi Guys, This is my first post here and I thought I might shed some light on what this is. The problem is called "fish eye" and it is usually caused by silicone. I was a painter in a body shop for almost 20 years and have seen this many times. In my case it usually came from a body man spraying silicone on rubber door seals to ease installing them, but it can come from any number of sources. In models it probably comes from the mold release they use on some parts (tires especially). The best way to eliminate this problem is to make sure everything is clean before you apply each coat of primer or paint but when they pop up there is hope. There is a product called Marson Smoothy Fisheye Eliminator that you put in your paint as soon as you see them pop up and the paint is still wet. When using a full size spray gun with a quart cup you just add a drop or two into your paint and quickly apply another coat of paint. The fisheye's pretty much smooth out and dissapear. With an airbrush I would guess if you could use a thin piece of plastic or something to put a very small drop into your cup and mix it up well. The thing is when you start to use it in your paint you have to use it in all other paint that goes on your car or they will come back so it is best not to have to use it in the first place. A word of warning... DO NOT keep this stuff near your bench or any place you work regularly or you will be forced to use it in every paint job. It actually contains silicone so keep it somewhere that is safe and easy to get to when you need it. Make sure you do not get it on your hands or you will contaminate anything you touch. The best way to not get fish eyes is to make sure all parts are very clean prior to priming and painting and keep anything you suspect of having silicone on it away from your model. I am pretty sensitive to the feel of silicone so as soon as I notice a set of tires that have mold release on them I wash them off with thinner or wax and grease remover a couple of times throwing my cleaning rag out after each wash. Silicone is nasty stuff and can really screw up a paint job as you have seen in the above example. Fisheye Eliminator is great stuff when you need it but should be used with caution and as a last resort. http://www.repaintsupply.com/pd-marson-20232-smoothie-fisheye-eliminator.cfm Hope this helps.