Finishing spray enamel exteriors

[timomomomo]

OK, I'm sold on enamel from a can. Most of the time I can get a workable finish, there are plenty of colors available, and I found a company that will put any color code into a spray can. 

My question is regarding the finishing. Sometimes I get a light orange-peel texture on the last coat(s). I am left with two choices:

1. Try to rub out the orange peel using rubbing compound.

2. A glosscoat top coat.

I'd rather not fuss with glosscoat, but from my understanding it helps to seal in decals (presuming you lay the decals on a smooth finish). So I'm leaning toward (ugh) glosscoating everything once built, but will gladly listen to other voices of reason! Any suggestions?

[Ramfins59]

The main problem with enamel paints is that they take a long time to fully dry...... I'd say don't do anything with the painted bodies for about 2 weeks.  You can use a polishing kit once they fully dry, or, you can glosscoat them, but, enamel glosscoats will eventually yellow over time.  Again, give the glosscoats a good 2 week drying time.  You can polish out any orange peel but be careful not to rub through on the high points of the body.  It really is not necessary to "seal in" decals although it depends on the look you're after.

[JollySipper]

OK, I'm sold on enamel from a can. Most of the time I can get a workable finish, there are plenty of colors available, and I found a company that will put any color code into a spray can. 

 

Lacquer paint has all these benefits, but it dries a lot faster than enamels, which means less chance of getting dust in your finish and you can do your polishing sooner. I've been using DupliColor since I discovered it and haven't looked back.

It needs a gloss top coat, but I liken it to using shampoo and conditioner separate instead of the 2-n-1....... Each part does it's job better if used separate.....

[timomomomo]

Lacquer paint has all these benefits, but it dries a lot faster than enamels, which means less chance of getting dust in your finish and you can do your polishing sooner. I've been using DupliColor since I discovered it and haven't looked back.

It needs a gloss top coat, but I liken it to using shampoo and conditioner separate instead of the 2-n-1....... Each part does it's job better if used separate.....

Thanks. I'm intrigued by lacquer but tried a Tamiya version and found it went on very thin, now I'm thinking this was an exception. I usually spray my cars in enamel in early summer, so they'll be dry enough to give me something to do in winter!

[High octane]

Yes lacquer paints do go on thin and that's what you want. If the paint is thick it will cover up the details which is not what you want. I try to paint my bodies with as few coats as I can so I don't hide the details like the chrome trim, emblems, lettering, etc. With lacquer paints you can get orange peel too, however to avoid that, I spray closer to the body and move the can faster so the paint doesn't dry before reaching the body.

[Arjay 396]

but, enamel glosscoats will eventually yellow over time.

As will Testors Glosscote and Dullcote, both of them lacquer-based.