BETTER PAINT JOB

[bubbaman]

hey guy`s and maybe gal`s - i see everyone`s  model - the body paint is a lot shinnier than mine  do you use  only  testors or tamiya on your models -  or do you spray a gloss  at the end ???

[LDO]

You can get a show-quality paint job with Tamiya spray cans. Lay on plenty of clear, especially if you're using candies, pearls, or metallics. Follow that with a polishing kit and then plastic polish with flannel. You will be able to see your face in the paint. 

Someone else may have a link to a how-to video. There is also a poster here, Don Yost, who sells a DVD about getting a great paint job. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

There are as many different painting techniques as there are builders.

Everywhere from cheap acrylic craft paint to automotive lacquer.

You just have to find what works best for you, & in some cases, that can take years.

For a myriad of reasons, I use automotive type lacquer paints, but many coats of clear & lots of polishing are how I achieve results that are acceptable to me.

 

Steve 

[Dodge Driver]

I'm not very experienced in producing shiny paint finishes, but I have found success. I've used Testors, Tamiya and Dupli-Color spray cans with very good results. Primer, followed by color, then several coats of Testors clear. All lacquer products btw.

I polished out the clear with a multi-grit polishing cloth kit. There are some good polishing tutorials on youtube.

It's easier than you might think and worth the effort.

Edited January 2, 2018 by Dodge Driver

[W-409]

Polishing is the key here. Don't get me wrong, you can spray a nice smooth and shiny finish straight out of a spray can but that is very tricky and I know only a couple of people who can do that. So I'd concentrate on getting a decent paint job and then polishing it. I've always done that way and had great results with all kinds of different paints. Just make sure that the paint is completely dry before you start polishing.

For polishing itself there are several different ways to do it. I've used polishing cloths and they have worked very nicely. Then I finish it off with some good wax. Some people use polishing compounds and they seem to work fine as well, but I've never tried that myself.

[Miatatom]

I use the polishing cloths and then Novus to bring out the shine. This method can cover us some pretty marginal painting techniques. Trust me, I know.

[StevenGuthmiller]

20 minutes ago, Miatatom said:

I use the polishing cloths and then Novus to bring out the shine. This method can cover us some pretty marginal painting techniques. Trust me, I know.

That's the truth!

I've produced some pretty nice finishes after starting with a very mediocre paint job.

Polishing can be magical!

 

Steve

[LDO]

I took models to Afghanistan when I got deployed there. A very boring deployment. I got a couple of really nice paint jobs in that dusty environment. When a speck of dust got in the paint, I would let it sit for a couple of days, then sand it out with a polishing cloth and put on another coat. I had planned to build only, then paint when I came home. A hobby shop owner told me about Tamiya spray paint, which allowed me to finish a couple of cars. 

[PARTSMARTY]

On 1/2/2018 at 2:58 PM, StevenGuthmiller said:

There are as many different painting techniques as there are builders.

Everywhere from cheap acrylic craft paint to automotive lacquer.

You just have to find what works best for you, & in some cases, that can take years.

For a myriad of reasons, I use automotive type lacquer paints, but many coats of clear & lots of polishing are how I achieve results that are acceptable to me.

 

Steve 

Spot on Steve-couldn't have said it better- although i use some enamels-depending on color and what i have.

[tbill]

if i'm not in a hurry, i like to wet sand the primer coat, then spray color and wet sand that....only if it's a solid color though, metal flake does not like sanding, then lay on the clear and wet sand each coat of that, then wet sand final coat with 2k or 3k, then polish with meguires products. for me, this seems to provide some depth and a lot of shine. i will say it was a heck of a learning curve.