Show quality finishes

[Greg Busby]

I am using PPG automotive paint on my models.  What is the best way to get a finish paint job that will win at shows? I will use all the advice I can get from you professional painters and builders.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Polish, polish, polish.

 

 

Steve

[Ace-Garageguy]

And before that...prep, prep, prep.

Even the best paint will look like dog squeeze over lumpy bodywork, parting lines, poor part fit in general, or orange-peeled primer.

Edited January 30, 2018 by Ace-Garageguy

[Snake45]

Yeah, what THEY ^^^ said. Between them, they got it all.

And it really is just that simple.

[Greg Busby]

I will make sure to use actual body shop prep methods on my Atlanta show build I am going to treat this build as if I am building a 1:1 car thank you all for your wonderful advice I am going to sand everything starting with 320 400 600 800 1000 1500 2000 before I spray the first coat of primer on all of the parts 

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

And before that...prep, prep, prep.

Even the best paint will look like dog squeeze over lumpy bodywork, parting lines, poor part fit in general, or orange-peeled primer.

Sorry.

I guess I just took all of that for granted.

 

Steve

[Casey]

3 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

And before that...prep, prep, prep.

Even the best paint will look like dog squeeze over lumpy bodywork, parting lines, poor part fit in general, or orange-peeled primer.

^This. Block sand the body to remove the slightly raised edge where panel lines exist, scribe panel lines to an even and realistic depth, avoid using black ink or paint to fill in those panel lines, scribe around all chrome body trim lightly, don't lay on too much paint such that it looks like you dipped the body in a gallon of paint and let it drop dry...that should get you started.

Oh, and a polishing kit, too, as Steve suggested. 

Here's some good advice, and a site well worth bookmarking: 

http://italianhorses.net/Tutorials/Primer/primer.htm

http://italianhorses.net/Tutorials/PerfectPaint/paint.htm

Edited January 30, 2018 by Casey

[Greg Busby]

Casey thank you for those links I will use those links but I do not have a panel line scriber or nor do I know how to use one either

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 minutes ago, Greg Busby said:

... I do not have a panel line scriber or nor do I know how to use one either

Tutorial here...(and a sample of his work below; the guy knows his stuff).

[Snake45]

4 hours ago, Greg Busby said:

I will make sure to use actual body shop prep methods on my Atlanta show build I am going to treat this build as if I am building a 1:1 car thank you all for your wonderful advice I am going to sand everything starting with 320 400 600 800 1000 1500 2000 before I spray the first coat of primer on all of the parts 

IMHO you don't need to sand raw plastic/putty/filler past #600--certainly not past #800--before primer. 

In my experience, #800 is the perfect grit to sand primer before color coats. That's if I think it needs sanding at all. This is pretty much the only thing I ever use #800 for.

Now after color and/or clearcoating, that's when I break out the #1000, #1200, #1500, and #2000. I never use all four, but often use two--which two will depend on how smooth the paint is to start with. 

And then it's time for the Wright's Silver Cream polish. 

Remember, there is no one set way to do things that will work for everyone in every case. Every paint job is a law unto itself. Experience will teach you where you need to bend this technique in this direction, and twist that procedure back the other way. I do have a standard painting and polishing procedure, but it almost always gets tweaked along the way to fit some particular circumstance. 

Edited January 30, 2018 by Snake45

[Greg Busby]

Thank you for the tutorial I will definitely use it 

[Matt Bacon]

This is what I do:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234956647-matts-tips-for-painting-cars/

best,

M.

[BigTallDad]

There's a very old joke that applies here...

A lady is lost in Manhattan; when she asks a man "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" he replies "Practice, practice, practice."

The man's advice applies to painting also.

[High octane]

Why not use black ink or paint in the panel lines before painting?

[Snake45]

8 hours ago, High octane said:

Why not use black ink or paint in the panel lines before painting?

That's what I do. I scribe em deep, run black in there, then prime and paint as normal. Should paint not happen to get all the way into the groove, there's black in there, but it's mainly paint (like a real car). After that I do NOTHING with panel lines except clean the Wright's Silver Cream polish out of them with a toothbrush and warm running water. 

[Pete J.]

11 hours ago, High octane said:

Why not use black ink or paint in the panel lines before painting?

This advise is IMHO mean as the last step in finishing your model.  Black paint or ink in the panel lines just stands out too unrealistically.  Doing it before color darkens them just a little and hides any uneven filling by your final color.  Much more realistic.