best way to wash before build

[bubbaman]

hey guy`s  i know there are a few ways to wash  pre painted plastic before  spraying paint on them - i`ve heard  DAWN  cleanser  i saw where some use  brillo  -  alcohol  -   whats the  BEST ??

[kitbash1]

Just use the dish soap ( Dawn / Sunlight / Palmolive ) and an old tooth brush. This will clean the parts trees well. and rinse in warm water and air dry on a towel.

[Mr mopar]

What he said !

[Miatatom]

I use Dawn since it's a great degreaser. I also use a small brush and Comet to scuff the body until the shine is gone. A lot easier than sanding and it gets in all the nooks and crannies.

[BigTallDad]

1 hour ago, bubbaman said:

...  i saw where some use  brillo  - 

Only if you want to scratch the surface of the plastic

[Toner283]

+1 on the Comet cleaner and a toothbrush. Leaves a nice clean smooth surface that is ready for paint. Takes off all of the oils and puts fine scratches for the paint to adhere to. Just have to watch how you handle the parts after they are cleaned so you don't put oil from your skin back on.

[Ace-Garageguy]

3 hours ago, Toner283 said:

+1 on the Comet cleaner and a toothbrush. Leaves a nice clean smooth surface that is ready for paint. Takes off all of the oils and puts fine scratches for the paint to adhere to. Just have to watch how you handle the parts after they are cleaned so you don't put oil from your skin back on.

I've been advocating using Comet since around 2011, and my using it on models came from my experience on real cars (where I found it to be highly effective for scuffing clear on panels where I had to do a blend after a repair).

Toner283 makes another good point. Handle your clean bodies with cheap latex gloves to avoid transferring skin oils to the model.

As far as Dawn goes, well, it's OK I guess. It does remove oils.

But for MAXIMUM adhesion, scrub the parts with an abrasive cleanser like Comet, a toothbrush, and plenty of hot water.

Not only does this remove mold-release agents and lubricants from the parts, it also uniformly scuffs them, including down in nooks and crannies where sandpaper and ScotchBrite pads can't go.

Parts that are NOT scuffed often exhibit paint pulling away from edges and panel lines, and scuffing with sandpaper or Brillo can obliterate fine details.

For extra insurance against fisheyes, wash your parts with CLEAN paper towels and 70% isopropyl alcohol (available in any drug department).

NOTE: Parts that sit around for any length of time with primer on them need to be washed with isopropyl prior to painting. Why? Because environmental contaminants like cooking grease in the air, furniture polish, even pollen, can settle on them and cause all kinds of fisheyes when you shoot your paint.

As always, I know this from direct personal experience.

 

[Spruslayer]

I use a utlrasonic cleaner,a 2.1 quart cap

Super clean mixed with water and the parts come out squeaky clean.

The down side is the cost of a quality unit thats big enough for bodys and other large parts.

Paint brushes, 60 seconds and clean as new.Airbrush and my HVLP gun i can clean in about 5 minuets,no more removing the Ab nozzel and risk damage or losing it.

For scuffing the parts in preparation for paint on part that i dont want to sand away the fine details i use a air eraser.

Im currently working on the Amelia Earhart Electra that has tones of raised rivets and the air eraser abrades the surface like it was sanded but leaves the raised details.

Model on!

 

 

 

[BigTallDad]

9 hours ago, Toner283 said:

... Just have to watch how you handle the parts after they are cleaned so you don't put oil from your skin back on.

Washing your hands before you start working on the kits also helps.

[Miatatom]

7 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Toner283 makes another good point. Handle your clean bodies with cheap latex gloves to avoid transferring skin oils to the model.

I use gloves during the degreasing and mold release washes as well as the Comet/brush scrub for the bodies. I get mine from Harbor Freight and prefer the 3 mil thickness for increased feel and dexterity.

[restoman]

8 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I've been advocating using Comet since around 2011, and my using it on models came from my experience on real cars (where I found it to be highly effective for scuffing clear on panels where I had to do a blend after a repair)....

 

 

I recall one of my jobber reps showing up in the early 90s and telling me about this great new paste by Farecla, specially formulated for keying blend areas. "The best stuff we've ever seen...!" was his line. I showed him my recipe using water, Comet and a grey Scotchbrite. I told him if there was anything else I could teach him, just let me know... He didn't stay long...