Flat finish

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Hey Guys

I am wanting to paint a drag car flat black.

But everytime I handle a piece it gets finger prints and stuff on it.

What is the best way to do this,plus decals don't stick to flat...

Any help I can get would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

John

[Harry P.]

Like Dave says...

paint the body gloss black, apply the decals, and when you're all done with the body shoot with dullcote to get the flat finish.

Flat finishes are very prone to scuffs, finger marks, etc. Best bet: once the body has its final flat finish, don't touch it with your bare hands. Either use a rag (piece of old T-shirt works well) or use latex gloves when handling it. Personally I prefer the rag... wearing rubber gloves is kinda creepy...

[BigGary]

Flat paint, especially black, dries with a rough surface. If you want a flat finish and decals that sit down tight, try buffing the paint with a blue paper towel or 1500 grit sandpaper. That will even out the surface and leave the decals shiny, unlike over-spraying with flat clear.

Gary

[Olle F]

If you have got an airbrush, you can try this: Paint the body with gloss paint and apply the decals (as already mentioned, the decals won't stick to flat paint). Spray some gloss clear over the whole thing, let dry, and polish out any orange peel, dust etc. Then you take some of the gloss clear, thin it with lots of lacquer thinner (maybe 25% clear and 75% thinner) and dust it on, using high pressure. This will give you a finish that's more of a satin or semi gloss, depending on how much thinner you use, but it can be handled without leaving fingerprints. I use this method quite often when painting details such as engines, interiors etc, and it works great. I have even sprayed straight lacquer thinner on the paint to knock off the sheen and it works too, but you have to be very careful and just mist it on.

I might better add that I have done this for years and it may take some practice before you get the hang of it, so you may want to try it on something else before you do it on your model.

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Thanks guys

This helps a ton!!!

John