Having Paint issues, need some advice...

[LVZ2881]

I am working on a Revell '85 Monte Carlo SS NASCAR racer. Paint is Tamiya TS-49 Red over Duplicolor white primer, over Duplicolor grey filler primer. as the photo shows, the paint peeled when i removed the Tamiya masking tape after painting the black trim. This the second time this has happened on this same car. I was able to spot in the red as it was small area around the front window.

What caused this?? I washed the kit in dawn before priming and have sanded every coat of primer before applying the color coat.

Do you think I can save this by sanding the area down and spotting it in again?

Whats the best way to strip Tamiya?? I have some ELO, but have never used it.

and finally, will stripping the paint cause any issues with the epoxy I used to glue the bumpers to the body?

[Jantrix]

I think the problem isn't the tape or the paint, but the fact that you are using tape on the paint. There is no need to cover the whole car in tape. Just wrap the area to be protected in newspaper and tape it closed. Masking tape should only be touching where you want the paint division to be. Leave the tape and masking on for only as long as it takes for the paint to tack up, 15-20 minutes max. Then pull the tape away carefully and very slowly at a 90 degree angle from the line of the paint division.

Also make sure your base color has fully cured and gassed out. If you can still smell the paint, it's not cured.

[LVZ2881]

I think the problem isn't the tape or the paint, but the fact that you are using tape on the paint. There is no need to cover the whole car in tape. Just wrap the area to be protected in newspaper and tape it closed. Masking tape should only be touching where you want the paint division to be. Leave the tape and masking on for only as long as it takes for the paint to tack up, 15-20 minutes max. Then pull the tape away carefully and very slowly at a 90 degree angle from the line of the paint division.

Also make sure your base color has fully cured and gassed out. If you can still smell the paint, it's not cured.

just so I'm clear, I let the car sit for 2 weeks after spotting in the first area that peeled, before I masked and painted this area that peeled.

[Jantrix]

I've tried spot painting. I was never happy with the results. I always strip it. I use Super Clean or Purple Power. Tamiya is a bit harder to strip, but if you sand through to the primer in two or three spots it will give the stripper a chance to eat at the primer and the paint will slough off like a snake skin. The chemical will eat at filler also, but I doubt it would hard epoxy. Then repaint. But it's your call whatever you do. Tamiya gasses out usually in a few days max, so as long as you use only what tape is absolutely necessary, you should be successful next time.

[MrObsessive]

I ditto what Rob said in his first reply. Something I'd like to add though is you might want to keep your paint and primers compatible (same brand and type if possible)..............this can lead to the paint not "biting in" as well if it's sitting on something of an off brand.

What I like to do also is sand the primer with a 600 grit paper to give it some "teeth" for the color coats to grab onto better. You're adding color coats just the same, so there should be no problem with scuffs showing through your color coats provided you put on enough coats.

I use parafilm M which is great for masking off areas you don't want paint to reach. I use this in combination with the Tamiya Tape which I think is the best for separating colors for paint.

Here's a pic of the parafilm in action.................

Parafilm is sold on the 'net through Micro Mark................but it can also be found on eBay.

Here's a pic of the roll from MicroMark's site........if you click on the pic, it'll take you to their web page where you can order it if you'd like-------but I think through eBay is cheaper (if they have it).

Hope this helps!

[Zoom Zoom]

Did the color coat delaminate from the primer, or did the tape pull up all layers of paint to the bare plastic? An experienced builder/painter can fix things like this w/o stripping, but most people will strip the paint. Depends on how thick the paint is, how thick the repaired area has to be, how easy it will be to spot in an area depending on the quality of the color coat; if it's a pigment-rich paint it might spot in okay and then you can clearcoat entire panels to get the top layer of finish to match the rest.

I also agree fully with the above: do not tape the entire car! Use Tamiya tape very sparingly only for the edges of the area you are painting. My technique looks much like Bill's, but instead of Parafilm I use Glad Press 'n Seal from the grocery store, it's a great substitute for newspaper and tape to safely mask big areas of the model.

[MikeMc]

But why didn't it bite into the primer ???????? 2 weeks dry time ...Tamiya tape..... something is missing here....??????

[58 Impala]

I paint 1:1 cars for a living, looks to me like the primer didn't stick for some reason. Maybe the area was contaminated by something. Your best bet would be to lightly sand with 600 grit or finer as well as clean the whole body.

[Brendan]

Duplicolor has problems with their white primer. I have contacted them about this and they said unless you're using a hotter paint it won't bite into the primer. (They said they're working on the issue.)

They don't have this issue with their gray primer though. They said it had something to do with the chemical makeup to make the primer white. I've had this problem several times so I stopped using the white primer. Their primers are really meant for automotive paints. And the Tamiya paints just aren't hot enough for it.

What I have done for painting red cars is I'll use a gray primer and shoot pink over the top. And then shoot my red.

[LVZ2881]

The body is in Lake CSC now...I just figured to strip it and repaint it. I took Jantrix advice and sanded thru some areas all over the car and hopefully it will come off in the CSC, If not, I'll pull out the ELO.

the paint in the above photo peeled down the bare plastic.

Just so everyone knows, I DID NOT sand the body, except for the mold lines, before I primed it. I talked to a 1:1 car painter friend who used to build models and he feels this is a big part of my issue with this car. I have never sanded any other bodies before primer, before this, and never had an issue. It could be that I've just been lucky before.

I have also never had an issue with the Dupli-color white primer before this either. Tamiya White primer is harder to find around here, but with Brendans info, I may just have to find some and use that from now on when I need a white primer.

[935k3]

If you are stripping Tamiya paints try using 91%(not 70%) alcohol. I t strips Duplicor laquers also. Another way to prep a body for paint(even after primer) is to scrub the body with Soft Scrub bathroom cleaner using a Toothbrush. It is a mild abrasive and puts a nice scuff on bare plastic and will smooth down a rough primer coat. This is very good for areas are that are hard to get at to sand, like a chassis with allot of molded and raised detail.

[evilone]

ok from my personal problems i had with this type of situation

the tape your using is a bit too tacky

and the paints look like they were like latex if you dont do a light sanding to the body the tape will pull the paint in a heart beat

also do this paint the primer let it sit for a day(it allows the paint to bond with the plastic) then on every coat you do let it sit for a day befor you mask it (allows the paint to bond with the previouse paint job)

then after your all done painting pull the tape where the backing meet each other and pull it slowly do these steps and you shouldnt have any more problems

heres the list

1:sand all parts to be painted with 600-2000 grit

2:paint primer and let it air out a full day

3:paint the other colors and let them sit a full day in between masking

4:pull tape with the backing toutching slowly