What am I doing wrong?

[FlyingDutchman]

Great stuff everyone thanks for the input!

4 hours ago, peteski said:

Joe,  if the paint you are spraying is "hot" enough to penetrate the primer and craze the plastic surface, then of course same thing will happen when you apply it to bare plastic.  Spraying multiple  lighter coats (where the hot solvent evaporates quicker) will minimize the crazing, but will also not give you very smooth finish.

Yes makes total sense. Of course there would be crazing on both bare plastic and when applying heavy coats over primer. 

Honestly, I'm enjoying this process of learning so I'm not ruling out "hot lacquers" quite yet. They do have lot's of advantages from what I can tell. I'm going to order this kit again for a re-do. However I'm going to practice painting these Zero paints first!

[StevenGuthmiller]

You’re going to get just about as many opinions about what paints are best to use, and what should work with what, etc, as there are individuals, but in the end, you’re going to have to find your own painting regimen, and when you finally do, stick with it as long as it’s working.

I follow a lot of different forums and groups, and by far, the biggest problem most car modeling hobbyists have are paint issues.

There are always a million suggestions on what you should use as far as materials and techniques, but believe me, what works for some doesn’t necessarily translate into success for everyone.

It took me decades to settle on the regimen that I currently use, and there were hundreds of failures and a few successes along the way, but since I’ve finally settled on my current techniques and materials, I almost never end up with a failure and very rarely have to strip a paint job.

That tells me that I’m doing something right.

when you find that sweet spot you’ll know it.

Take people’s suggestions, but craft your own technique and you’ll have repeated success.

 

 

 

Steve

Edited December 21, 2022 by StevenGuthmiller

[Dave G.]

9 hours ago, FlyingDutchman said:

Great stuff everyone thanks for the input!

Yes makes total sense. Of course there would be crazing on both bare plastic and when applying heavy coats over primer. 

Honestly, I'm enjoying this process of learning so I'm not ruling out "hot lacquers" quite yet. They do have lot's of advantages from what I can tell. I'm going to order this kit again for a re-do. However I'm going to practice painting these Zero paints first!

You have the right attitude, if you want to learn the ways of a given paint then work with it. Keep investigating and trying new approaches from what your original concept was. That's how I conquered craft and artist acrylics. I've been perfecting airbrushing these for several years now. And now Createx ( also acrylic) is coming right along. I haven't abandoned solvent paints but rather added to them.

[bobthehobbyguy]

11 hours ago, FlyingDutchman said:

Great stuff everyone thanks for the input!

Yes makes total sense. Of course there would be crazing on both bare plastic and when applying heavy coats over primer. 

Honestly, I'm enjoying this process of learning so I'm not ruling out "hot lacquers" quite yet. They do have lot's of advantages from what I can tell. I'm going to order this kit again for a re-do. However I'm going to practice painting these Zero paints first!

You've picked the best way to figure out what works for painting. There are many who don't understand this is the best approach.

[Dpate]

Here are some pics of a toyota supra i just painted today in zero paints brown gray toyato color.  Each coat 10 mins each total of 5 coats. 

 

[Matt Bacon]

That looks exactly as it should. First it looks like this:

And the on goes the clear coat, and it looks like this:

The clear coat transforms what the paint looks like. With Tamiya TS or lacquer paint, you can get a pretty good-looking effect just from applying the base paint well, or applying it then polishing it directly with, say, Novus. Mostly, the TS-13 clear coat is an option. With Zero Paints, both the base layer and clear are essential to the final appearance. It's not just the shine, but the clear deepens and makes the base colour richer...

best,

M.

[BlackSheep214]

Looks like orange peel to me. Strip and start over is usually my mantra. 

However... you will get a lot of difference of opinions on what’s happening. Too little primer, paint sprayed on too thick, use brand primer to the paint, paint lacquer too hot,  etc... 

I use Rustoleum brand primer 100% of the time because it’s enamel, cheap and last a long time. Plays nice with enamels, acrylics, and lacquers. When in doubt, test on a mule kit or plastic spoon.

I’d love to get my hand so on the Diamond clearcoat set but I never can find it available/in stock everytime I look.

My advice... strip and start over. Test on a mule kit or plastic spoon until you find your sweet spot on the thinner:paint ratio.