How to get a good white paint job?

[Sonorandog]

A lot of good advice.  I will let you know how my next white paint job turns out.

[ctruss53]

I just looked back and saw your post about how you want a really bright white.

If this is the case, and you are using an airbrush, I would suggest Frozen White from Splash Paints.

https://www.splash-paints.com/product-page/frozen-white

Splash paints work well on Tamiya primer. But you have to apply the paint in very light coats. Splash paints are kind of "hot" so if your first coat or two are too heavy, they can craze the plastic. And Splash paints cure to a matte finish, which requires a clearcoat.  I use Mr Super Clear from Mr Hobby.

 

Another tip if you airbrush the paint on.  You can take your white primer and add just a little bit of pink or light grey primer to the mix just to tint the primer ever so slightly. This will help you see where you applied the paint.  While I prefer white primer under white paint, it is sometimes hard to see whats painted and whats not.

[ctruss53]

Oh, wait.

Getting that link from Splash Paints, I found this.  Whitest White.

https://www.splash-paints.com/product-page/whitest-white

 

[Straightliner59]

I painted this in about 1986 or so. I don't remember the manufacturer, but the paint was called "Bright White Tint". It had a blue tint, to it, to combat yellowing. It was clear coated with Floquil Crystal Cote. You can see yellowing of the epoxy I used to install the windshield, and of some of the decal adhesive, but the white is as white as ever.

[slusher]

Tamiya fine white Primer in light coats you can use Tamiya pure or racing white and then clear or Testors white enamel and no clear. Both works for me.

[KWT]

The first step to any white paint job, is the white primer... my opinion...

For white paint ( whether it's straight up white or pearl white/white lightning), it's white primer - white paint of choice - clear if needed.

And the whitest of white to me has been Tamiya Ts26 "pure white"... again, my opinion...

 

[carrucha]

On 6/26/2023 at 4:33 PM, karbuildr said:

You can try Tamiya TS-26 Pure White in the spray can with TS-13 Clear. They're both model friendly lacquers. I've used TS-26 a few times. Doesn't fade and the color won't shift like Testors enamel. You can also decant the TS-26 if you wish to airbrush it. Either way it sprays very nicely.

I have had good results with this combo.  I always lay the paint on top of Tamiya white primer for the best results.

[Sonorandog]

I appreciate all of the great advice.  Using all my newfound knowledge I put down a pretty good white paint job.  Then the clear coat did not go so well.

I used Createx paint and clear.  I was very happy with the paint and wish I would have taken a picture to share,  Instead I thought I would wait until after the clear and show off a great paint job.  The results are acceptable, mainly because this has been in process for over a year.  At some point I have to finish it.

[Dave G.]

Createx clear just takes polishing. If you put it down with no orange peel just a couple applications of something like Formula 1 Scratch out will gloss it right up. Even their 4030 will buff up this way. I like their UVLS 4050 clear. UVLS 4053 clear is supposed to have more of a wet look, I'm not a fan of the so called wet look as the era cars I build didn't have that.