57' chevy custom.

[Corvette.Jeff]

Hi, im going to be doing a 57' chevy here pretty soon, but i need some help. One thing ill need help on is the paint. i want it to be black, i have an airbrush and finding paint wont be a problem. the problem i will have is making it super shiny. how can i do this? i know i need to put a clear coat on but ive never used it before, so can i buy it at hobby lobby like i do paint? and do i just spray it on with my brush like the paint? im most likely going to be laying down a coat of primer(out of a spray can) but do i sand the body down in between coats/ what about sanding down the paint? do i do it the same as the primer? and of course hte clear do i sand i down? and how many coats do i need to put down?

also i bought some really cool wheels for it, they are fujimii wheels that are scaled to 335 in the rear and 255 in the frnt. what will i need to do to fit these in the wells/ i know ill need to tub at least the back but what about the front?

also how do i strip the bumpers chrome off? and could i mold the bumpers in with bondo?

also i would like to know how to put some negative camber on the wheels how can i do it/

the kit is just a basic revell 57' belair kit.

thanks, Jeff

[jbwelda]

well thats a lot of questions, but let me just say that painting is an art, and its something you have to get used to and get your own rhythm and procedures down to make a successful paint job. lots of other people here have better cred to talk about painting than i do but i wont let that stop me!

the secret to deep black paint like you want is a super smooth but light while still covering well, coat of the color, black. under that though, the body should have been primed and smoothed (any wrinkles in the body work are going to show up big time with shiny black) and then the primer polished down with 6000 or 8000 grit polishing cloth. then the color, in as light a coat you can do with good coverage. this is where the airbrush comes in because with an airbrush you can precisely control the flow of paint and build up a super smooth but thin color coat. if you use a spray can, like i do, you cant really get smooth light coats so you have to

approach it differently and thats where the sanding between coats comes in. with a can at some point youre going to have to attain a glossy surface and that means you will have to basically "flow" on a color coat. and often that builds up too much paint, or you get a phenonom called "orange peel" where the surface of the paint resembles the surface of an orange peel. in both these cases you probably want to sand with some fairly aggressive cloth, 1000 - 2000 grit to smooth the surface, and then maybe shoot another coat if you think you can get it smoother. typically with the airbrush you can control the depth of paint that you probably wont have to sand. remember: especially with "glamour" finishes, sanding means the possibility of burning through the paint and total disaster, esp in the later coats, so in part thats why there are clear coats. typically i again use canned clear coat,

testors model master or my favorite tamiya clear. you can build up some paint depth on your thin color coat with the clear, and get a nice sheen.

now at this point it depends on what youve got and what you want. your paint job might look good now, but it looks like "paint" instead of a "finish". this is especially important when you want to get a deep deep black...this is what gives it its real "look" of depth. you need to get a polishing kit consisting of like 8 or 10 micro polishing cloths, and polish the clear once it is good and dry.

follow the instructions that come with the kit and by the time you have worked your way down to the 12,000 grit (yep thats fine!) you will be amazed at what you are looking at! it will be mirror finish, deep as a well and if your body work is up to the challenge, smooth as silk!

hopefully this wasnt too boring but do realize paint is what most probably find the most challenging thing to a model, so youre in with good company!

[philo426]

Spray on about 5 coats,use a polishing kit to rub it out and then apply a wet coat od clear gloss with a small amount of black.

[LDO]

If that bad boy is 57 feet long, you're going to need a lot of paint.

deja vu? http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18606