Paint question

[Donny]

Recently I saw the IMO mauve metallic paint job on a I think it was a '32 Ford. I've been checking around trying to locate it again, no luck so far. Next question, can I get a great finish from a rattle can paint job, I don't want to have to buy auto paint, too expensive and to big a quantity yes I'm a newbie, as you will gather as time goes on. A lot has changed in the last forty years. All help appreciated. Thanks.

Donny     

[Dave G.]

Great is subjective, and also dependent. It assumes a quality product and acquired skills. Then yes, you can get an excellent paint job from rattle cans. Now if you take paint designed for a barbecue grill, blast it on there and expect show car results as is, you're likely very mistaken.

[peteski]

Donny, you didn't mention how experienced you are in model building. If this will be your first model, I would not expect the paint job to magically turn out "great".  There is a learning curve involved in the prep/building/paint process.  Your character traits (like fastidiousness or lack of it) will also play an important role in your build/paint quality.  Your expectations are also very personal.  What you consider "great" might not be the same as what someone else considers "great".  Some modeler spend months building and finishing their models, others are happy with a quick (sometimes sloppy) 2-day build.

Edited 17 hours ago by peteski

[Mike 1017]

I think that I have 4 "perfect" paint jobs after chasing them for 30 years. 

Good Luck

Mike 

[stitchdup]

It just takes practise. some paint brands can be better than others to help achieve good paitjobs but in reality practise will get you better results than brand names. I've seen great paintjobs from awful paint and i've seen awful paintjobs from good brands. the best advice is probably stick to one type and brand of paint to begin with then add others as you progress. also just because 2 paints are the acrylic, it doesn't mean they will be compatible. and enamel paint should always be used last if you are mixing paint types as it will react under other paints but can be used over them, though i would stick to acrylics at the start. it generally has a faster drying time and is a little more forgiving to work with than enamels. enamels can still be soft weeks later while acrylic should be safe to handle after only a couple of hours, though i tend to leave them overnight. 

[Bainford]

Yes, one can obtain great paint from a rattle can. Keep in mind though, that the path to achieving great paint is a journey. Even the best builders can be tested by a paint job. It is a career-long pursuit. 

To start, use quality products intended for model building, Tamiya and Mr Color paints are highly recommended, as are others. They are not the cheapest, by far, but they will be the most hassle-free, and will eliminate many of the variables that non-hobby paints will throw at you. Once some experience has been gained, you can experiment with other brands, such as Duplicolor, etc.

Great paint jobs begin at the preparation stage; eliminating mold lines and block sanding across panel gaps, filling sink-marks, and other body corrections, but I wouldn't get too wrapped around the axel on this stuff if you are at beginner level. I would focus on getting rid of the mold lines, scuffing and washing the body, and using a compatible primer under your paint. And remember, if you screw it up, there are several effective methods of stripping paint from a car body. If you want to get deeper into prep, there is a lot of info on this forum, or just ask the group.

Truley great paint will require advanced techniques such as cutting (colour sanding) & polishing, as well as years of trial & error. It all depends on how far you want to go with it, the level of greatness you strive for. Don't get discouraged, and ask questions if problems are incurred.

If you are at all serious about the hobby, consider a good quality (not necessarily expensive) airbrush. Then, the trials & tribulations really start.😉

Edited 21 hours ago by Bainford
typo

[Donny]

8 hours ago, Dave G. said:

Great is subjective, and also dependent. It assumes a quality product and acquired skills. Then yes, you can get an excellent paint job from rattle cans. Now if you take paint designed for a barbecue grill, blast it on there and expect show car results as is, you're likely very mistaken.

Thanks David, I wasn't sure if it was possible to get a good result from a rattle can. Didn't want to go spending the hard earned on them and not be able to get at least a possible good result. I would assume it's more difficult than with an airbrush which I have.

Don 

[Donny]

8 hours ago, peteski said:

Donny, you didn't mention how experienced you are in model building. If this will be your first model, I would not expect the paint job to magically turn out "great".  There is a learning curve involved in the prep/building/paint process.  Your character traits (like fastidiousness or lack of it) will also play an important role in your build/paint quality.  Your expectations are also very personal.  What you consider "great" might not be the same as what someone else considers "great".  Some modeler spend months building and finishing their models, theirs are happy with a quick (sometimes sloppy) 2-day build.

Thanks Peter, experience with model cars, too long ago to remember if I got an "acceptable" level. I have just finished, well almost a model railroad HO diorama for my grand son, so I have some modelling experience, but that is streets away from modelling cars. To me, MRR is more about building than the finesse required to build and finish a model car. I'm watching heaps of vids on YouTube to get a good idea of what I've got back into - "my God". 😀 I am a bit of a perfectionist, so hope this will give me the patience to build some great models, patience is the key for me, sometimes doesn't work, but I'm happy to spend the time to get it as best as I can. 

[Donny]

6 hours ago, Mike 1017 said:

I think that I have 4 "perfect" paint jobs after chasing them for 30 years. 

Good Luck

Mike 

Hi Mike, don't think I'll get a "perfect" paint job, my skill levels won't stretch to that.

Don

[Ace-Garageguy]

21 minutes ago, Donny said:

...I wasn't sure if it was possible to get a good result from a rattle can.

Yes, it's possible.

It takes practice and quality materials.

I shot this orange Chevelle with Testors, made for models. "Fiery orange" rattlecan lacquer with their "wet look" rattlecan clear.

The Olds hood below was shot with Duplicolor rattlecan "mica" green, also with Testors lacquer rattlecan clear. 

NEITHER of these have been colorsanded and polished. They're just exactly the way I laid the paint down.

[Donny]

6 hours ago, stitchdup said:

It just takes practise. some paint brands can be better than others to help achieve good paitjobs but in reality practise will get you better results than brand names. I've seen great paintjobs from awful paint and i've seen awful paintjobs from good brands. the best advice is probably stick to one type and brand of paint to begin with then add others as you progress. also just because 2 paints are the acrylic, it doesn't mean they will be compatible. and enamel paint should always be used last if you are mixing paint types as it will react under other paints but can be used over them, though i would stick to acrylics at the start. it generally has a faster drying time and is a little more forgiving to work with than enamels. enamels can still be soft weeks later while acrylic should be safe to handle after only a couple of hours, though i tend to leave them overnight. 

Thanks Les, I'm thinking the paint types/brands will be my biggest hurdle to overcome. Think I will stick with acrylics to start with get some experience with that and go from there. I have used acrylics in MRR. Any brands you would recommend?

Don

[stitchdup]

I'm on an island in scotland so i started with duplicolour auto acrylics and only recently got a local source for tamiya. I'm sure other folk can recomend hobby brands better than me. your railroad paints might be a good place to start since you have experience with those brands and its very likely the same stuff in a different jar/tin. if you have any tabletop gaming type shops nearby they can be a source of paints too. but if you are unsure the left over sprues make great places to test if a paint will work for you or is compatible with your primer or other paint. I have seen some of the aussie guys using a local to you brand called sms possibly. if you look through coolhand's threads he used them on some models and it looked like good paint.

[Donny]

5 hours ago, Bainford said:

Yes, one can obtain great paint from a rattle can. Keep in mind though, that the path to achieving great paint is a journey. Even the best builders can be tested by a paint job. It is a career-long pursuit. 

To start, use quality products intended for model building, Tamiya and Mr Color paints are highly recommended, as are others. They are not the cheapest, by far, but they will be the most hassle-free, and will eliminate many of the variables that non-hobby paints will throw at you. Once some experience has been gained, you can experiment with other brands, such as Duplicolor, etc.

Great paint jobs begin at the preparation stage; eliminating mold lines and block sanding across panel gaps, filling sink-marks, and other body corrections, but I wouldn't get too wrapped around the axel on this stuff if you are at beginner level. I would focus on getting rid of the mold lines, scuffing and washing the body, and using a compatible primer under your paint. And remember, if you screw it up, there are several effective methods of stripping paint from a car body. If you want to get deeper into prep, there is a lot of info on this forum, or just ask the group.

Truley great paint will require advanced techniques such as cutting (colour sanding) & polishing, as well as years of trial & error. It all depends on how far you want to go with it, the level of greatness you strive for. Don't get discouraged, and ask questions if problems are incurred.

If you are at all serious about the hobby, consider a good quality (not necessarily expensive) airbrush. Then, the trials & tribulations really start.😉

HI Trevor, I asked about the rattle can as I thought it might be a better way to start rather than messing with an airbrush, which I have - a Paasche Talon, and yes I found out about the "trials and tribulations" with an airbrush, still wrestling with that, although the requirements for airbrushing with MRR are a LOT different to modeling cars - finish wise. I have watched a few videos about prep, so have a pretty good idea what is required there, of course, knowing and doing is a completely different thing. I'll go with your suggestions re Tamiya and Mr Color paint, as I rather start eliminating what problems I can from the outset. Thanks a lot for the good advice, really appreciate it. Oh, and I ordered a big box of patience to come with my first kits.😄

Don 

[Donny]

36 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Yes, it's possible.

It takes practice and quality materials.

I shot this orange Chevelle with Testors, made for models. "Fiery orange" rattlecan lacquer with their "wet look" rattlecan clear.

The Olds hood below was shot with Duplicolor rattlecan "mica" green, also with Testors lacquer rattlecan clear. 

NEITHER of these have been colorsanded and polished. They're just exactly the way I laid the paint down.

Thanks Bill, if I ever get close to that level, I'll be a very happy man. love the color and the finish. You've just given me another option. I want to go in the right direction from the start, if possible. Apart from wanting to have good finishes on my models, one has to also take into account the cost of the kits and not wanting to ruin a model with the wrong procedures. The finish on the Chevelle is magic. I guess a long road ahead. Thanks for your input.

Don

[Donny]

27 minutes ago, stitchdup said:

I'm on an island in scotland so i started with duplicolour auto acrylics and only recently got a local source for tamiya. I'm sure other folk can recomend hobby brands better than me. your railroad paints might be a good place to start since you have experience with those brands and its very likely the same stuff in a different jar/tin. if you have any tabletop gaming type shops nearby they can be a source of paints too. but if you are unsure the left over sprues make great places to test if a paint will work for you or is compatible with your primer or other paint. I have seen some of the aussie guys using a local to you brand called sms possibly. if you look through coolhand's threads he used them on some models and it looked like good paint.

Thanks mate, I'm out west, place called Yamanto - Ipswich, only one hobby shop close by, bit of a drive to the others. Scotland, my ancestors are from the Cameron clan - don't hold that against me LOL, hence my name Donald Cameron Ridgeway. Thanks I'll look up Coolhand, I've used SMS on the MRR, good paint.

Don

[Cool Hand]

Hey Donny,

 Seeing as you are trying to get into the model car hobby it would be best to start with a paint system that is user friendly and with a bit of trial and error and some practice, good results are easily achievable.

 

My suggestion would be to find the nearest local well stocked hobby store, and have a look at the Tamiya and Mr Hobby brands.  

 

A good paint job starts with the foundation. These are excellent primers and surfacers. I feel the Mr Hobby Surfacer range is better as it lays down a very smooth satin finish.

 

 

But seeing you mentioned having an airbrush, that opens up a lot more options. But that will require a bit more learning and practice to become familiar with brand of choice.

 

A go to brand for us Aussie car modellers is The Scale Modeller Supply  which can be found in many hobby shops in QLD. Quality paint brand with a wide range of colours and user friendly.

Another competitor Aussie brand is Model paint Company again quality paint and user friendly.

Between those 2 brands you are spoilt for choice and should cover all colour requirements.

 

You are on the right track, researching here and on Youtube, both sites will supply you with a good understanding of the current range of brands and techniques.

Just have go, you'll be right mate.

 

 

[Zoom Zoom]

Tamiya TS spray lacquers are excellent. After you've watched some videos on paint prep, priming, painting consider getting a can of TS-59 Pearl Light Red, it's a mauve-like pink. These paints are designed for modelers for plastic models (not 1:1 cars) and apply very smooth as long as you've done a good job on body prep and use a good quality Tamiya or Mr. Hobby white primer. Their TS-13 gloss clear is also almost fool-proof. 

Grab some white plastic spoons to test out the various spray paints you want to use before committing to spraying the actual model body.

[peteski]

6 hours ago, Donny said:

Thanks Peter, experience with model cars, too long ago to remember if I got an "acceptable" level. I have just finished, well almost a model railroad HO diorama for my grand son, so I have some modelling experience, but that is streets away from modelling cars. To me, MRR is more about building than the finesse required to build and finish a model car. I'm watching heaps of vids on YouTube to get a good idea of what I've got back into - "my God". 😀 I am a bit of a perfectionist, so hope this will give me the patience to build some great models, patience is the key for me, sometimes doesn't work, but I'm happy to spend the time to get it as best as I can. 

Donny, sounds like you have what it takes to be good automotive modeler, but you will still need to practice things like painting to  get to where you will be happy with your work. It will not happen overnight and expect some models where you are  not fully happoy with the results.  Nice glossy paint jobs will likely not happen overnight. 

 

I'm also a model railroader (N scale which is about half the size of H0) so I am familiar with miniature precision builds, and yes, that helps with my larger scale automotive models.

Here are N scale bumper cars.  I fabricated the master and resin-cast them. I also photoetched the steering wheels.

I repainted N scale Mercedes Sprinter, designed and printed the decals and it also has working lights.  I also a added the antenna over the windshield and photoetched the door mirrors.

This was a photo-etched brass kit from MicronArt.  The pinstripe are decals I printed and I also added many scratch-built parts.

 

Here is a larger (1:43) model of 289 Cobra.  Plenty of kit and added-on details.

And I also build 1:24 scale kits.

The reason I showed you samples of my work is to let you know that I have been actively building models for over 40 years, and I consider myself a fastidious person.  My early models did not look like any of these. 

Edited 11 hours ago by peteski

[Fat Brian]

Yes, you can get good results from cans. I would strongly suggest sticking with hobby paints at first, not all types of spray paints play nice together and you can minimize the risk of those issues by keeping to one brand or type of paint. I know they're more expensive but any value gained by trying general use paints is usually lost in time stripping it and ruined parts that have to be replaced.

One of the most important things that improved my paint jobs was wet sanding my primer. Out of the can primer is too rough and paint won't lay down smooth on it. Hitting it with 1500 grit under the faucet makes a huge difference. 

Another thing is building up the paint slowly. Cans put out a lot of paint so giving it a few minutes to tack up between coats can help prevent runs. Another aspect of this is how far away you hold the can, too close and you gets runs but too far and the paint texture is rough. 

[Donny]

7 hours ago, Cool Hand said:

Hey Donny,

 Seeing as you are trying to get into the model car hobby it would be best to start with a paint system that is user friendly and with a bit of trial and error and some practice, good results are easily achievable.

 

My suggestion would be to find the nearest local well stocked hobby store, and have a look at the Tamiya and Mr Hobby brands.  

 

A good paint job starts with the foundation. These are excellent primers and surfacers. I feel the Mr Hobby Surfacer range is better as it lays down a very smooth satin finish.

 

 

But seeing you mentioned having an airbrush, that opens up a lot more options. But that will require a bit more learning and practice to become familiar with brand of choice.

 

A go to brand for us Aussie car modellers is The Scale Modeller Supply  which can be found in many hobby shops in QLD. Quality paint brand with a wide range of colours and user friendly.

Another competitor Aussie brand is Model paint Company again quality paint and user friendly.

Between those 2 brands you are spoilt for choice and should cover all colour requirements.

 

You are on the right track, researching here and on Youtube, both sites will supply you with a good understanding of the current range of brands and techniques.

Just have go, you'll be right mate.

 

 

Hey Luke, thanks for your help, another Aussie 'eh? I need to practice a lot with the airbrush for painting cars, so far I have used it mainly for scenery for my grandson's model railway, so as you can appreciate, finish as in mirror, is not super necessary, so I haven't had to be too fussy, but now with cars and show finish's, this is a whole different ball game, so lots of practice coming up. Need to buy a few packets of spoons, I guess. Not too clued up on auto model paints, is surface primer and surfacer the same thing? Thanks for your comments and advice, I'll let you know how I go. What part of Oz are you from?    

[Donny]

6 hours ago, peteski said:

Donny, sounds like you have what it takes to be good automotive modeler, but you will still need to practice things like painting to  get to where you will be happy with your work. It will not happen overnight and expect some models where you are  not fully happoy with the results.  Nice glossy paint jobs will likely not happen overnight. 

 

I'm also a model railroader (N scale which is about half the size of H0) so I am familiar with miniature precision builds, and yes, that helps with my larger scale automotive models.

Here are N scale bumper cars.  I fabricated the master and resin-cast them. I also photoetched the steering wheels.

I repainted N scale Mercedes Sprinter, designed and printed the decals and it also has working lights.  I also a added the antenna over the windshield and photoetched the door mirrors.

This was a photo-etched brass kit from MicronArt.  The pinstripe are decals I printed and I also added many scratch-built parts.

 

Here is a larger (1:43) model of 289 Cobra.  Plenty of kit and added-on details.

And I also build 1:24 scale kits.

The reason I showed you samples of my work is to let you know that I have been actively building models for over 40 years, and I consider myself a fastidious person.  My early models did not look like any of these. 

Nice models Peter, love that Cobra. I've had a couple of layouts over the years, but unfortunately invested in a financial institution that went bust and lost my money and house, (bad advice) so I had to move about a bit, rentals are not the best place to have a MRR layout. Anyway that's in the past, the layout is just a diorama, small shelf thing for my grandson, which is pretty well done. My turn now, got a couple of kits coming, so when I get going, I'll post some progress pics to get advice on. Don't think I'll ever get to your level.

Don 

[stitchdup]

12 hours ago, Donny said:

Thanks mate, I'm out west, place called Yamanto - Ipswich, only one hobby shop close by, bit of a drive to the others. Scotland, my ancestors are from the Cameron clan - don't hold that against me LOL, hence my name Donald Cameron Ridgeway. Thanks I'll look up Coolhand, I've used SMS on the MRR, good paint.

Don

ridgeway might be a scottish name too, theres a couple of families called it here

[Donny]

12 minutes ago, stitchdup said:

ridgeway might be a scottish name too, theres a couple of families called it here

I've actually got Scots on both sides of my family. My mum comes from Manchester but has Scots on her dad's side. My great grand dad was a Scot, don't know much about that though. A couple of years ago, when we were in the UK, I bought a book about the Cameron clan, but it went missing somewhere along the way, so I never got to learn much about the Camerons. Getting too old to worry now, and with the internet there's a lot to learn anyway.

[Cool Hand]

4 hours ago, Donny said:

Hey Luke, thanks for your help, another Aussie 'eh? I need to practice a lot with the airbrush for painting cars, so far I have used it mainly for scenery for my grandson's model railway, so as you can appreciate, finish as in mirror, is not super necessary, so I haven't had to be too fussy, but now with cars and show finish's, this is a whole different ball game, so lots of practice coming up. Need to buy a few packets of spoons, I guess. Not too clued up on auto model paints, is surface primer and surfacer the same thing? Thanks for your comments and advice, I'll let you know how I go. What part of Oz are you from?    

Like I said just have a go and see how things turn out.

As others have mentioned first couple builds will be all about learning and practice. You will learn fast by experiencing the process and seeing what area's will need improvement and dialling in the techniques. And there are many on the forum who will help and answer the questions you will have.  

Hobby surfacer primers and finishing surfacers have much finer pigments, self level, fill fine scratches which will result in a smoother surface.

Im from Port Pirie (aka Lead City) South Australia

 

Edited 46 minutes ago by Cool Hand