j_in_larryville Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 First time poster here so I apologize if I break any unwritten rules. I am getting back into the model car hobbie to quench my need to work with cars. I have just completed 2 builds with moderiate success, a '49 Merc and a '70 Baldwin Motion Chevelle. I am somewhat happy with my ability but am getting really frustrated with painting the tiny detail parts like battery cables and other little wires. I have been looking around for tiny brushes and do now have a suprt tiny detail brush, but I think it may be more to do with my technique. In looking at the pics of member builds I an completely blown away by your skills and definately want to get there, as far as brush painting what tips would you have as far as technique and even types of paint used. I am using Testors paint now but if theirs something better Ill try it. Im about to start a '70 Boss 429 for my wife and really want to impress her. Thanks in advance and I WILL have more questions in the future.
Jordan White Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 Hi, welcome to the forums and the hobby! I would suggest looking at a local craft/hobby store (Micheal's/Hobby Lobby/etc.) for a set of paint pens. They come in various tip sizes and make painting thin or small details a breeze. I have a white one for tires and a silver one for trim/gauges/etc.
Junkman Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 I do a lot of detailing with a paint brush myself. And the golden rule is that you must stir the paints thoroughly. I stir my paints for at least a cigarette length before I use them. That's around 7 minutes for a non smoker. Stir, stir, stir, stir. That's more important, than the best brush or a special technique, which probably doesn't exist anyway.
whale392 Posted February 3, 2010 Posted February 3, 2010 If you are using the square bottle Testors paints (personal opinion alert), switch to at least Testors 'Model Master' brand round jar paints.....to me they seem to be a better quality and go on easier and more presice. As others have mentioned, Micheals or other craft stores would be a good source for fine brushes (have at least one 1/4", 0, 000, 5/0, and 10/0 in your stash/supply of brushes). That is really all I can think of for the moment, besides working in a well lit area and take good care of the brushes (good brushes are not cheap, but will last quite a long time with love and proper care).
beefheart22 Posted February 4, 2010 Posted February 4, 2010 (edited) It took me some trial and error to come up with a decent technique. I work with acrylic paints (Tamiya) because they clean up easy and Model Master is a brand many swear by. If your local hobby shop has a Tamiya rack, it probably has some Tamiya brushes. Try their fine brush. I use it for my itty-bitty work and I've never cussed using that brush. I think I dropped $8 on it, but it's still as good as new one year later. Stir before using for best results. If the bottle of paint starts to get glorpy (or too thick n' chunky), thin it out to the consistency of melted ice cream or whatever looks about right. When you bush the paint on, try lightly dipping your brush in some thinner first. Then when you put your brush on the detail to be painted, it should just flow off the bristles all over the raised detail or small part. I find it makes the paint job look way smoother when it "flowed" off the bristles. With that said, use the right size brush for the job size. Few strokes as possible. For bigger jobs, I spray with a rattle can, but for some stuff that may be impractical to hit with a rattle can could be brushed on in several thin layers. Gloss colors are a sinch, metallics can be a pain, flat black will almost always look brushed on and rough in large amounts. This is what works for me. Good luck! Nathan Edited February 4, 2010 by beefheart22
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