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Posted

Hi all,

Since getting into the hobby again recently and gotten a few builds done, I'm finding that I'm causing damage to the nicely painted pieces during assembly. Maybe I'm not being patient enough or what,I'm not sure. It seems to get more difficult as the build progresses.

So my question is, does anyone have any tips, techniques, or processes you've learned to help minimize wear and tear as you're building?

Thanks!

Art

Posted

Are you talking about parts painted with spray or bottle paints? I have found that if I spray paint most all of the parts (even the small stuff) that the finishes are much tougher than bottle paints.

Posted

One minor thing I do is leave the transmission in bare plastic until right before it's installed in the chassis. This allows me to handle it by the unpainted part and not damage the paint or make me paint it more than once. I also try to drill any spark plug wire holes before paint, just to avoid having to paint the same part multiple times.

Posted

I keep a box of those cheap latex "powder free" gloves on my work bench. I use them when I assemble pre-painted parts, especially chrome or flat colors. They keep natural skin oils from being absorbed by the finishes. Besides, if I get a little adhesive on my digits it's a simple matter to dispose of the glove rather than inadvertently transferring it to my fresh paint.

Posted

Latex gloves from Harbor Freight to keep my paint-eating perspiration off the model.

I build so slow I know my paint has cured but I do protect the painted body in a clear storage box.

I paint the transmission but will drill a hole in the front of the engine block to insert a stiff wire or tube to hold it.

During final assembly I used to lay the chassis on a paper towel. Now I use black foam for the craft store. It runs less than a $1 a sheet

If I have any concerns about final fit or alignment of parts I will pre-drill holes for inserting pins made from .020 or .032 brass rod.

Posted

Gentlemen,

Thanks for your responses. That's exactly the kind of discussion I was hoping to have. I know that my mistakes aren't causing huge flaws, but incorporating some of the tips and precautions above, and adhering to my own processes will go a long way. With every build I am learning what NOT to do! I appreciate all of your input.

-Art

Posted

I've found that it's easy to damage the lower corners of a painted body during assembly or mock up. I use tamiya tape on the sensitive areas during mock up or assembly to prevent damage.

DSCN0591.jpg

I tried using soft cloth at the fender corners, but is does not work as well as the tape.

Posted

I have wrapped parts or assemblies with tin foil to protect it from handling. I have tried it on trans housings, and even whole painted bodies... although I open up a tissue and sandwich it between the body and the foil to protect the paint.

Posted

Latex gloves from Harbor Freight to keep my paint-eating perspiration off the model.

Be careful with cheap powdered latex gloves, latex is an alergen and the cheap gloves usually use recycled latex which is even worse. I was only working about a year as an EMT when I developed a nasty allergy to the gloves.

Obviously I wore them more than an average modeler but it only took a year for me to develop an alergy, swollen eyes, red blotches on my hands and arms, and difficulty breathing and several trips to the emergency room until it was narrowed down to the gloves.

It is worth paying just a bit more for a good powder free latex glove or even better nitrile gloves. When you look at the prices it comes down to pennies per glove to use a good quality one. The nitrile gloves are really tough too, so you could probably re-use them a few times if you are really thrifty.

Sorry for the safety sally side track. :rolleyes:

Posted

I know what you go thru as I have felt the same way when it comes to putting it all together. One of the reasons that I paint the body and all the parts and let them sit in the clean plastic boxes you get at wal-mart. Some times for months on end till I feel its all dry and wont get any damage on final assembly. I right now have about 12 kits in various degrees of completion and of the 12 8 of them have been drying in the boxes up to 3 years!!! Its a great excuse to start another project, that why when Im ready the paint has had plenty of time to have dried, so little or no damage.

Any paint job can be damaged at any time, but I feel a lot better knowing that the paint should have at least cured enough not to get to damaged. If that makes any sense?

Posted

One thing I've done (actually doing right now with a build), is use Parafilm to cover areas I don't want paint wearing away from handling. Parafilm can be found on eBay, or you can check this site here.

Here's a pic of Parafilm in action..............

P7211816-vi.jpg

It's also good for putting on painted bodies (after the paint has fully dried), especially a monocoque chassis where you have to paint the body before putting the interior in such as a D-Type Jag I built which is in my signature.

HTH!

Posted (edited)

One thing I've done (actually doing right now with a build), is use Parafilm to cover areas I don't want paint wearing away from handling. Parafilm can be found on eBay, or you can check this site here.

Here's a pic of Parafilm in action..............

P7211816-vi.jpg

It's also good for putting on painted bodies (after the paint has fully dried), especially a monocoque chassis where you have to paint the body before putting the interior in such as a D-Type Jag I built which is in my signature.

HTH!

parafilm, now there is an idea,I like that idea... Nice clean building on the engine too, and i love your engine stand!

Edited by Darren B
Posted

Lots of good advice here from alot of excellent modellers....As for me I never handle my parts after there painted I let the model pixies put everything together LOL! :)

Posted

If chrome parts are going to be handled a lot during a build, I paint them with a coat of Micro Scale liquid mask. Especially useful when modifying chrome wheels or using a dremel to open up a chrome grill. When the part is ready to install, I just peel off the mask and the chrome underneath is as good as new. This would probably work on some painted finishes as well.

Posted

If chrome parts are going to be handled a lot during a build, I paint them with a coat of Micro Scale liquid mask. Especially useful when modifying chrome wheels or using a dremel to open up a chrome grill. When the part is ready to install, I just peel off the mask and the chrome underneath is as good as new. This would probably work on some painted finishes as well.

Brilliant!

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