Getting Started

[Crazy8]

Well folks the actual building of the work bench is complete. just got a few tools and supplies needed but here it is. These pictures were takin before I started using it last night, and its working great. I am going to add two more 16" LED light strips and that will do pretty good for light.

Here is what it looked like after it was built and before loading the shelves up.

Full view.

Up close and you can see the Ferarri California I am working on.

Shelves all loaded up. See the darkness of the bottom shelves? I am going to put the other two LED light strips on the bottom of the top shelves which will not only provide me the added light on the bench that I need but also light up the shelves and see what is on them.

[Crazy8]

Well I got some paint on the ferarri last night. I am using ModelMasters "Fire Red". I wasnt sure if it would look close to Ferarri red or not but it seemed like a cool color to try. Well it looks GREAT. I sanded the primer (1000) last night just to smooth it out then started to apply paint. I need to get another can to put on another layer or two, to also smooth out a few spots. Over all it looks great but the pictures dont help my case much. Anyway here is the candy.

I also got a can of ModelMasters Ultra Gloss. I hope that once I get that on after the paint and then do a polish and wax that all of that will really make it pop. I still have not gotten any sand paper over 2000. How should I be doing my clearcoats/sandings? SHould I be doing 1 layer at a time and then sand with 1000,2000,and higher between each coat and maybe doing 4 or 5 coats total?

[Jdurg]

Whenever I have done clearcoats, I have typically done so after putting on my three or, if there was a lot of orange peel, four color coats and sanded after each of them. For the final color coat, I generally do a very light "sanding" with rubbing compound to take down the high parts of it. My goal is to have it be smooth, but then have a little bit of a "fuzz" on it which lets me know that the clear coat will have something to grab onto. A VERY thorough washing with soap and water to make sure any greases/oils/waxes are off the surface, and letting it dry is then key.

For the clear coat application, I generally only use one fairly "wet" coat of clear. Too much clear and the paint coat starts to look too "thick" and extra layers of clear don't really add anything but a greater chance of having the color turn yellow over the years. I say just go with one "wet" coat of clear to seal up the color layer. If your pain application technique is proper, there won't be a lot of orange peel in your clear coat. In addition, proper sanding/smoothing of the primer and color coats underneath will give a super smooth finish for the clear to go over. Then, I don't even break out the sandpaper for the clear coat. I just use rubbing compound and polishing compound since the clear finish shouldn't really require any sanding on it if the base coats are done well enough.

While the pictures are of poor quality, head into the "Under Glass" forum and take a look at the photos I posted under the "2005 Corvette Completed" thread. I got that color and finish by using two coats of primer, and two coats of color with proper sanding/rubbing out after each coat, then applying one "wet" coat of clear. (This was all automotive touch-up paint lacquers).

Another option for color application that may be good for a beginner is something I just discovered today. I was out at my local hobby shop because I had a $10 coupon thing I had gotten from a previous big purchase of items and also needed to get some brushes, a few colors of paint, and a semi-gloss overcoat for my interior/engine work on the '88 Vette 1/16th scale model I'm building. While looking at the paints, I noticed a "spray kit" from Testors. (9215). Taking a look, it's like an airbrush for the rattle-can folks. It's a can of propellant that connects to a bottle with a tube in it that is attached to the propellant can nozzle. Press down on the propellant spray button and a fine vapor of the paint in the attached bottle sprays out onto your target. It does not have the accuracy or control of an airbrush, and if the can is turned in any direction except directly upright you will spill paint everywhere, but to get started with using airbrushes and for painting things like chassis and interiors, it works great. I picked it up because the only semi-gloss rattle cans I could find were lacquers (which would not go over the enamel engine paints). So I was forced to either get an airbrush like thing, or find a bottle of brush paint which is almost never available in clear semi-gloss. (flat and gloss abound, but semi-gloss seems to be the forgotten one).

[Joker]

Don't forget to go to the Dollar Store and pick up some

toothpicks for applying glue,touch up paint and Baremetal foil.

Q-tips for decals and Baremetal.A paper towel holder for spills.

Cutlery trays for tools. etc etc etc

[Crazy8]

@Joker - I did exactly that a couple weeks ago when the fam decided to go to the Mall of America. There was a $ store in there and I figured I would see if I could find anything usefull for my building. Well I found a box of 1000, I think, toothpicks and I found some super small screw drivers. I think there was one more thing but I dont recall what it was. Thank you all for the added info. I have been off to a great start and have even finished one model now. looking forward to doing more. Right now I am starting a '32 ford rod I am even pushing myself further on than ever before so we will see how that goes.

thanks agin.