jayhkr Posted February 14, 2012 Posted February 14, 2012 Hello everyone, I've been reading tons of info here on this forum and thought it was about time to introduce myself and say HI. I, like a lot of other people I see, have taken this hobby back up after 20+ years of being away from it. The last model I built was so long ago and now there are all these new techniques and tricks I feel like a duck out of water. Basically I wanted to give everyone a run down of what I have in my arsenal and get some advice on what to get as far as priorities go. Yes a spray booth would be nice (live in an apartment) but not necessary right now (don't like my neighbors anyway). Maybe a paint shaker but I may just head up to HF and get a small vice clamp and use that in my jig saw. Anyway I have an assortment of paint brushes, window glue (dries clear) x-acto knife with basic blade, tweezers, toothpicks, brush cleaner/restorer, assortment of (dare I say) testors 1/4oz bottles (told you I was old school) sandpaper from 320-12000, an old dehydrator with adjustable temperature knob (and a thermometer inside for good measure), and somewhere yet to be found a pachee airbrush I bought about 15 years ago. I did pick up some rust-oleum primer as I read that helps too. (Now on to the questions) I am currently working on a Monogram '59 Corvette that I actually found in my parents attic when I moved. Hence why I'm back into this hobby. I have done the primer and tried the mist coating then wet coating. Guess I'm still used to just "spray and pray". So where I'm at now with the body is a few coats of black gloss enamel that I have sanded a few times in between color coats. Now I have it sitting in the dehydrator and it's been about 24 hours. How long should I let it sit in there before I put a clear coat on? After the 1st clear coat, how long do I wait till either I sand or put another coat on? After each coat of clear do I up the grit for sanding or do I just put a few coats of clear on then progressively sand with finer grit till 12000? After 12000, is that when the polishing compound begins and after a once over with that I assume the wax goes on (just as with a real car?) I have some Megs 105 and 205 polishing compound I use on my pickup truck I assume I want to use the lesser abrasive 205 for polishing? Then I have some really nice Natty's Poor Boy wax for dark colored cars, it's a solid that pretty much turns to a liquid with a temperature of my hand. So but yeah, that's me in a nut shell. After spending all this time on this forum I think I need a break and go back to building that model now. Thanks again everyone! Sincerely The New Guy, Edward
jayhkr Posted February 18, 2012 Author Posted February 18, 2012 Well after 40 views I thought SOMEONE would had commented. Guess not.
Foxer Posted February 18, 2012 Posted February 18, 2012 I'll jump in and maybe some others will jump in. You sound to be pretty well eqipped .. better than me. Sanding the body depends on how good a coat you get. It is recommend to sand between every coat I know and sounds like you are. I usually wait a week with enamals before doing anything else. Sould be much less with a dehydrator. As far as the compound syou have, I'd spray a spare body, or any chunl of plastic, and test them on it before doing a finished body. Not a lot of specific help, I know, but I'd say you pretty much got things right and can't go much wrong.
Ramfins59 Posted February 18, 2012 Posted February 18, 2012 Hello Edward. I personally don't have any experience using a dehydrator so I'm sorry that I can't give you any advice on that. The only time I've used polishing kits was about 10 to 12 years ago when I was still painting with enamels. I got tired of the long drying time for enamels and switched to using lacquer spray paints with a good primer/sealer first. I now use Novus 2 plastic polish to polish out my models after they are clearcoated. I'm really surprised that you have not gotten any responses to your questions. The only reason I can think of is that not many people have answers for you... Don't get discouraged by this. You'll find that people on this Forum are extremely helpful and full of advice for newcomers. Good luck with your build.
jayhkr Posted February 19, 2012 Author Posted February 19, 2012 Thank you both. I have had my body, hood and trunk in the dehydrator for about 6 days. I unfortunately left it on while I'm out on business so it'll be at least another 5 days before I get back to it. Just means that it'll be SUPER ready for clearcoat. How many coats do you put on of clear? I was thinking of 3-4 with progressively finer sanding in between. After the last sanding of 12000 do I put one more coat of clear on or go straight in to polish? I'm really looking forward and getting excited to see how the body will turn out. I want to practice on this model and maybe one more before I do my big project for my wife. She has always had a fascination with the '68 Ford Mustang so that will be what I'm shooting for to be the absolute best show quality piece I can make for her. One day I just may surprise her with a real one. Thanks for the replies and I had no doubt that this forum would be great, it takes a lot more than that to discourage me!
my66s55 Posted February 19, 2012 Posted February 19, 2012 I have one suggestion for you. Go to the general section on this forum, open the topic on the Donn Yost video, then buy it. Apply what you see. You won't be sorry. That's the best advice I can give you.
crazyjim Posted February 19, 2012 Posted February 19, 2012 Donn's DVD is excellent! I moved over to HOK paints and never used a dehydrator even when I was shooting enamels. I don't sand between coats either.
JunkPile Posted February 19, 2012 Posted February 19, 2012 Today is the first I've seen of your post. Don't know how I could have missed it. So much time spent looking at posts and missed it I don't understand. We are neighbors, I live in Merriam, KS. I am kinda like you with pray and spray. Yost video would answer all questions and then some I've been told. But then where is the novelty. I really should get his video. Smooth and shiney paint jobs are the goal I'm working on now. I can make it happen, but there has to be an easier way. The Old Man is offering his tips and I refuse to listen. Maybe I should listen more, paint less, and get better results.
crazyjim Posted February 19, 2012 Posted February 19, 2012 Alright, Chuck - SHINY :) RULES! Bear in mind that Donn's DVD requires use of an airbrush and he suggests a Paasche H series single action.
jayhkr Posted February 19, 2012 Author Posted February 19, 2012 Yep, if I don't find my older Paasche VL that is somewhere I will get the Paasche H through dixieart.com. I appreciate the additional help. Chuck, do you go to the model car club in NKC at all? Been thinking of stopping by there too to get some hints and tips.
crazyjim Posted February 19, 2012 Posted February 19, 2012 I never checked Dixieart for prices. You might also want to look at Coast Airbrush and Chicago Airbrush. Chicago had a free shipping deal going for a while.
jayhkr Posted February 20, 2012 Author Posted February 20, 2012 What's the difference in the Paschee H and the Pachee HS? What does the locking cup offer over the other?
JunkPile Posted February 20, 2012 Posted February 20, 2012 Yes Edward, I am the newest member of the Kansas City Slammers Model Car Club in NKC. And Jim, yes I am using airbrush. i
jayhkr Posted February 20, 2012 Author Posted February 20, 2012 I just may make an appearance next month to say HI. By then I should at least have some of my '59 Corvette completed. Think I may go with Coast Airbrush as they are about $9 cheaper than dixieart and anyone else I found. I've looked high and low for my Paasche and it's nowhere to be found. Really bums me out too, as I think when I was moving out of my old house it got tossed. Makes me a little sick to think about it now.
Dave Ambrose Posted February 20, 2012 Posted February 20, 2012 I'm a dinosaur. I use enamels. Some people think I'm sick. There, we got that out of the way. I use the sniff test to determine dryness. If I can still smell a lot of solvent on the model, it's not dry. Barely detectable is OK. Sometimes it takes a couple of days in my "bake box" to get adequately dry. Enamels skin over, and dry slowly after that. Your reward for your patience is a nice, smooth, paint finish, even without polishing. Once you get your airbrush back online, you can use lacquer thinner when you spray enamels. This completely alters their behavior and they dry fairly quickly, even without a bake box.
crazyjim Posted February 20, 2012 Posted February 20, 2012 The HS has a female threaded piece on the back of the airflow thing and the top of the paint bottle has a male threaded piece. The paint doesn't just slide in like the H. I have the HS and love it.
jayhkr Posted February 21, 2012 Author Posted February 21, 2012 So is it worth the added price. Not sure if my hobby lobby carries the H or the HS, might just stick with whatever they have and call it good. TO MANY choices out there. LOL
crazyjim Posted February 21, 2012 Posted February 21, 2012 Better check out the prices at Chicago Airbrush - they have free shipping and just an H airbrush is $31.80. No hose or anything. Looks like they're most expensive unit is $59 + change and still free shipping. The HS is a little more expensive. I got the HS because Chicago Airbrush made a mistake on some accessories I bought at the same time as the airbrush. Instead of incurring the expense of sending stuff back, they sent me the additional parts I bought.
jayhkr Posted February 21, 2012 Author Posted February 21, 2012 I did check them out, but my hobby lobby can still get me into an H model for $62 after tax, no waiting!! If I could have only found my VL I wouldn't have to worry about a hose. I wonder if harbor freights hose will work with the H model? Anyone know? Link
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