1969 Chevelle

[taaron76]

My first attempt at "candy", which turned out pretty good. I primed, then shot silver, followed by clear red (I didn't even know it existed) then clear. I still have to wet sand and buff, but wasn't sure how long I should wait for the clear to cure? It's not really a custom, but changing a few things here and there. I'm still learning the ropes after being away for almost 20 years. No where near some of the greats I've seen on this site!

Tim

[Custom Mike]

The paint looks great Tim, not too shabby at all for someone who's just getting back into the hobby!

As far as curing times for the paint, it all depends on what kind of paint you used. Testors paints usually take a week or longer to fully cure, Tamiya is about a week maximum, Automotive paints are anywhere from a day (urethanes) to 3 days (Lacquers). Let us know what the brand of paint was and we can nail it down a bit better!

Edited November 13, 2014 by Custom Mike

[microwheel]

The paint looks great Tim, not too shabby at all for someone who's just getting back into the hobby!

As far as curing times for the paint, it all depends on what kind of paint you used. Testors paints usually take a week or longer to fully cure, Tamiya is about a week maximum, Automotive paints are anywhere from a day (urethanes) to 3 days (Lacquers). Let us know what the brand of paint was and we can nail it down a bit better!

What he said, but just for future info, usually if you mix testors enamels 50/50 with any brand of hardware store lacquer thinner, you can usually gently wet sand and polish it out after a full 3 days of drying time, where using a enamel thinner can take a week and most times longer to cure.

Tamiya acrylic mixed 50/50 with hardware store brand denatured alcohol can be gently wet sanded out after 24 hours, and Tamiya spray can Lacquer can also be gently wet sanded after 24 hours. (depending on how heavy the coats were applied.) Testors Model Masters Spray can Lacquers (for me at least), usually take about 48 hours to cure enough to gently wet sand out and polish.

If you have a old scrap unpainted model car hood around and some extra paint left over from your paint job, apply the same paint process with the leftover paint to the scrap hood and then let it sit for a few days. then gently touch it to see if it still feels even the slightest bit tacky. This allows you to check your paint curing time without messing up your nice paint job by touching it. If that isnt a option for you, then the rule of thumb is the longer you can let it set and cure without messing with it, the better. And then follow your nose, so to speak, sniff it every few days and see if you still detect a slight odor of thinner or paint. If you do then it is most likely still curing.

[Metalmad]

Paint Looks Awesome

[taaron76]

Thanks guys! I airbrushed everything and used Model Master (I assume Model Master and Testors are the same) acrylic all the way through, to include the clear coat. I lightly thinned it with Testors univeral acrylic thinner and put three pretty good coats of clear on it.

Is there a difference between the Testors universal acrylic thinner and the Azter airbrush acrylic thinner? Are there any other acrylic thinners that work better with Testors or Model Master?

Tim

[tbill]

that looks great! that's really gonna pop after polish.

[cobraman]

Very nice paint job.

[slusher]

Beautiful paint..

[microwheel]

Thanks guys! I airbrushed everything and used Model Master (I assume Model Master and Testors are the same) acrylic all the way through, to include the clear coat. I lightly thinned it with Testors univeral acrylic thinner and put three pretty good coats of clear on it.

Is there a difference between the Testors universal acrylic thinner and the Azter airbrush acrylic thinner? Are there any other acrylic thinners that work better with Testors or Model Master?

Tim

Hi Tim, there really isn't much difference in the two thinners. By the way your paint looks good. the only problem I have had in the past with model masters acrylic paints thinned with their acrylic thinner, is it seems to peel off really easy, and this makes me believe it doesn't bite into the primers I use, which is usually Tamiya primers. Other's may have had better luck with it. However when I mix it with any hardware store brand denatured alcohol it seems to lay down just as nice as it does when mixed with model masters acrylic thinner, and I don't have the peeling off issues with it. Since you've already painted it with the thinner you have used, I would give it a good week or more to fully cure, just be ready to have issue when wet sanding and polishing it out. You may not, but just be aware that you might, depending on the primer you used and how it bits into it.

[Outlaw_Pitbull_0411]

Paint looks great from what I see no dark spots or light spots great job

[espo]

Paint looks great. On sanding it is some times better to wait a week just to be safe. Its hard to do when the paint job looks this good, but you also don't want to do it over again either. Looking forward to the rest of your build.

[taaron76]

Thanks guys! I took the pics with my iPhone, versus the DSLR, so they don't really show much. Like I said, it won't have all the bells and whistles that I have witnessed on this site, but the least I could do was make the paint look good. I was originally going to paint it silver, but I accidentally bought clear red and the lightbulb went off so I gave it a whirl.

Jim - The only thing I noticed from my first base coat/clear coat paint job with Testors/Model Masters paint was that the clear HAD to be thinned to lay down right. I didn't think the base coat (silver), but I probably could have and it would have laid down a little better. I will see how this one does and if I have issues, I will give your denatured alchohol trick a try. Here is the primer I have been using and didn't have any issues with my first build, which was my 44 LaBonte build. I still need to post pics of that.

As always, any tips that anyone has, or critiques, I'm all ears.

Tim

[microwheel]

You should be fine with that primer. You'll know of you have any issues with the paint, when you go to wet sand and polish. I would still give it a good week of cure time, just to be on the safe side. Even though most of the model masters acrylics can be air brushed without thinning, in the future I would still thin it some just to help it lay down better as well as speed up the cure time. I'm sure your going to be fine though. Looking forward to more of your build.

[Ron Hamilton]

Tim,

That is looking pretty nice. If you are not doing anything this Saturday, check out our club meeting in Greenbelt. I would love to meet you. If you have any questions or are in need of any quality building tips feel free to come on down! Here is the link to our club.

www.mamaboyz.org

Just ask for me. I'm not hard to miss.

[taaron76]

Ron,

I'd love to make it out, but we have a jam packed weekend and I won't have much time for anything. I'll have to free up some time and make it out there, eventually.

Tim

[W-31]

Looking forward to this one. Nice job Tim.

[taaron76]

Just about done with this one. I just have to let the paint cure for a few more days before I wet sand and polish. I might have to purchase some aftermarket wheels though. I was trying to get a certain look, but I think different wheels will help me do that. I'll have to wait and see what it looks like all together, first.

Tim

Note: Don't mind the toothpick between the exhaust... I was using it as a brace and forgot to take it out. lol

[taaron76]

... and I can't decide if I want black window trim, or chrome/silver.

Tim

[DynoMight]

Wow that looks really good! Those wheels will fit right in.

As far as the window trim, I would go chrome because the look of the car you have right now is more of a stock look, so it would make sense to make the window trim stock looking as well.

I would also invest in some Bare Metal Foil. It is a adhesive backed sheet of foil that you can press onto window trim or whatever you would want it on and make it look like it is chrome. They make different kinds like gold, black chrome, aluminum, and more but I would just get the chrome. If you use the BMF, it'll really make your windows pop. It's easier than Alcad and hand painting them too.

[Bob Ellis]

Nice clean work.

I think chrome foil too.

I like the crossover pipe on the exhaust. People forget about H pipes.

[robs4516]

That paint looks really good! You've got a nice, clean build going.

If drying time is a concern, I can highly recommend getting a food dehydrator. They significantly shorten the time spent waiting to work on painted parts. If you have the space, access to a Harbor Freight, and $25, they are great tools to have. Here's the link to one I just bought:

http://www.harborfreight.com/http-www-harborfreight-com-5-tier-food-dehydrator-66906-html-4450.html

You can get more expensive ones with some bells and whistles, but this one just plugs in and heats up just enough to dry paint much faster.

[taaron76]

Making some progress. Wet sanded and polished and my first attempt at BMF. I'll post more pics tomorrow.

Tim

Edited November 20, 2014 by taaron76

[DynoMight]

Hood looks good!

[tbill]

hood looks great, foil looks good as well, keep at it.

[jaftygas]

I love Chevells so much. But there's not enough of them being posted. Yours is lookin really good Tim. I wish Revell would make a 1/12 th scale 68' SS 3 in 1 kit, I would go broke building them and remove all hope of me ever owning a 1:1 ever. Ha Ha.