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Posted

photo_zps73a46eb4.jpg

I stole Tom TBill's photo from the 6 Pack Camaro thread as illustration for this thread. No criticism, there is no right or wrong here.

The big question- Do you or Don't you paint all the surfaces of your model cars?

You can see both illustrated in Tom's photo, so he's done it both ways here. I tend to paint everything so if those were mine the rest of the chassis would be all black. I also paint the inside of the body, and the outside of interior buckets. Why? My reasoning is that you don't know what will be visible up through the wheel wells etc once the model is assembled, and I don't want to see bare plastic, or even to be able to make out things like the edge of the interior bucket etc, so I paint it all flat black. And probably because I'm a bit anal!

So what do you do and why?

Posted

My reasoning is that you don't know what will be visible up through the wheel wells etc once the model is assembled, and I don't want to see bare plastic, or even to be able to make out things like the edge of the interior bucket etc, so I paint it all flat black.

This is something I figure out early in the test fitting process. It gets added to my build notes, so I know what needs to be painted and where.

I ONLY paint what is necessary.

Posted

What Rob said, I usually test fit and see what needs to be covered, fog in enough to cover the areas and build.... Not all of my cars a re totally painted.... I have a tight budget and if I don't need to use/waste paint on an area that isn't going to be seen, it's not gonna get it.... LOL

Posted

Well, an old member from our model club always said "if you can see it, paint it black" and hence, I do.

His name is Alan Day and he used to build box art kits for Testors

Posted

I usually airbrush all the wheel arches and around the sills, but the rest (as they are never going to be seen) get's left in bare styrene

IMAG0382_zps19cd6af8.jpg

Posted

Well, an old member from our model club always said "if you can see it, paint it black" and hence, I do.

His name is Alan Day and he used to build box art kits for Testors

Can't go wrong with a squirt of flat black. :P

Posted

I don't really see a point in painting areas that will not be visible. But, I like to spray past the actual target, so the rest gets a shot anyway. I use too the "unseen" areas to check out the color I'm shooting, just a quick look to see what the deal is, so a lot more gets color than is needed.

Bottom line is, I won't purposely paint an area that is in the dark.

Michael

Posted

I paint all surfaces, mainly because I'm quite clumsy. If I mask it off it'll be fine but I find masking everything that doesn't need paint a waste of tape.

Lucas.

Posted

Like what has been said by most of the posters here, I will check during test fitting for what areas are visible, and those are what I'll paint. Usually just the outer wheel wells, the engine/front end area of the top surface of the chassis, and the outside top edges of the interior buckets or door panels, which I will paint the same color as the tops of the door panels in case there is a gap between the door panels and the body. I also usually paint the interior headliner to match the interior color scheme after sanding the ejector pin marks and adding visors, rear view mirror, and courtesy lights where there are none.

Posted

If you can see it from any angle,it gets painted.

Ditto. BUT- I have entered contests with unpainted Lindberg Dodge Dakotas and did OK with both. Well, the bodies were unpainted- except for flat black trim- just cleaned up, sanded, polished and waxed. The chassis and interiors were all painted.

Posted

as you can see, i paint everything half the time :D

not real sure why that ended up like it did, but all areas that are seen, are in fact covered.

Posted

I used to be more A.R. about details that can't be seen, but done anyway. However, I've found too many builds where something left un-detailed or painted got through my final inspection before sealing everything up.. I err still on the caution side and detail most everything. It's still fun, anyway.

Posted

Let me just point out, as a judge in many model contest, seeing an unpainted area will detract. :( many times a tie breaker. Unpainted under hoods not withstanding. ;)

Posted

Let me just point out, as a judge in many model contest, seeing an unpainted area will detract. :( many times a tie breaker. Unpainted under hoods not withstanding. ;)

I think we're talking here about inside trunk areas on models that don't have a trunk that opens. Do you guys tear the model apart?

Posted (edited)

It is what it is, painting unseen areas,or any other areas that may or may not be seen, taking no chance they may be seen unpainted. And , no we don't "tear the models apart" the models. :D

Edited by Greg Myers

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