Basics. Colors. Types of paint

This is the place to get answers about painting, weathering and other aspects of finishing a model.

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Post by Slide »

not only that, but it'll make it look pretty with less work!

[at least that's how I understand it]
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Post by TER-OR »

The idea behind slo-dri is to make acrylic cure more slowly. The acrylic paints - particularly for airbrushing - are meant to cure pretty quickly. Hand-brushing requires exactly the opposite - slow curing so brush lines have a chance to settle. Flow-aid is also for this.
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Post by starmanmm »

Ok, I'll have to try it.
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Post by TER-OR »

I don't know if that will help, but it should. They're not really meant for hand-brushing, but it should help.
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Post by mech »

What about drying times? I paint my base coats with Testors rattle cans.
Example: I sand the entire surface of my resin models with 1000 grit paper. Then I wash them thoroughly, dry them and apply thin coats of (insert color here). I am currently on week 2 for drying time on a Pioneer class for example. The nacelles dried in no time, spayed with the same Testors paint, the primary and secondary hulls are still tacky after 2 weeks.
Is it a reaction with the resin?
Should I be using a sealer first?

Thank

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Post by Mark Yungblut »

I alway prime the surface first. This usually gives a firm, stable base for the finished color.
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Post by TER-OR »

I use Gunze-Sangyo Mr. Surfacer as a primer for resin stuff now. And for styrene kits on which I've applied lots of resin or had to do lots of scribing etc.

Specific to your question regaring the rattlecans, I haven't used them for quite a while so I don't have an answer. I do remember some bad experiences using some brands, but don't have any specifics for you.
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Post by smilecommand »

Does anyone know if Floquil paints can be used on vinyl kits please? The paint colour that I want to use is Floquil Grime. If not, is there an alternative? The kit that I will be painting is the ArgoNauts vinyl kit of the Millennium Falcon. Have been advised that Floquil Grime was used on the original ILM models. Some photos of the Fine Molds Falcon painted with Floquil Grime have been posted on the Replica Prop Forum site, and it looks very accurate - the best I've seen so far. Also read somewhere that Master Replicas used Floquil Grime as the main hull colour for their new studio scale replica of the Falcon.
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Post by starmanmm »

I believe that if it is primed well, you can use it. The primer will act as a barrier.
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Post by smilecommand »

Thanks starmanmm.
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Post by BERT aka MODEL MAKER »

ok, what kind of primer do i need to use if i am using tamiya rattle cans that are synthetic laquer ? ( thats what the tamiya site said it is and my hobby dealer as well.) how do you tell what kind of primer to use with laquer paints ? will the testors primer work ok ? does it have to be a special primer for laquer paint ? those primer cans don't say if the contents are enamel or laquer and don't say which type of paint they are used for. if anyone can set me strait on this i would appreciate it :D
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Post by Kylwell »

The easiest, but not the cheapest, would be either the Tamiya or Gunze primers (Tamiya Fine or Gunze 1200).
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Post by BERT aka MODEL MAKER »

i think next week, i will stop at a hobby shop there to see if i can find those. i would prefer to use the same brand primer and paint.
Last edited by BERT aka MODEL MAKER on Fri Nov 20, 2009 1:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by iSteve »

Can Model Master metal paints be mixed? Eg: Put some copper in with aluminum to get a colour more like the hull of the NX-01?
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Post by Kylwell »

iSteve wrote:Can Model Master metal paints be mixed? Eg: Put some copper in with aluminum to get a colour more like the hull of the NX-01?
The Metalizers, acryls, and the enamels can be intermixed among the same paint line (metalizer with metalizer, acryl wth acryl, etc).
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Post by iSteve »

Kylwell wrote:
iSteve wrote:Can Model Master metal paints be mixed? Eg: Put some copper in with aluminum to get a colour more like the hull of the NX-01?
The Metalizers, acryls, and the enamels can be intermixed among the same paint line (metalizer with metalizer, acryl wth acryl, etc).
Excellent - Thanks Kylwell!
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Alclad Prismatic Finishes

Post by starmanmm »

According to the Alclad site, prismatic finishes are suppose to be sprayed over a dark base.

My question is this, can these prismatic finishes be sprayed over a lighter color such as a grey or even a Alclad Steel?

I figure the issue may be intensity? But if you are looking for a suttle effect, this may work over Alclad Steel, Aluminum, etc?
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Post by Mr. Badwrench »

I've recently read a little about paint incompatibility, that enamels don't go well over lacquers. I've also been having trouble lately with paint peeling. I've never had this problem until a few months ago, (except many many years ago, when I didn't know to wash models before painting, but that's another story). Anyway, I've been priming everything for the past year or so with Mr. Surfacer 1200. I like it a lot, because it's a lacquer, and it will stick to just about anything. Also it leaves a beautiful finish, especially after polishing it with a wet 6000 grit stick. The problem comes in when I paint over it with Model Master enamels, my mainstay. I'm sure the primer is cured, I usually let it sit for a couple days or more. But even low-tack Tamiya tape, stuck to a piece of glass two or three times to remove even more tack, is peeling up the enamel.

So I guess I have two questions: One, is there really a paint incompatibility between lacquer and enamel? And two, if there is, can I get around it by laying down a barrier coat in between them, say Future?
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Post by TER-OR »

Future over solvent-based paints can be problematic. If there is still outgassing, you can get crackling. But with enough time, yes.
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Post by Mr. Badwrench »

Thanks Ter, I'll give it a try. I just thought it was odd that I was having trouble getting enamel to stick to Mr. Surfacer. What good is a primer if paint won't stick to it?
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Post by Kylwell »

Ah, but it's Gunze primer and they expect one to paint over it with Gunze paints...

Only thing I could come up with.
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Aluminum Finish

Post by obertc »

Hi folks, hope someone can help ...

I gotta couple of projects lined up for the winter months. They are the large 1/72 B-29 and B-36 models. I want to paint them to give 'em the "aluminum see your face" finish. I've read about metalizers, so I got a testor, appied to inner wing and buffed. Got a shine, but not the aluminum look, plus I got buffing lines. I've read about a product called SNJ paint and powder. Saying to paint, then when still tacky, use the powder to buff. I've also read about adding a couple "golbs" (whatever that measurement is) to future and bottom spray it to get the atomizing from the a/b. It also warns that powder will go everywhere.

Does anyone know about any of this?

Once I finish my optic DS9 and Enterprise D, it's off to those models.

Thanks...OB
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Post by TER-OR »

I haven't used SNJ. You might want to try Modeling Madness' discussion board.
I do really like the Alclad lacquers, though. THey're really easy to use.
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Post by obertc »

Thanks TER-OR. I've beend doing some more reading and it looks like Alclad II might be the way to go. SNJ require a lot of buffing and those two models are huge. The one discussion I read said for best results you should prime the model with black lacquer. Can a flat white be used instead, do you know? Maybe the black undercoat gives the aluminum finish the extra "stand-out" power. Plus the discussion also said the finish is more durable as you don't want to future the final product or you lose that sheen.

Thanks again. OB
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Post by TER-OR »

For Chrome, Gloss Black works best. However, Gloss white will look more like chromed plastic, like on modern cars. Over flat, it looks more like painted aluminum ala 1950s and 1940s planes. Same with aluminum etc.

You can use a lot of different things underneath, but experiment first. I've used Alclad Exhaust and Dark Aluminum over Gunze Sangyo Mr. Surfacer 1000 in the rattle-can. It worked fine. For super-bright chrome, though, I will probably play it safe and do the gloss black.

You really don't want to make your project your first experiment, in case something doesn't work. Get some cheap aircraft or armor kits you're never gonna build and use them as experimental subjects.
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Post by obertc »

Thanks TER-OR,
Off to Hobby Lobby for el-cheapo model.

OB
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Post by SJM »

Can anyone tell me anything about polycarbonate paints??
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Post by Kylwell »

Well.... they're often lacquer based and quite hot.
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Post by SJM »

Not suitable for plastic styrene kits then ?
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Post by Kylwell »

I've used them with a decent lacquer primer underneath like Mr. Surfacer.
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