Do the model car guys use air brushes to paint too?

[ChevelleSSguy]

Im just wondering here so I hope this question is alright. Do model car guys use an air brush (instead of the hobby spray cans) to paint the car bodies and hoods with an air brush too just like model railroaders do? I have several model car kits from my younger days but I never put any of them together because I didnt want to ruin them. Im wondering how they accomplish the high polished paint jobs.

 

[iomalley]

It's been a while since I've been involved in a model club, but FWIW some guys paint them like the real thing, base clear. Spraying a color with the airbrush, and top coating with clear laquer, wet sand, clear, wet sand, clear etc...

I knew a guy who used to polish the plastic shell itself, using fine grits and polishing compound, but that relies on the model not having gaudy part lines.

 

[tomustang]

I've used my airbrush to paint several 1/24 - 1/25 cars

Wouldn't see why not, the airbrush isn't model specific

 

[Espeefan]

Im just wondering here so I hope this question is alright. Do model car guys use an air brush (instead of the hobby spray cans) to paint the car bodies and hoods with an air brush too just like model railroaders do? I have several model car kits from my younger days but I never put any of them together because I didnt want to ruin them. Im wondering how they accomplish the high polished paint jobs.

They sure do! So do the airplane modelers, and the tread heads (military modelers )

You just can't get the best possible finish out of a rattle can.

 

[UP2CSX]

Model car makers I know use their air brushes even more than model railroaders. As has been said, really nice models involve multiple coats of paint and clear coat and lots of sanding and polishing in between. A nice 1:24 custom car can take as long or longer to paint and finish than any model locomotive. Naval modelers are also big users of air brushes, especially to reproduce camouflage schemes. If you're a modeler and paint things, eventually you get an airbrush.

 

[ChevelleSSguy]

I guess the next question is. What type of paints are the best to use for this then? Using real automotive paints means they have to be reduced and that is a bit over my head.

 

[CharlesH.]

There's one called candy paint. I results in a *very* shiny, polished, almost glassy look. Problem is, I don't know if model plastic will take it well. I've only used it once on a primed board.

 

[CNR Glen]

I've airbrushed many model cars. Before I bought my house I was an avid car modeller (The house afforded me the space for a layout) Mostly I would paint using enamels and the odd laquer paint. I too would paint primer/base/clear with sanding in between the coats. A paint job could take up to a month to do properly waiting for paint to cure before I could sand or paint the next coat.
I used to use a very light grey as a primer but then swither to using a flat variant of the base color. Say you were painting a yellow car (the hardest color to spray gloss) I would pick up a testors flat yellow and spray that first, then wet sand any inperfections down before I painted the gloss yellow. Many people think that mutiple coats for color are what gives the model it's shine, it doesn't. you only need to spray enough gloss color to cover the model. The Clearcoat will do the deep shine that car modellers are after. I would spray up to 6 coats on enamel clear on a car to get that shine. Some modellers use even more but then you're running the risk of making the paint look thick.
The color primer is especially important if you are using candies, pearls of metallics. These paints tend to somewhat translucent and very difficult to cover well.
Hope this helps.

 

[CNR Glen]

Not really on modelrailroad topic but here's some of my completed collection

 

[GP30]

I also build 1/24th and 1/25th scale plastic model tractor trailers and cars. I have and use my old Pascche Air brush to do so. I think I've shot just about every kind of paint through it. The only thing I haven't tried is actual auto body paint. Don't think you really have to with all the kinds of model paint available to the hobbiest nowdays.

 

[kenw]

I've used my airbrush for a lot of things in addition to the model trains:

furniture touchup to blend a damaged area
car (real car) touchup, door dings and other small oopses.
sign making, it just looks nicer
I even used it for some scenery on the layout, using various green tones on some background areas.

and when cleaning it outside with lacquer thinner in the summer, it will take a mosquito out pronto....