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ok, i have several questions regarding the items in the thread title. i've been in a weathering mood in the last few weeks and have started about 3 projects and just really need to hear some other techniques/advice. keep in mind im a bit of a novice.
1) painting a stock car (stock meaning straight out of the mold with no previous markings) from scratch using acrylics. would you thin the acrylic with windex or alcohol, and why? what ratio would you suggest? i have tried to use regular spray paint on previous projects and am not really satisfied being bound to THEIR color selection. Are acrlics a bad idea?
2) how do you clean your airbrush? I had a cheap airbrush and recently upgraded to a...less cheap one (still not real fancy or expensive, just a lot better than the one i had). normally i just run a jar full of household mineral thinner through it. im reluctant to use water because of the rust factor.
3) when applying decals is there any way to wear down the glossy selafame look of the decal? this is only noticable at a close glance but as i try to advance skill wise this is a minor technique id like to learn.
thoughts, suggestions, tips are appreeciated.
1. Windex works wonders as it has less surface tension then plain water.
2. I use water on mine, the key is to get all the paint off, then dry the parts...
3. Gloss the model before, and after decaling and the film should be all but gone. Make sure to use Walthers Solvaset or Microscale's Micro-sol & Micro-set.
Most if not all airbrushes are made of plain or nickel plated brass. They won't rust. You can blow plain air through them to get rid of any water left in them after cleaning. The one exception to this is the Iwata airbrushes. They use a spring steel needle, so you need to get them dry and lube the needle with a very small amount of Medea Super Lube. I know you aren't using an Iwata though. Just fun stuff to know.
In addition, acrylic paint works fine on most plastics. I always thin acylic pain about 80/20, with the 20% distilled water. Makes sure you wash the shell first with liquid soap and water and let it air dry good before painting. I also use only distilled water for decals and find it cuts down a lot on the silvering of decal film. Spraying gloss cote before decaling is almost mandatory if you want a nice decaling job.
thanks for all the advice, i will be sure to employ these tips on my next weathering session. how will the gloss cote behave with weathering mterials? chalks, inks, paints etc. and can the dull cote still be sprayed on as a final sealant - on top of the gloss cote so to speak. I will try these things anyway as im a big believer in trial and error, and experience.
gloss-coat will be fine with your weathering materials EXCEPT if they are mixed with alcohol. Alcohol will attack both gloss and dull-coat. Using windex works just as well if your doing a wet application of weathering materials. if you do gloss-decals-gloss like previously stated, then use dull-coat for your final coating, that will work just fine.
I hear a cheap gloss coat for applying decals is Future floor polish. Available at any grocery store. I would think it probably helps to clear out an airbrush too.
In addition, acrylic paint works fine on most plastics. I always thin acylic pain about 80/20, with the 20% distilled water. Makes sure you wash the shell first with liquid soap and water and let it air dry good before painting. I also use only distilled water for decals and find it cuts down a lot on the silvering of decal film. Spraying gloss cote before decaling is almost mandatory if you want a nice decaling job.
Jim, do you have a method on how to measure out the 80/20 ratio of paint? Do they have any sort of paint cup for measuring these amounts similiar to what professional auto body shops have?
Chris, I'm not very sophisticated. I have several spare paint bottles that I've marked with lines that roughly correspond to a 50/50, 70/30, and 80/20 mix. I pour in the paint until it gets to the first line and then pour in whatever thinner I need until it gets to the second line, then mix it well. I rarely spray with the bottle more than half full so my lines are adjusted for this. Like I said, not very sophisticated but it seems to work for me.
Future is nice, but you have to spray it on in thin coats! It is self leveling, so if it goes on to thick, it'll run and create globs.
Ive seen the guys in our club apply decals to our club cars by using a brush and small amount of the future on just the area where the decal goes. Just enough to leave a light amount only. I havent tried it myself yet though. I dont see any reason to apply it to an entire car really.
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