Hot Wheels and Matchbox Customizing Thread

[ryanr47]

To paint the cars I use Rustoleum and Krylon. For details like the lights, etc. I'm using Testors enamel paints.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Yeah, the car paint. When he was talking about a brush, he was talking about the details.

What's so confusing?

Edit: tree'd

 

[AOS-]

Get Tree'd. "Testors Enamel Paints" was the answer I was looking for.

Have you Testor users tried Tamiya's Enamels? How do they compare for you?

 

[CodeRedR51]

They're expensive, so never tried.

 

[ryanr47]

They're expensive, so never tried.

It's way to expensive for such a little can. I'm on a budget. I also use the blue painters tape to mask.

 

[Apok]

I haven't tried Tamiya enamels much, especially not with a regular brush, but I find that anything Tamiya is top notch.

 

[Cano]

A friend of mine paints with Tamiya cans, and he's won Best Paint at several modeling contests; alas, the guy has 15 years of experience painting stuff so he knows what he's doing, but he has always told me they are absolutely worth it, and that using pro-level paint cans you will really notice improvement in your paint technique. But yeah, I hear everyone, expensive...

 

[AOS-]

Oh. So I must've scored a deal when I bought in bulk last time on eBay. Too bad that seller no longer offers it. I haven't tried them yet though.

 

[Cano]

First of all get a proper, good brand self-etching primer, or the effort and your expensive paint could go out the window. The same guy has told me he has found an excelent primer in Auto Zone. Dunno if you have Auto Zones over there, but if you do, go check it out... or simply buy Tamiya primer and be done with it.

 

[CodeRedR51]

A friend of mine paints with Tamiya cans, and he's won Best Paint at several modeling contests; alas, the guy has 15 years of experience painting stuff so he knows what he's doing, but he has always told me they are absolutely worth it, and that using pro-level paint cans you will really notice improvement in your paint technique. But yeah, I hear everyone, expensive...

He was talking about Tamiya enamel paints for detailing, not the spray cans.

First of all get a proper, good brand self-etching primer, or the effort and your expensive paint could go out the window. The same guy has told me he has found an excelent primer in Auto Zone. Dunno if you have Auto Zones over there, but if you do, go check it out... or simply buy Tamiya primer and be done with it.

Plain old primer from Wal-Mart works fine for me.

 

[McZachenF1138]

I use Tamiya ultra fine white primer. It's $7+ for a small can, but the spray nozzle is the best I've ever used.
It sprays just enough of what you need so the small can is justified.
I HIGHLY recommended trying it.

The only Tamiya enamel I have is their chrome kind. It's not too bad. It has a little dash in the lid to dip the brush in as I'm sure so many of you already do with your Testors.

 

[Cano]

He was talking about Tamiya enamel paints for detailing, not the spray cans.

Is this so? Because I have a very different opinion on them then, the ones i've used mostly suck.

 

[Apok]

You suck!
Like I said I don't have much experience with them I found them to be quite good the times I did actually use them with a brush.

 

[Cano]

You suck!
Like I said I don't have much experience with them I found them to be quite good the times I did actually use them with a brush.

I do suck, but at least 3 Tamiya paints I've used suck. Solid colors are awright, but metallics are horrid.

 

[Apok]

What kind of horrid? I'm honestly curious as I've never heard people complaining about tamiya paints.

 

[ryanr47]

I'm using rustoleum auto primer. Goes on thick so you really only need one light coat.

 

[McZachenF1138]

I just stripped a black Ferrari FXX with the intent on painting it a similar bright green as what was used on the 911 GT3 RSs, but once I saw it in ZAMAC, I changed my mind.
It looks so good.

 

[Sonygamer455]

I like how we keep referring to it as scratches when it's actually chipping we're afraid of.

Good point! But you get the picture. Both of my Dairy Deliveries from the The Double Dairy Duo are already chipping. Note to self, never care them in a gem bag.

Tamiya masking tape.

I'll keep and eye out for that.

Dillon, Masking tape from your hobby/art store works just as well. Try to find ones that seem to have a solid crisp hard edge. Something like green Painter's Tape is really rough and that is really bad when working at small scale. Also, get tape that has a narrow width.

I've used the masking tape I got off an art store and it works just fine with car paint and nail polish. Never tried it with Krylon spray though. That's where everything goes downhill.

Yea narrow width is probly what i will need. I will see if Hobby Lobby or Kit Kringle has any. Another thing, what if i want to strip a vehicle with paint stripper, but only to strip a certain part of it. Would that kind of tape also work, or is there something else i need?

 

[Cano]

What kind of horrid? I'm honestly curious as I've never heard people complaining about tamiya paints.

Viscuous-horrid. I mean VERY viscuous, sometimes really solid. Specially the metalics. The paint does not flow at all, even in tight spaces. Model Masters paints are way better, at least in my experience.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Printed my decals last night and cleared them. Will apply to the cars tonight. Disappointed in the resolution though, they printed better on regular paper. I've had this decal paper for years, wonder if it went bad or something...

 

[Clark]

Just spent the last hour and a half looking through this entire thread. Well worth it, awesome work guys, may have to try it sometime with some of my old cars.

 

[Cano]

Step right in pal, we'll help you in any way we can!

 

[AOS-]

Printed my decals last night and cleared them. Will apply to the cars tonight. Disappointed in the resolution though, they printed better on regular paper. I've had this decal paper for years, wonder if it went bad or something...

Get us some zoomed-in photos with your Cano-endorsed camera.

 

[AHMEDFINK]

New deal, guys. I'm posting my customs on my currently-developing blog from now on. That said, I've got 2 customs to show you guys today. One of which is a revision of a completed custom, the other had been on hold for a really long time.

I fixed up the paint chips, swapped the wheels and coated a matte finish to finally add some protection to the surface. That's pretty much it. The custom that finally got finished is my Jaguar E-Type:

I'll still keep you guys posted here, but if you want the full-size image and story, please visit my blog: http://athobbies.blogspot.ca/

The Jags Rocks!!, love the color and those wheels!! Sweeet

 

[ryanr47]

I found my first treasurehunt! ARRRR! I'm up for trades if anyone is interested. Sorry guys, is there a trades section?

 

[CodeRedR51]

No trades section, but this is the wrong thread.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Half time break sneak peek. Not happy with the quality of the decals, so will have to figure something out for next time.

 

[AOS-]

Niceeee. Keep going at it.

 

[McZachenF1138]

Very nice and clean, can't wait to see it all finished.
But I think nothing is ever good enough for us when it comes to customizing our own cars.

 

[AOS-]

But I think nothing is ever good enough for us when it comes to customizing our own cars.

That's good, because once you believe you can't do any better, you won't bother trying any harder. You mentally cap your determination. This is why it's good to advance at your own pace. Try new tools and techniques once you've settled in with a previous one, see new potentials, learn more about yourself.

First I did handpainting, then flat spray painting, then disassembling, paint stripping, wheelswaps, puttying, gloss coating, priming, axle modifying, detailing and soon-to-be decal creating and body fabricating.