General Model Kit Building Thread

Apok
I'm kind of surprised that the spray paint didn't dissolve the enamel paint already, but... no, not really. As a general rule lacquer is a lot tougher than enamel and pretty much anything that dissolves lacquer dissolves enamel as well.
Click to expand...
So the only way of making the layer of spray paint invisible is to paint another layer of enamel paint on it?
Thanks for the reply.
 
More questions...
How do you deal with parts that have a large surface to be painted in non-spray paints (such as seats with a single colour)? Do you still paint it with a paintbrush by hand, or is there something like an airbrush which you can pour paint into it for a more even finish?
What are the sequence of acrylic, enamel, and lacquer paints in either (ascending or descending) order of 'toughness'?
How do you keep the tips of your paintbrushes from splitting?
 
An airbrush works perfectly for that. It's quite tough to get a good finish with a normal brush if the paint is glossy. Matte and sami-gloss work a lot better. If you do go the regular brush route make sure you use enough thinner..
Laquer, Enamel, Acrylic with Laquer being the toughest. That's just a general rule though and your experiences may vary.
The tips of paintbrushes will split eventually, but keeping them clean really helps.
You can clean paintbrushes just by dipping them into thinner and then using some cloth to remove the paint. Do this two or three times and it should be fine. You should of course keep some thinner in a separate bottle because it will eventually get dirty and you shouldn't use that for thinning. I just keep some dirty thinner which I've used for cleaning the airbrush. It doesn't need to be clean thinner, you just need to dilute the paint on the brush enough for the cloth to pick it up.
You probably already knew that though.
 
Thanks for the reply.
Mind telling me which airbrush system you use, and what precautions to take when you use an airbrush?
Also, is there any way to get a picture of the underbody and exhaust of an Aston Martin DBS? I've been searching on Google, but no results match what I wanted. I aim to make the finished model resemble the real car as much as possible.
 
I use a cheap Revell airbrush and a compressor. Not sure exactly what model the airbrush or the compressor are. The airbrush is decent and the compressor is pretty cheap, but both would need a replacement realistically.
You always need to make sure that the airbrush is clean after using it. Having paint residue can lead to a number of problems such as the paint not spraying, an inconsistent spray or even the airbrush not spraying straight. You can disassemble most airbrushes in a similar way: remove the nozzle, needle and paint canister. You can clean the airbrush with toothpicks, cotton swabs, cloth and either paint thinner or even better airbrush cleaner. Using nitro thinner can be bad though if the airbrush has any rubber parts.

Getting pictures of cars is honestly a huge pain. I normally go and check car ads since people selling their cars usually take a lot of pictures, but the underbody is a problem. My best advice is to go ask on a modelling forum.
 
Is a compressor necessary for an airbrush to work? Just had a quick search on Google, and all compressors seem to be large, expensive, and noisy, and I know my parents won't allow to have one in their house. Maybe I'll just do it the usual way and paint the interior with a paintbrush.
Also, how do you reduce the amount of thinner in a bottle of paint? I seem to have added too much thinner into a bottle of enamel paint, and I think the paint has become a bit too diluted. When I apply it to a surface, the colour is not as visible as before after it has dried up.
 
You can get airbrush propellant in cans which is what most people use for their first experiences with an airbrush. It's not a bad alternative, though later on if you find that you like working with the airbrush an airbrush compressor is the ideal way. It's a one time purchase and the cans are not obviously.
As for the paint, you could leave it open for a few minutes and stir it from time to time, thus waiting for it to dry. Or you could just paint using more coats. In fact if you plan on using an airbrush later on you'll have to use more coats. Using just one is not an option as the paint starts to run.
 
Will anything bad happen if you add the wrong type of thinner to a bottle of paint? I might have added acrylic paint thinner to bottles of enamel paints when I didn't know different types of thinners should be used for different types of paints, and now I fear that might have made some of the paints unusable.
Again, thanks for all the replies.
 
Possibly, but if something bad happened you would have already noticed. If the paint and thinner do mix when you stir them it should be fine. Worst case scenario is that the paint and thinner don't mix so you get something similar to putting oil in water. It'll just float on it.
 
image.jpg image.jpg Fujimi model kit
Initial D 86 with some changes by me.
 
I really hate to bump this thread after 10 days with no replies, but I have four projects I'm working on, three muscle cars and one a Corvette C5-R. But, how do you remove enamel paint on chrome-plated parts, without removing the chrome plating?
 
I used to really be into building them. Had built about 30 of them and had another 100 unopened kits, mostly Tamiya and Fujimi Enthusiast kits, all of which I bought on closeout at $5 a piece. It eventually got to a point where I didn't have time for them anymore and I sold them for a lot more than I had into them. The buyer still got a good deal and I know they went to a good home. I also sold my 1/18 collection this past summer, mostly discontinued Minichamps, GMP AutoArt and Exoto pieces. Sold them individually on eBay and did pretty well on those too.
 
What do you use to add thinner to a bottle of paint? I've been using a normal syringe (something like this) for some time, but it becomes stuck and unusable after a few times, and I'm thinking if there is a substitute which is better and doesn't have to be disposed often.
 
I've been building the Bimmer I got from @Crash . I'm about 7 hours in and have done the engine bay, wheels and painted the large underside panel. Some pics
914335_434403216699243_1793584375_n.jpg

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915439_1451504965096084_1665007235_n.jpg

BnobkjBIUAEXTQ8.jpg:large

10013044_1418304228421468_1323656296_n.jpg

Need to color the center lock still
 
@maksiu3f The Blue R33 was the first plastic model I ever made about 15 years ago. At the time I didn't know about paint an other things so it just got glued together and is now rather broken. Excellent job on this one. Mine should have looked like this but it never did.
 
This is my latest project, and for my fellow Mopar fans, thank me later. ;)

1968 Dodge Hemi Dart.

IMG_20140629_171612.jpg
IMG_20140705_151644.jpg

The first coat of paint has been applied.

IMG_20140705_153516.jpg
 

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