Fixing spray paint error on clear parts

[Digger1]

I spray painted the blue engine glowy whings on the scorpion model today but I notice that when it was drying, the paint seperated in a couple places leaving nothing but clear plastic with paint surrounding it.

Guess I needed to wash the parts or something.

[seam-filler]

This may not be entirely down to not washing. May of these clear paints are quite fluid and if you paint on too much at once it tends to pool in one or two places. Much as I hate to admit it (being a confirmed hand-painter), clear paints are best applied in several very light sprayed coats.

In cany case, you should always wash model parts in warm water with a little mild detergent before you do anything. Rinse and leave to air-dry.

Since parts will pick up grease from your hands and all sorts of stuff while you're building, swab the parts prior to painting with more water & detergent on a lint-free cloth. Also, I tend to use cotton gloves (available from photographic suppliers) or latex gloves when painting.

Resin models may, because of the mould release agent, need stronger degreasing. An automotive degreaser will help - but if you can, test it on an unused part to make sure it won't damage the resin.

[Lt. Z0mBe]

Are you going for transparent blue? If so, just add a few drops of blue food coloring to some Future and aitrbrush it. Keep the coats light - you'll need plenty of them - and let each coat dry before you attempt another. If the clear part has an "inside," like the inside of a canopy, airbrush your coats there - it looks much better that way.

I hope this helps.

Z0mBe

[Digger1]

didn't know the paint was transparent when I got it. It was this deep, rich blue with some funny name by Tamiya

[big-dog]

Hmm, thus far Tamiya are by far the best paints I've used. I drove to Vegas to get Tamiya paint, though now it's 450 miles I prolly won't be doing that in the future.

[Mr. Badwrench]

Clear styrene, unlike its opaque cousins, tends to be hard and very smooth. Thick, wet paint won't stick to it as well. Generally one way to overcome this is by using a primer coat, but with clear parts this isn't usually an option. As seam-filler has said, the best way to go about it, (assuming you are using spray paint), is to apply several light mist coats, patiently building up the color. This is good practice no matter what, but doing it on the clear parts will really test your skills.

[roguepink]

Agreed from here. The heavier you lay down the paint on ANY surface, you will get pooling, surface tension, and many other problems.

Airbrush and light coats are the way. Seal with Future.