A new painting problem, some advice please

[Ron]

Ran into an airbrush painting problem I've never encountered before.

Working on a NASA 747 shuttle transporter and shuttle. Painted both models with Testor Model Master Light Ghost Grey at the same time today. Both had an initial "primer" of a dullcoat, Testor Model Master Light Grey, but the shuttle had some overspray of Testor black from a spray can for the underside.

The 747 paint job is fine, the shuttle's is a mess: the Light Ghost Grey looks like caked mud. At first I thought maybe the airbrush was acting up on the shuttle, as I painted it first, and then cleared up for the 747, as it looked fine.

So I sanded down the shuttle for a second try, repainted, and when I went back to it later, it looked even worse.

I'm starting to think paint incompatibility of the Testors Model Master Light Ghost Grey to the Testors black spray can, and am looking at sanding down the shuttle again.

Any ideas?

[roguepink]

Are you dealing with a laquer / enamel incompatibility? Although, usually with Testors, they are cross compatible. You can typically paint enamel over laquer, but not the reverse. Krylon, for example, is far to chemically hot and will eat at an enamel paint.

For caution's sake, stick with one brand of paint. I prefer Testor's Model Master line.

Second: drying time. Make sure that one coat is well dry before the next. Wet paint over still damp paint can become a real mess. Patience is the key to a good paint finish here.

Which kit is this?

[Ron]

I'm thinking it is paint incompatibility, as sanding over the shuttle showed that most of the "dried mud" look was where most of the balck spray-can overspray was located.

It's the Academy kit FA007-350 (1640) Scale 1/288

[Warped Speedster]

Though the overspray from the flat black probably didn't help the final coat dry smoothly, I think the Testors primer coat may have something to do with the wrinkley "muddy" finish you're experiencing.

I've been having wrinkle trouble with Testor's gray primer too. I don't use it anymore. I just use a regular neutral gray paint as a working primer (if I need one at all).

I've never had trouble with testors flat black enamel with any other testors enamel paint. Though enamels over acrylics is not a good idea.

As far as laquer being applied over enamel. I've never had any problems with incompatibilty. Clear dull coat laquer normally works well over any enamel paint job. In fact clear laquer often helps neutralize any incompatibilities between acrylic and enamal paints when used together. That is, it helps cure the tacky interaction where the enamel won't dry over an acrylic under coat.

That you had trouble with one model and not the other tells me that maybe the plastic of one model was not taking well to the primer coat, or visa versa. Like I said, Testors primer has been giving me fits with certain plastics too. I would avoid it.

Other that that I like testors paint fairly well in most cases. And it's easy to get.