Need advice from pro builders about model cars...

Captain-Raveers · Post by **Captain-Raveers** » Tue May 22, 2007 10:11 am

I think this is the right section of the forum... if not someone please move it to the appropriate place.

I've got two car models that are unbuilt that I would sometime this summer would like to try and finish and maybe get two more car models. I was wondering for those of you who do build car models how do you achieve that realistic look for the paint on the body of the car? I mean with it's high glossy finish and that.

I've painted car and truck models before in the past but I've never been able to get to look like you pros do.

Would you mind telling me how to do a step by step deal on how to paint the body as realistic as ever? Thanks in advance.

caveslug · Post by **caveslug** » Tue May 22, 2007 10:33 am

Not a pro myself, but for the most part I can tell you how they do it. If you look at some of the other youtube videos related to the FineMolds xwing build, they do some car models. And you can see for the most part how they get the look also.

For the most part they get the realistic look, well by treating the model just like you treat a real car. Primer to help find any imperfections in you building of the body and also for something for the paint to stick to.

Then you build up light coats of your base color, I have seen pro's do as many as 2 coats to 10 coats of base. They will tend to do a light sanding also, to help even out the paint. And to take care of any imperfections you might get in applying the base.

Now you will throw on a gloss coat, this is just like the base coat really, light coats with sanding any imperfections out. If you are doing a car such as NASCAR you would want to put on the decals, and then seal them in with more gloss coat. This also helps later on when you are sanding and polishing as you can blend in any decals. But you would use high grit sandpaper to polish out the gloss coat, until you get a mirror shine.
Tamiya sells some polishing compands also that work.

There are some variations on all the steps, as I have seen people do it a couple different ways. Even on the types of paints to use, your pro guys will tend to stick to auto touch up paint though for the exact match.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Tue May 22, 2007 10:41 am

Getting a mirror finish on a car takes time. Nothing more. First the plastic needs to be prepped, clean and smooth. Then, just like on a real car, do multiple coats of fogged paint, meaning it will take multiple passes to fully cover the plastic.

Then let fully cure. This can take as long as a week depending.

Then wet sand with a fine sandpaper and clear coat. Then more wet sanding with a finer sandpaper (about 1200). Then clear coat and hit it with a polishing compound.

The truely difficult part is not hitting the high points with sandpaper, which could thin or remove all the paint off the plastic.

caveslug · Post by **caveslug** » Tue May 22, 2007 10:46 am

Oh another little trick I have seen also, use car wax on the models also when you are finished to make them pop even more.

Post by **TER-OR** » Tue May 22, 2007 12:06 pm

Yes, many car guys use wax as the final coat. It's very nice.
Look for House of Kolor to find some great Candy and Pearl colors, too.

Captain-Raveers · Post by **Captain-Raveers** » Tue May 22, 2007 1:03 pm

Cool thanks for the tips fellas.

mech · Post by **mech** » Tue May 22, 2007 1:09 pm

Echoing the others,

Prep the model before you paint or primer. Wash it, sand it with some fine paper, then prime it. Sand it, prime it, sand it again. The final color should applied light and smooth, built up to the appropriate depth, the wet sand the model with 1000 grit to even it out. You can also clear coat with a nice gloss as well, then wet sand again with 2000 grit and a nice compound wax job.

It's a pain in the behind, it can take alot of time, but the finished result can be incredible.

j

Jonas Calhoun · Post by **Jonas Calhoun** » Tue May 22, 2007 2:41 pm

Also do what some of the Kustom painters do, put down light coats of the color, then a clear coat, then more light coats of color, then clear...rinse, lather, repeat.

That's kinda how they get that 'miles-deep' look to the paint.

Dan

SpaceDuck · Post by **SpaceDuck** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 12:29 am

Just be careful to really let the paint FULLY cure before waxing. Being dry enough to wetsand and being fully cured aren't the same. Doing full size carshow paint jobs I always tell the client to only use a Glaze for the first month and then apply a good wax after that and don't wax again too soon , use another Glaze instead. Wax buildup isn't good either. If your solvents aren't fully released they can become trapped below the wax and that's not good. Paint needs to breathe and Glaze allows that while giving a wetlook shine until it's time to add the protection of wax.

SpaceDuck · Post by **SpaceDuck** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 12:40 am

Jonas Calhoun wrote:Also do what some of the Kustom painters do, put down light coats of the color, then a clear coat, then more light coats of color, then clear...rinse, lather, repeat.

That's kinda how they get that 'miles-deep' look to the paint.

Dan

More often they get their base coats straightened out by lots of wetsanding and then apply a few coats of clear with some base color in it before the final clear coats. That works well on metallics as long as you avoid mottling but isn't as necessay on solid colors although you can do it. The miles deep, wetlook, mirror finish comes from no orange peel at all, all the way from base to final clear coats and then a great polishing. Serious painters wetsand (that includes blocksanding) the primer before any color ever goes on. It all starts with the base. You don't get that kind of a paint job in a week!

I've done enough wetsanding in my life to wonder how I still have fingerprints?