Paint crack - help!

PetarB · Post by **PetarB** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 5:12 am

Okay, so I'm trying to finish this resin kit which I've lovingly painted and decaled. Mid way through decalling I drop it, and nothing breaks (phew!) but a thin resin wing must have sprung back because now it has a hairline crack in the paint. There is no chipping - yet.
Any suggestions? I'm thinking a couple of coats of future might prevent the crack from doing any further damage. Note that at this stage I am not going to recoat or strip the whole thing.
Thanks for your input.

DX-SFX · Post by **DX-SFX** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:06 am

What paint is it and are you sure the crack isn't in the resin?

PetarB · Post by **PetarB** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 4:56 pm

The resin is a very thin wing. If the resin was cracked, the wing would fall off, it's that thin. That also why it 'spring' bent when I dropped it.
Im going to try a couple of coats of Future (Pledge) and hope it will bind the 4-5 layers of paint i've put on, which are a couple of coats of Mr Surfacer primer, and a Tamiya acrylic white mix.

DX-SFX · Post by **DX-SFX** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:22 pm

The thickness of the paint coats on the resin is probably not helping. Unless you sand it all the way back to the resin, you're unlikely to lose that crack. More white paint on top will cover it but the chances are it will reappear the moment you flex the wing at all. In order to "glue" the two sides of the paint crack together, your paint will have to penetrate into the crack which I doubt it will. If it were cellulose paint, a little lacquer thinner might re-dissolve the paint together if the paint were fresh but even that has limited sucess. You have the same problem the fibreglass boys have with impact crazing on gel coat. The only permanent cure is to sand it right out and resurface. Not what you wanted to hear probably.