Primer, paint, clear & BMF... HELP!

Hi everybody,
I need your help I have a lot of questions... :crying: so, please give me a hand.

Here I am in the build of my third model car. As you can see is the hasegawa Bus. I wanted to improve my modelling skills using some automotive products on it, not sure if thats too soon for me or not, but anyway I bought some stuff to try:

a) Automotive White Primer (primer, catalyzer and thinner).
b) Automotive Clear Urethane (urethane, catalyzer and thinner).

Yesterday I tried the primer on the body (using a 4:1 primer to cat, as manufacturer directions said + thinner if needed). Here the results:

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn208/dieselq/Hasegawa%20VW%20Bus/DSC02594.jpg
http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn208/dieselq/Hasegawa%20VW%20Bus/DSC02596.jpg
http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn208/dieselq/Hasegawa%20VW%20Bus/DSC02597.jpg


1) I guess it can be fixed sanding lightly this flocked effect, but, what happend? Was the Primer too "dry" or should I use less catalizer or maybe more thinner? Something else? I use an Iwata BCR dual act., siphon feed airbrush.

2) Next, I have the colors of the model on Model Master enamels, so, would be a problem if I try to clear coat it with urethane or is this safe? How many clear coats should I do?

3) I also want to chrome the front VW logo of the model, so, Which way will be the best to use BMF? After finally primer the body correctly and before the base color? or After color but before clear? or After eveything is done? I´m also new to this, any ideas or tips will help me for sure.

Sorry for ask you a lot of things, :runaround: but I really appreciate any help you can give me.

Thank you.
-D.

I could answer to you for the first question. From what i can see and from my experience your primer is not well thinned, maybe the distance and speed how you spray with your airbrush is not correct! I suppose also that your air pressure is very high!
I don't know if it works but try to stripp the primer with Isopropil Alcohol. Be carefull, this thing is dangerous, so take precautions! If it's not working than you schould sand the primer how fine you can and reprime!
For the rest i hope you will get some good tipps from some experienced guys!
Good luck!

Yeah your primer is mixed just a tad to thick. I paint cars as a hobby an I have seen many people have this same problem. Is the ratio on the can telling you to mix 4 to 1 to 1 ? Your air brush is smaller that a paint gun so thinning the primer is the trick. Either with thinner or reducer depending on the type of primer. Now keep in mind that automotive paint has a hotter chemical in the paint than most model paint so it can soften the plastic and cause it to craze (wrinkel) so apply it in verry light coats.

As for the BMF I would apply it after you apply the color and clear over it. I have sone this and it works great. Just remember to make sure the foil is claen and shiney with no finger prints on it befor you seal it in the clear coat.

Tibi Keke & ratpackv8sonly, thanks for your help guys.

In fact I was afraid to use more thinner, but among other things, like my air preasurre, I was wrong.

I was spraying at 25-30 psi. And yes, they told me to use a 4::1 ratio.

Now I´m working on the clean up, and maybe in a couple of days I´ll try again, will use more thinner and try it first on a scrap piece, hope everything goes cool.

Thanks Again!!!

-D.

It's true that the primer you used was too thick and dry. But that's not all. Sorry, but I think you bought the wrong primer for a model car. What you have is a very soft "sandable" automotive primer that's intended to be sprayed thick because it acts as a filler. It's perfect for a 1:1 car with a lot of flaws that needs to be block sanded, re-primed etc.

Also, sandable automotive primers like SEM and others aren't intended for plastics. It's possible that it damaged the plastic surface of your model. You won't know for sure until you strip it clean.

Because of the small scale, models should generally be painted with coatings intended for models - especially when you're getting started. Model primers and paints are finer grained and less likely to cover small details. Primers made by companies like Tamiya, Testors and Gunze Sangyo are intended for models. They dry with a smooth finish, so every square millimeter does not need to be sanded. (Although some people do just that.)

I'd suggest using Purple Power to strip all that primer off the car. Then spray it with Tamiya Grey Surface Primer. It comes in spray cans, will accept any kind of color coat, and it's available from many local hobby shops as well as on-line at http://www.scalehobbyist.com and other stores.

You didn't say what kind of color coat you have, except "I have the colors of the model on Model Master enamels." Then you say you have a urethane clear coat. Well, putting that 2-part clear urethane on top of enamel will lead to disaster. The chemicals in the urethane clear will react badly with the enamel and make a complete mess of your Microbus. Don't do it!

Besides, enamel doesn't require a clear coat!
Regardless of that, enamel is not easy to use. For one thing, it dries slowly and tends to collect dust. With all the great spray can lacquers on the market, I consider enamel to be a paint best left to the experts, unless you want to buy a dehumidifier and invest some serious time in learning how to use it properly. Donn Yost sells an instructional video on the subject; I hear it's very good.

While enamel can give you an excellent finish, it's really, really easy to do an outstanding paint job with spray can lacquers like Tamiya TS Series. Once again, check out your LHS or an on-line hobby store.

The urethane can be used to clear coat the Tamiya TS Series paint. Contrary to manufacturers' recommendations, it has to be thinned. But when you're done spraying and rubbing out the TS paint, you may decide not to clear coat the car. But if you still want to clear it, Tamiya Clear Coat comes in spray cans, is easier to use, and if you mess up, it can be stripped. Two-part urethane clear is virtually impossible to strip.

As to BMF, it comes with instructions, but it might be hard to trim it and make it stick to the sides of that VW logo. A nice alternative to BMF is Alclad II. Before airbrushing the Alclad, you'll need to prime the area with glossy black enamel. (I know, but chrome trim is not the same as an entire body.) If you plan to use either method to "chrome" the logo, you can mask it off before you re-prime the rest of the car.

Wishing you the best of luck with that VW!!

Ddms

Wishing you the best of luck with that VW!!

Ddms

Couldnt expect less from you! Thanks a lot for taking your time to guide me through this, I´m serious I really appreciate it! :worshippy (couldnt check the forum before tonight).

I havent stripped the primer on the VW bus boddy yet, but I expect to be working on it and have it ready for re-primer/paint before the weekend, hope so. I´d let you know any progress/drawbacks I could get.

Once again, thanks for your help. :thumbsup:

-D.