Acrylics vs. Laquers?

Ok... I have just painted my ferrari F189 X-7 and it turned out a little with very fine orange peel. I figured regular polishing would take it out. Sure enough it didn't. Also I was using 3M Compound which is pretty strong. I have noticed in the past that Laquers polish out fine taking out fine orange peel. Then I wetsanded with 2000 grit and it left my finish dull and scratched, to the point where compound wont get it out... Is that the way acrylics are or am I doing something wrong?

BTW This is my first time using tamiya acrylics for painting a body. I have always previously used laquers.

I think your problem is in the polishing compound - 3m is silica based, and it is incompatible with acrylics - it softens them, which results in dullness and deep scratches.

Second, acrylics take longer to dry to full strength - maybe up to 10 days (depends on the thinner too). Maybe your paint was just not fully cured. Tamiya polish (fine) works great on their paints, though for some reason I cant achieve the same glossiness with acrylics as possible with lacquers - maybe just me...

In my opinion, acrylics are too weak for painting bodies because of the polishing. I always get primer spots when I try and polish them.

[QUOTE=360spider] - it softens them, which results in dullness and deep scratches. QUOTE]

Could not have explained my problem any better!

I actually bought the 3M Compound because I was looking for an automotive compound(more volume) and it seemed to work so well on your models I figured why not get it.

I paint my bodies mostly with lacquers, 3M works very well on lacquers.

Problem was I wanted to airbrush a paint job but I tried emptying a can into an airbrush bottle and it expoded out of jar. Not too pretty. But from now on it looks like all my bodies will be painted with spray cans.

Have you try the Tamiya Compound... work well on their acrylics so... well at least, I never experience such problems.

http://briansmodelcars.com/tutorials/tutorial.asp?TutorialID=3&CurPage=1
http://www.escalemodels.com/Features/rattle_cans.htm

Hope this helps a bit.
Alex

Martbee-I do have some I will try it later. I was kinda experimenting with the 3M

360-I did do the brians model cars one and when I opened the jar it got every(further detail go to F189 thread)where.

I've just about given up trying to get Tamiya acrylics to come out nicely on my car bodies. They never seem to dry hard enough - even after a couple of months. I have trouble during assembly: finger prints and other accidental indentations. I've even had dust specs embed themselves in supposedly dry and hard paint.

I've been reasonably pleased with the polishing results. I use 3M Rubbing Compound, 3M Finish Restorer and Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish Step 2. I never get a deep mirror-like finish but then that never seems realistic to me.

I just switched to Dupli-color lacquer rattle cans. The paint is wonderfully hard after just a few days but I sure don't like the lack of fine control while spraying. I will try decanting into my airbrush next time around but I will miss the easy cleanup that acrylics give you - a quick dip in Windex and you're done.