Revell change their friggin plastic???!!

I rarely rant. But I am frustrated with the new C6 kit. Don`t get me wrong. The details are excellent, everything is in scale, and each part is very convincing. But, I decided to paint it today, using my normal method which I have used on hundreds of kits. I sanded the body, washed it, and then sprayed with Duplicolor primer. At this point, the primer started crinkling up, and started looking like it was eating into the plastic. I tried another can of primer, a different color, and the same thing happened. So I wait for it to dry, and sand it smooth. I then spray it with the Duplicolor Black spray that I just used on my 2002 Anniversary Camaro SS kit (from Revell). The same thing happens, even on top of the primer! What is going on here? I had no trouble with other recent kits. Did anyone else notice anything similar with a newer Revell kit?

Also, I just tried a convertible top from a C5 kit with the same sprays, and no issues!!

i really doubt it is the plastic for the following reasons:
- if the same thing happened to the paint over the primer then i don't see how the plastic could have affected this
- other people don't have this problem, not that i know of(no offense)

i guess maybe there is something on the plastic(possibly soap?) that is having a bad reaction with the paint. or maybe you are having bad spraying conditions that you don't know of. i know one day i tried spraying, it didn't really feel humid(but i guess it was) and my paint came out flat-ish.

hope you can fix this problem.

i really doubt it is the plastic for the following reasons:
- if the same thing happened to the paint over the primer then i don't see how the plastic could have affected this
- other people don't have this problem, not that i know of(no offense)


i guess maybe there is something on the plastic(possibly soap?) that is having a bad reaction with the paint. or maybe you are having bad spraying conditions that you don't know of. i know one day i tried spraying, it didn't really feel humid(but i guess it was) and my paint came out flat-ish.


But, I the convertible top from the C5 is still smooth, even though it was prepared the exact same way, in the same room, and sprayed with the exact same cans. This isn`t a "cloudiness" or dullness like you see with humidity. This is more of a reactionary "crinkling". It looks similar to when I sprayed a clear hot laquer directly over bare plastic (a lesson I learned the hard way 15 years ago).
The C6 contains 5 main parts that are body color: The body, roof, hood, and 2 mirrors. All of them have reacted the same way. The convertible top from the C5 has no issues.

- other people don't have this problem, not that i know of(no offense)

No problem. :) After about 23 years of doing this, I am becoming secure in my abilities. :D

but i still don't see how changing their plastic would affect this... this is a very strange problem, expecially because the colored coats crinkled, too. do you have pictures?

but i still don't see how changing their plastic would affect this... this is a very strange problem, expecially because the colored coats crinkled, too. do you have pictures?


Yeah....strange, and a little :greddy2: . :screwy: I`ll try to get some good pictures.
I sure hope I am wrong. I`d hate to resort exclusively to Tamiya or Testors laquers.

Well, they must have changed the property of plastic then. With increasing crude oil price, there's no reason not to if it's economically sound to the company. Bandai has just started thinning the sprues.

are you saying Duplicolor won't work with Revell anymore?!?! i sure hope not.

I had the same problem on the C6 with Krylon primer, but after sanding and a second coat it was a lot smoother. The plastic is obviously a different compound though, I noticed that on the seats when I tried to cut it off the sprue and ended up skinning part of it (pulled a strip of plastic right off the surface like it had a bad sunburn) The plastic on this kit is much more brittle. However, I painted two coats of primer, one mist of automotive paint, and one wet (this stuff is thick) and it didn't have any more bad reactions as of 6 hours later.

i had the exact same problem using duplicolor...and any other color that i laid over the plastic. it all gained a "textured" look. even when i used my color place aluminum. i left everything as it was except the body, i painted as i normally would. and when i had 2-3 coats of black on the body, i started sanding with 1500 grit until the surface was even. then i laid another coat of black, and followed with 2-3 coats of clear. i then followed the same process with the sand paper, then hit it with a couple of passes with my 3m rubbing compound, then a pass with my kit scratch remover, and then meguiars gold class wax...you should be seeing a completed thread on this one pretty soon

that sucks. Revell is what i get here very easily and very cheap. oh well...

I didn't see the problem repeat itself on the new SRT-10 Viper model, it may just be the C6.......I hope.........

i was thinking some water soaked into the plastic and got to the primer because this happened with that 1 persons s15 with the lambo doors.

The kits are produced in China, I'll get back to that.
I first noticed in (a Revell-Monogram kit) what you described when I built an Acura Integra.
(Seen it in many other models from several other manufacturers too.)
Even Testors enamel paint (airbrushed) ate at the plastic for the interior as if it was a hot lacquer based paint.
Anywhere the surface of the part was disturbed by trimming sprue or flash, or just sanding, created a very unstable area.

I noticed years ago, models I worked with that were produced in China, had a softer styrene than we are used to seeing.
It's a different formula, and as such, reacts to paints and cements differently.
The worst part is there is no uniformity from kit to kit.
I've had what seems to be the same plastic from the same manufacturer react differently at different times.
It's something we have to live with if we want new models produced.

The remedy is simple.

Take each model on it's own merits, just because you were able to do something before, does not mean it will work again, the compound may have changed.

Make sure the first couple coats of paint/primer are thin, light and somewhat dry.
Don't flood the paint on after you have built up a "barrier" coat either. Basically follow the guidelines of how to paint well.
You just can't get away with a few of the painting shortcuts like we used to.
Tamiya Acrylics do not seem to react with the plastic at all.

I have had pretty good luck with Tamiya TS sprays and Tamiya primer as a barrier on that type of plastic.
Once you get a nice finish, and it lasts for 24 hours, you're set.
If it crazes, let it dry.
You can either put a couple more thin coats of primer on and sand smooth with very fine wet paper, or if the crazing is light, just sand and repaint. I have had more uniform results by building up a thin primer barrier and wet sanding (if needed) before painting when the problem manifests itself. Good luck... - Mark

(Seen it in many other models from several other manufacturers too.)
Even Testors enamel paint (airbrushed) ate at the plastic for the interior as if it was a hot lacquer based paint.
Anywhere the surface of the part was disturbed by trimming sprue or flash, or just sanding, created a very unstable area.

I noticed years ago, models I worked with that were produced in China, had a softer styrene than we are used to seeing.
It's a different formula, and as such, reacts to paints and cements differently.
The worst part is there is no uniformity from kit to kit.
I've had what seems to be the same plastic from the same manufacturer react differently at different times.


This is definitely not good if true. It will definitely affect the way I build. I am wondering if using metalizers on this kit will be a problem.
Anyway, the body now sits in brake fluid. Hopefully I will give it another try tomorrow.

I just looked at all my RMX model boxes...or atleast the ones that were convenient (I have 100`s in storage). The *only* one made in China is this one! >:( I think I am going to contact Revell and let them know how I feel about this. Yeah, I know it probably wont make much difference, but I would gladly pay an extra $1 or 2 to not have to worry about ending up with a worthless peice of molten plastic.
By the way, it is going to take some heavy sanding to get the body smooth again, even after stripping the paint. The etches into the plastic are so deep, I`m not sure I`ll be able to sand them out without losing details or proportions.

Finally, something that helps me believe I'm not losing it! I've been having trouble with Krylon and Duplicolor primers for quite a while now. I couldn't figure out how everyone else was saying that these were such awesome primers.

I use Tamiya primer now. So far no problems.

Murray

This accident reminds us that automotive primers are hot paints after all, and as such shoud be sprayed over styrene with great care.

I have had the same problem once, a few years ago, with a Revell 69 Mustang I tried to prime with Duplicolor. Problem is, once the plastic is etched by the primer, subsequent primer coats will react again, as the plastic structure is now modified and sensitive to solvents. The only route to save the kit is then to use cool paints instead of lacquer, to avoid further crazing problems.

It seems PlastiKote T-235 gray primer is less aggressive with plastic than Duplicolor, could anyone confirm this ? (I tried once to spray a heavy coat of it over bare plastic, without any crazing...)

By the way, I checked the recently issued Revell kits, and they are all "made in china" since 2004. So far I have not seen another complaint regarding the the styrene quality on this and other boards, so I guess not all the kits are affected by the crazing malady, we are simply out of luck on this first C6 batch... Thanks for pointing it out, I will take that into account when painting it, as I will use the Cobra Colors lacquers (Daytona Sunset Orange, of course!)

The kits I checked are:

-67 Chevelle (California Wheels)
-65 Mustang 2+2
-69 Dodge Charger Daytona
-65 shelby Cobra S/C
-70 Mustang Boss 302

NONE of the recent kits (post 2003) I have are made in the US. Gloups...

I bought 5 of the C6 Vettes and had the same problem with all of them. The person above is correct, prime the body as you would, hit a few VERY light coats, then 1 semi-wet and color sand with 3600. Let the whole mess dry and harden for a week or 10 days, come back and hit it again. You may have more crazing, but mine smoothed out after 3 wet coats. I used acrylic enamel, and the same thing happened. I know Tamiya and Testors will not have an effect, as I paintd those over the bare plastic. When in doubt, try sprue from the actual kit to experiment with...NCWVSM

So far I have not seen another complaint regarding the the styrene quality on this and other boards, so I guess not all the kits are affected by the crazing malady, we are simply out of luck on this first C6 batch...
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The kits I checked are:

-67 Chevelle (California Wheels)
-65 Mustang 2+2
-69 Dodge Charger Daytona
-65 shelby Cobra S/C
-70 Mustang Boss 302


I decided to do a little testing with the following Revell kits, all made in China:
2004 Corvette Coupe
`70 Boss Mustang 302
`67 Chevelle California Wheels Edition
And of course, the new C6.
All but the C6 did *NOT* respond negatively to the duplicolor primer, or to Plastikote primer. They also did not respond negatively to a heavy coat of duplicolor color laquer, which I sprayed on heavily after only 3 minutes of spraying the primer. With the bleed through of the Corvette kit (molded in red), this produced a very interesting finish. :D
I sanded the C6 kit as best I could, and sprayed it with heavy coats of Plastikote primer. It appears that the C6 kit can handle the Plastikote, but not the Duplicolor primer. So there is definitely something going on with the C6 kits. I am not sure if I can rescue the C6 though. The Duplicolor really ate into the plastic, changing the flow of the lines of the car from the "droopiness" of the melted plastic. It looks like it was left in the oven for a few minutes.