Fish Eye Eliminator

Where can I get Fish Eye Eliminator or what exactly is it? I am having a lot of trouble with fish eye!!!

http://www.bluesteam.net/images/other/IMG_2285.jpg

Not an answer to your question but have you looked into why you're getting fisheyes?

Fisheyes are caused by impurities on the surface you're painting, is there something in the area you're painting in or perhaps you're tranferring some dirt from your hands or something that's causing them?

if its to hot outside you get fish eyes too.

if its to hot outside you get fish eyes too.

It's too early in the year for South Africa to be that hot, even in Stellenbosch.

1:1 paint shops have stuff like that. you mix it in with your paint. it usually gets used at lower end body shops that don't spend the time to clean and prep the surfaces being painted so they use this stuff. basically it's something that just causes the paint to set up and get tacky a bit quicker than just normally mixed paints. I suggest just using warm soapy water, and a toothbrush to clean the parts, and using some "canned air" to blow dry the parts. just letting the water drip/evaporate dry it will leave impurities from your water on the surface thus causing fisheyes, and other imperfections in your paint.

make sure you are painting in reletively low humidity because the moisture in the air will also cause fish eyes. as will poorly mixed paint, old paint, finger prints, dust, bad spray nozzles, dirty airbrushes, and a host of other things you will find as you progress in the painting part of this fine hobby.

Thanks rsxse240, i think from all you mentioned I know what's causing it. I do brush it with a small toothrbush in soapy water but i leave it to dry in the microwave without trying to get rid of the water. I will try that next time. But in the meantime. What do i do to fix it? This is a disaster for me.....

It's my first build and I want it perfect!

~* gabbadude *~

here is what I would suggest... if the paint is THAT bad, strip it using dot 3 brake fluid by pouring the fluid into a metal or plastic pan that is only slightly larger than your model, and soak it over night, or for about 12 to 15 hours to get it nice and loosened up. then just wash away all the old paint and start over. make sure you clean the plastic really well and use unpowdered latex gloves when handling it to keep from getting oils from your skin on it. you should probably also use a primer on it as well this will help keep the paint from "flowing" away from door seams and what not. the primer will also help seal the plastic pigment from bleeding into your new beautiful paint as time goes by.

don't think I am flaming you, because I enjoy helping out fellow modelers by sharing my learned lessons, but there is a fountain of knowledge in the FAQ and how to depository at the top of the forum, you should check it out, it has given me information that I didn't know, and I have been building for about 20 years.

thanks rsxse240, but I have read through those FAQ and nowhere that i can find does it talk about fish eye!

Anyway.. There is NO WAY I'm stripping this down for a third time. No Freakin WAY!!

There must be another way!

you might try sanding it out. start with 800 wet or dry, work all the way up to 2000 and then re spray it

that sounds like a better option. what does everyone else think?

Just sand it out, its not that big of a deal as its made out to be.

I've sanded out fisheyes before, no big deal. Then I airbrush only the area which needs repair.

That may be your best option other than stripping the model . . .

However, I would also like to ad that you have to take in consideration any airborne particles which may cause fisheye's too. The main culprit here seems to be silicone in general. It's in too many household products to list and becomes airborne quite easily, only to settle on anything within your work area. It's also carried over through cross contamination on your hands if you have used any products with silcone in it.

I speak of experience as I managed an autobody shop for several years. PPG representatives and I searched high and low because we had been experiencing the same fisheye in full size cars, only to find that by eliminating any/all products with silicone in the "Finishing Department" took care of the problem.

At home, you can look for things such as Armor-All, lotions and soaps. Of course any waxes or polishing compounds also contain silicone and I for one had stored these items right along side with my other modeling paint and finishing supplies.


that sounds like a better option. what does everyone else think?

Like I may have told you or someone recently (perhaps another board), the soap itself may have trace elements of silicone in it, therefore that could be the source of the contamination. There's obviously something on the surface of the model or in the air causing it. I don't wash bodies w/soap and water, I do wipe them down with rubbing alcohol before I spray. Doing this I don't have any problem with fisheyes. Just sand those areas down and respray and don't let water/soap dry on the surface! The fisheyes you have now are tiny, you don't have to strip the paint unless they keep getting worse. The fisheye reducer works, but you have to use it on every subsequent coat of paint.