Help needed on painting please (I've read the FAQ)

I've got a few questions I need help with about painting my car since this is my first model car:

1. Regarding the black trim around the windows- Is it possible to do a practice run and do them before I do the main exterior paintjob. When I come to doing the paintjob I can just sand the black paint or marker off the window trims right??

2. For a beginner what method is easiest for doing the black window trims:A- use a gundam marker for all of them. B- mask them and brush semi-gloss black and touch up with marker. or C- mask and spray with semi-gloss black??

3. Do you have to use a clear coat over top of the mettalic paint I'll be using (tamiya ts-51 telefonica blue)?? If so how long should you wait after doing the base coat to apply the clear spray coat??

4. Should the black on the windows be brush painted or sprayed?

Hope some of you guys can help me!

Cheers

MEKANIK (Darren)

1. Yes
2. B or C. A is too tedious.
3. It's optional, although recommended. Wait around 10 days after painting the base coat to let it gas out before clear coating.
4. Your choice. Spray is more consistent, brush is sometimes more convenient.

Thanks 'TheSyndicate'

That helps heaps!

Just one more question.... How long should you wait to spray in between coats?

Thanks

Approximately 5-8 minutes. Keep the coats light until you get thorough coverage, then do a wet coat.

If you do a practice run on the window trim, why don't you mask it before the body paint is applied?
Usually, you mask the body, and spray the window trim, but you can do the other way around, too.
Paint the trim black, and wait for a few days.
Mask the trim with "good" masking tape such as tamiya.
Apply body color and clear coat.
Cut the paint along the groove where body color and black trim meets, so that masking tape won't accidentally peel off the body color.
Gently remove the masking tape.

You'll have a very sharp window trim.

1. You would have to be very good at sanding as it would be very easy to loose the detail of the trim

2. Try this tip here (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56889)

3. Most people say you need to

4. I do all mine with enamal and brush

Thanks guys.

Are you sure it's alright to spray clear gloss 10 days later because some people say spray it right on once you have finished the main base coat??

Originally posted by MEKANIK
Thanks guys.

Are you sure it's alright to spray clear gloss 10 days later because some people say spray it right on once you have finished the main base coat??
If you use the same brand for example Tamiya spray for body and Tamiya clear for top coat, you don't probably have to wait for long, because the shrinkage will probably the same.
But if you use different brands, there are mainly two risks, and that are the clear coat might shrink more, which screws up the seemingly dry body color, or the thinner from body paint might affect the clear.
That's why people recommend to wait long enough for each coat to be completely dry, and that's 1 - 10 days, depending on how thick you apply the paint, humidity, and many other unpredictable factors.

I'll get tamiya clear coat. Our weather is very humid so I will just play it safe and wait 10 days.
When you start clear coating do you just wait the same amount of time in between coats (5-10min) as per doing the main base coat?