Bleeding through, impossible to stop

I am having a serious problem with bleed through on the latest Corvette I am building. I had this problem with all the other ones too, but this one needs to be light blue. The plastic is red, and it is impossible to cover.
I sanded and prepped the body, then sprayed about 5 coats of gray high-build filler primer, than sprayed about 4 coats of primer sealer after allowing the primer to fully cure. I then allowed the sealer to cure. I sprayed a few more coats of filler primer. I just sprayed several coats of white primer over all of this, and it is still turning out pink!! Has anyone had success in preventing bleed through? On my red one that had a white stinger, I tried spraying a few coats of black then green after all the primer, and that didn`t work either. That seemed to work, but when I sprayed the clear over the white, the white became pink again.
Any ideas?

I know of someone who used Future floor polish to seal plastic when painting with auto lacquers. Maybe it would keep the red from bleeding so badly. I haven't tried this method myself, but I suppose it's worth a try.

Wow, I had no idea such a thing could even happen. Scary. How about spraying the whole thing with CA glue (!!). Hmm, might even be possible with the right thinner. Ok, moving right along...

future works also painting it silver as a basecoat before primer works well too

I'm shocked that blue, of all things, is causing this sort of problem for you. Even on my infamous neon-green-plastic Mustang coupe, I was able to get it sealed well enough to paint it WHITE without any issues.

Maybe it's the type of primer you're using? Instead of a high build, consider using a gray lacquer primer, then white, and then maybe a coat of silver as was mentioned... I really can't think of anything else, I'm quite surprised it's giving you this much trouble. Good luck! :sunglasse

I know of someone who used Future floor polish to seal plastic when painting with auto lacquers. Maybe it would keep the red from bleeding so badly. I haven't tried this method myself, but I suppose it's worth a try.

Joe, can you consider changing your signature so the pictures don't cause us to scroll back and forth left to right to read the thread? Those four pics in a horizontal row affect the entire page making it hard to read. You could reduce their sizes, stack them vertically, or make two rows of two pics. Anything but the four across will be an improvement. Thanks.

Future does work as a sealer. I haven't used it myself for this purpose, but I trust the sources that say it work, and I've seen the results.

Because of the previous primer work already done, I'd use a can of Zinsser B.I.N. primer sealer; it's a shellac-based sealer and it works wonders sealing plastic against automotive paints. I normally decant it and airbrush it (thinning a bit with denatured alcohol or rubbing alcohol), but for a 1/12 scale model the spray can may be adequate. It won't be as smooth as regular primer, but it sands very easily (it sands to a nice powder), easier to sand than lacquer primer. It's also white, and you can start applying color over it directly. Apply over another coat of primer, as it sticks to other paint far better than raw plastic. After it's dry and sanded, you can shoot any paint over it and it won't bleed, and no ghosting of parting lines or bodywork. It's available in hardware stores/home centers like Home Depot/Lowes.

You can see the before/after and with/without sealers in my primer article in the October issue of Scale Auto magazine. I used a red Revell Miata hood as a test subject to show how effective B.I.N. is as a sealer against white Plastikote automotive primer which turned pink from color bleed. What's really nice about the B.I.N. is that it's far less toxic than automotive paints/sealers. Some of the "recommended" sealers by some experts are extremely toxic. They'll not only stink up your work area, but the fumes can kill you-literally. I'll take a mild alcohol-based solution over a toxic cocktail of chemicals with a 2-part urethane binder any day.

MCW makes a sealer as well, it's an enamel-based sealer sprayed onto a lacquer base of primer. Works quite well with their paints. You have to follow the timing of the sealer to their directions, but it will seal the topcoats from any problems underneath.

Thanks everyone! I am going to try some of these ideas and get back to this thread.

Joe, can you consider changing your signature so the pictures don't cause us to scroll back and forth left to right to read the thread? Those four pics in a horizontal row affect the entire page making it hard to read. You could reduce their sizes, stack them vertically, or make two rows of two pics. Anything but the four across will be an improvement. Thanks.
It didn't show up that way on my computer. I'll change it.

Because of the previous primer work already done, I'd use a can of Zinsser B.I.N. primer sealer; it's a shellac-based sealer and it works wonders sealing plastic against automotive paints. I normally decant it and airbrush it (thinning a bit with denatured alcohol or rubbing alcohol), but for a 1/12 scale model the spray can may be adequate. It won't be as smooth as regular primer, but it sands very easily (it sands to a nice powder), easier to sand than lacquer primer. It's also white, and you can start applying color over it directly. Apply over another coat of primer, as it sticks to other paint far better than raw plastic. After it's dry and sanded, you can shoot any paint over it and it won't bleed, and no ghosting of parting lines or bodywork. It's available in hardware stores/home centers like Home Depot/Lowes.

You can see the before/after and with/without sealers in my primer article in the October issue of Scale Auto magazine. I used a red Revell Miata hood as a test subject to show how effective B.I.N. is as a sealer against white Plastikote automotive primer which turned pink from color bleed. What's really nice about the B.I.N. is that it's far less toxic than automotive paints/sealers. Some of the "recommended" sealers by some experts are extremely toxic. They'll not only stink up your work area, but the fumes can kill you-literally. I'll take a mild alcohol-based solution over a toxic cocktail of chemicals with a 2-part urethane binder any day.

MCW makes a sealer as well, it's an enamel-based sealer sprayed onto a lacquer base of primer. Works quite well with their paints. You have to follow the timing of the sealer to their directions, but it will seal the topcoats from any problems underneath.



I must have a freak mutant kit or something. I picked up the B.I.N. sealer tonight at Home Depot, and after about 6 coats, it is still pink.:crying: :mad: :crying: :mad: :crying: :mad:
This is so frustrating. I am about ready to give up and just settle on a dark color again.

I'm shocked that blue, of all things, is causing this sort of problem for you. Even on my infamous neon-green-plastic Mustang coupe, I was able to get it sealed well enough to paint it WHITE without any issues.

Actually, I haven`t bought the paint yet. I am planning to get it mixed, correct color code from `67 and everything, but I didn`t want to spend $20 on paint and have the red bleed through it, which I am afraid it is going to do. When I built the red one with the white stripe, everything was fine with the stripe until I sprayed clear over it. I am worried I`ll put the color down and have it looking nice, then have the color turn pinkish after the clear coat. :crying: :crying:

The color is a real light blue color, like this:



http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c209/Hawk312/67%20vettes/marinablue.jpg

I tried a close color on a 1/25 scale version of the kit (also red), and it turned out a greenish color, more aqua than blue, after all was said and done.

wtf... I'm out of ideas.... maybe strip it, seal the bare plastic, THEN grey primer, then seal again... ?

About the B.I.N; make sure you got the alcohol-based/shellac-based primer/sealer. I think they make one that's stronger and petroleum-based. I don't have any of the stuff for reference, but the spray can of B.I.N I'm using is red and white. If you got a pint/quart can it says to thin w/alcohol for spraying. I cannot imagine it still looking pink and bleeding through; the stuff is so mild (nothing like automotive paint) it and it covers pretty well. If you got an oil-based sealer it may still bleed, or if you use something strong like Kilz.

Or maybe it's just freak Revell plastic? :eek7: :confused: It sure worked for me when I tried to find the most bleed-prone red plastic in my stash for the article example...the red Revell Miata hood bled like mad, a red T-Bird Turbo hood by Monogram didn't bleed at all under my white Plastikote primer. I really laid on the white primer after the B.I.N on that Miata hood; it didn't bleed anymore at all, and the pink unsealed area stayed just as pink after each successive wet coat of white Plastikote primer.

Before you go completely crazy, if you have any Future you might try coating the hood with it. You can apply it with a wide brush, it levels out nicely as it dries, if you don't have an airbrush (if you do, just lay it on-it needs no thinning, it's already thinner than most prethinned paints). See if that has any effect as a barrier, if the Zinsser isn't working. Even if you strip the paint, you're going to keep running into this problem unless you find a sealer that really works. This is the first time I've heard of Zinsser not working. The fact that you say the Zinsser is causing more bleed-through makes me wonder if you got the right product from them. I just want to make sure...

Just found this post. I am new to the forum.
I recently experienced the same issue with the Monogram 1953 Chevy molded in red plastic.

Applied Duplicolor gray primer, DC silver, Dc gray primer, DC white primer.
All looked good at this point.
Then airbrushed Tamiya TS26 Pure white.
Four days later the white resulted in a pinkish white color.

Stripped the paint.
As recommended, purchased Zinsser BIN Shellac white primer (alcohol based - # 1008).

Performed several tests on bare red plastic parts and a red spray can cap.
The BIN shellac worked perfect. Applied the BIN shellac to bare red plastic and over DC primer gray and white. All scenarios worked.

Thanks for the BIN shellac recommendation. Hope this helps in your bleed-thru situation.

Also, painted some bare red plastic parts with DC black primer and then Tamiya TS-23 Light Blue. No bleed thru. Still looks great after 10 days.

Just found this post. I am new to the forum.
I recently experienced the same issue with the Monogram 1953 Chevy molded in red plastic.

Applied Duplicolor gray primer, DC silver, Dc gray primer, DC white primer.
All looked good at this point.
Then airbrushed Tamiya TS26 Pure white.
Four days later the white resulted in a pinkish white color.

Stripped the paint.
As recommended, purchased Zinsser BIN Shellac white primer (alcohol based - # 1008).

Performed several tests on bare red plastic parts and a red spray can cap.
The BIN shellac worked perfect. Applied the BIN shellac to bare red plastic and over DC primer gray and white. All scenarios worked.

Thanks for the BIN shellac recommendation. Hope this helps in your bleed-thru situation.

Also, painted some bare red plastic parts with DC black primer and then Tamiya TS-23 Light Blue. No bleed thru. Still looks great after 10 days.

Thanks carbuilder.

I actually found a method that is really working well for me, especially with lacquers.
I actually wrote about it in the "Big Scale Beauty" issue (number 150 if you can find it anywehere) of Model Cars magazine. I lay down a few coats of filler primer, wet sand, and then a couple coats of silver. The aluminum "specs" in the paint prevent the plastic color from bleeding through, even after many years. I have a `67 Vette with a white stinger that is still pure white after over 10 years.

I was about to say, spray some finely ground metallic over primer as a first coat. Then light coat of primer again.

a few layers of acrylic epoxy paint worked for me when I painted a tamiya honda jazz (red shell) into white and a monogram F40 (red shell too) again into white