paint help.... tried searchin in FAQ's

[blazed_racer]

hey guys,

spent a while looking thru the FAQ's found a few questions but no clear cut answers....


im currently watching paint dry on my RaybrigNSX. i have noticed orange peel on opposing guards, and a few specs of dust on the doors...

now, the question is....

do i wet sand / buff it, and then clear coat it?

OR.. do i clear it now, and buff out orange peel and dust later?


i am picking that i should do the first step, but it has been a few years since i done one of these, READ... Very Rusty!!!


one more thing, the raybrig NSX has a huge decal job, searched a few guys who have done this model before, some used decal softener, others havnt, tamiya says not too also, what should i dooooo



cheers for the help.... dont flame me too hard

[rod_k2]

I have teh same kit... I made it into a streetracer 'cuz I had no patience to put the decals...
Now,when teh paint dry...wait 24 hours,wetsand it,then put the decals,wait a little more,put the clear coat (2-3 layers...) and,wait like,1 week,then wetsand the body and polish-wax it. It may be wrong,so,plz! Veterans make a better explanation to him! Bcoz... I made a quite basic explanation!

[freakray]

What brand of paint did you use? If you used Tamiya TS spray, then waiting one week to clear coat is not sufficient and is not recommended.

Wetsand out the dust particles and any significant orange peel before you clear coat.
Only clear coat over the decals if this is your personal preference, and if you do, be very careful, clear coats can damage decals. If you clear over decals start with several very light coats of clear to build up a protective layer over the decals before you spray any heavier coats of clear.

If you're using Tamiya TS sprays, you shouldn't apply the clear until around a month after the color coat to prevent issues - this is due to the fact that the TS clear cures at a different rate to TS color sprays.

[MPWR]

What are you using to paint it? When I use laquers (nearly always), dust and orange peel is something I deal with as I'm applying paint. If dust or orange peel apears, stop the coat you're on. Give it a day, and then gently sand out he texture. Apply a couple more light coats, and repeat as necessary. Sure it may take a week sometimes (my current record is a month), but when the last coat goes on glass smooth it's more than worth the wait. And it means never having to deal with *#@&# polishing kits- a bit of rubbing compound is all it needs.

So gently sand, lightly apply more paint, wait, repeat as necessary.

As for decal solution, see if you can get some Gunze Mr Mark Softer. It's a less agressive strength solution, and is what I use on complex schemes like that.

[blazed_racer]

thanks for the replies so far...

im using Tamiya TS paints and planing on using the 'imfamous'? tamiya TS-13 clear...


help!? LOL...

[blazed_racer]

oh, forgot to mention, I've already given it the kit about 4 coats of colour, its been drying for about 2 1/2 days now.

do i still give it a wet sand and respray with colour? or can i get away with a wetsand buff and apply decals then clear?

[blazed_racer]

no other opinions or help?

[MPWR]

Originally Posted by blazed_racer

do i still give it a wet sand and respray with colour? or can i get away with a wetsand buff and apply decals then clear?

Whichever you feel best with. I don't like having my last coat of paint sanded, so I like to respray lightly over sanding. It helps me correct for scratches and any inadvertant thin spots. I keep correcting and respraying until that last layer is perfect- a good base for decals and for clearcoat. Other people have luck doing it differently- spraying heavier and faster, and correcting flaws later. Which do you dislike more- a long, careful, patient/tedious painting process, or sanding texture and sanding to remove scratches, hoping not to rub through the paint? I do it this way because I utterly despise polishing kits- and this technique works for me.

As for what Ray said about waiting a month before clear, it may well be true. I haven't used TS enough to have a good feel for its outgassing times, but the color layer must be allowed to outgas before being sealed with clear.

The other reason TS13 gives people problems is because of putting it on too heavy. If it's sprayed on heavy and wet, it can soften and eat into the paint underneith it (especially metallics). All laquer clears are like this to some degree. It must be applied lightly and built up slowly. Mist coat, wait an hour. Mist coat, wait an hour. Heavier mist coat, wait an hour. Slightly heavier mist coat, wait an hour. Medium coat (or two), wait two hours. Another medium coat (or two), wait another two hours, etc. Put it on wet (or faster) and your rolling the dice- especially over decals.

[winstona]

From my experience, I always wet sand as soon as I notice the dust.

Say for example if you notice the dust particles on your car on the final color coat. If you wait till after you have clear coated before you sand, you will have to sand out all the clear coats you applied before you can reach the dust particles on your last color coat. Think about what will happen to your finish if you do it this way!

I also want to share my experience with how I applied my paint.

First: STAY AWAY FROM TS-13 IF YOU CAN

This paint, if not applied properly will ruin your decals. You have to be very careful and apply many mist coats before you can apply a wet coat. But even if I have done that, some decals were damaged in my last try.

I have since moved to a much better product by Gunze called Mr. Hobby Super clear. This paint may still be harmful to the decals if you apply a wet coat as a first coat. But if you follow the right method, your decals will not be harmed. And IMO the finish is better than TS-13.

Some people also used automotive clear or future for this purpose but I never tried them so I can't comment.

I tend to be more impatient compared to the veterens here in this thread. I waited only 3 days before I polish my TS painted bodies. I then apply decal, wait for a day to let the decals dry and apply MR Hobby clear coat afterwards. The result is not bad. I didn't experience any bad effects... I have used EXCLUSIVELY TS paints plus Gunze Mr Hobby clear in my all my builds and this combo has always worked for me.

I know a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are two examples of my builds using this method:





Winston

[blazed_racer]

thanks for the info winston, + MPWR

[89Sunbird]

I dont know about waiting a month...seems excessive...I mean, you dont have to wait that long for full size auto paint to cure??

I finished painting the top coat on my Impreza with TS-15 about 3pm yesterday, and Ive since polished it and applied decals...I am planning on laying down the clear coat either today or this weekend...

[MPWR]

Outgassing is a funny thing- and it's hard to tell when it's done. You may get lucky and have no trouble at all. Or if you seal the paint with clear before its fully outgassed, the solvents that can't escape through the clear may attack the clear or the base color. It could happen hours, days, or even months later. If you're spraying a clear that you know is compatible with the base color, you should be OK. If not, who knows...?

[89Sunbird]

Something similar did happen to my car...about a year after we painted it, clear coat started coming off on the roof...it is also happening on the fender and quarter panel, too...all on the driver side :S