question about painting parts, not body

[batman3390]

i am very sorry about this "nooby" question. Am I supposed to prime/sand/paint the parts( every part excluding the body) or do i just directly put the paint on it? I searched and couldnt find what I was looking for. Help me out.

[patoffspyder]

Personnaly, I only put primer on body parts or on parts that require a lighter color than their original colors. Exemple, if a kit got black plastic seats and I want to paint them red, I will put primer on those pieces before painting them.

[M1CRO]

hi mate, You're supposed to do what you feel is best and which you are most happy with. But if you are after some guidance for achieving a nice finish.Then,Basically,Sand all the parts,prime all the parts and then paint all the parts...



You will find though,that test fitting is very useful before you use glue

BEST TIP >> read this forum on a regular basis..The sheer brilliance of the tips and skills of the people here couldnt possibly be learned by one person...Although some might come close :P

M1CRO.

[Jay!]

1. Wash everything for sure. Plastic injection molding uses a release agent that can stay on the plastic and interefere with your paint. Use a mild detergent (like dish soap) and a soft brush (I got a 12-pack of toothbrushes for $1 at the discount store.)

2. Sand anything that you'll be worried about the surface quality. If it's got a rough texture, and you want smooth, get to sanding. Then wash again to get rid of dust.

3. Prime anything that you'll be worried about the color. Like patoffspyder said. Light colors don't cover dark ones, and some hues don't mix well...


I don't prime everything, always. But that's just what works for me. You'll have to try it out, and see what works for you.

[M1CRO]

I agree... Just like fubaz says.. EXCEPT...

Theres no need for the Worry

[batman3390]

so..its NOT supposed to be smooth like the body?
so from reading these replies, it is OK to paint the parts on the trees without priming?
thanks

[Jay!]

Originally Posted by batman3390

so..its NOT supposed to be smooth like the body?

Check your references. I know that my dashboard, seats, chassis, and who knows what all on my real car are not smooth by any stretch of the imagination.

Originally Posted by batman3390

so from reading these replies, it is OK to paint the parts on the trees without priming?

If it gets you the results you like, go for it!

[klutz_100]

Personally I prime ALL parts - IMO it ensures a better grip for the paint which is especially important if you will be maskeing later for a 2nd color (who wants the masking tape to pull the paint off the plastic part? ). I know that many people will consider this overkill - I just prefer to not risk it and primer is cheap.

Priming is (I believe) essential if you are painting parts with auto lacquers, nail varnishes etc. as these "hot" paints can melt the plastic unless it is protected by a primer.

Smaller parts don't need sanding per se but you DO want to make sure you have removed all/as much as possible of the mold lines and filled the ejector pin marks with putty where they will be visible. This can be done with sand paper or gently scraping your hobby knife along the mold line.

HTH and BTW you didn't search very hard because I know for a fact this question has been asked and answered many times before

[cyberkid]

Originally Posted by klutz_100

Personally I prime ALL parts - IMO it ensures a better grip for the paint which is especially important if you will be maskeing later for a 2nd color (who wants the masking tape to pull the paint off the plastic part? ). I know that many people will consider this overkill - I just prefer to not risk it and primer is cheap.

I use this method too, but I use a sandable primer "Mr. Surfacer" 500/1200 grits. If the top color is light then I'll top it with Tamiya's fine surface primer.
Primer has 3 major jobs. 1. Change the color. 2. gives paint a better surface to grip. 3. Using grey primer will give you a very good view of what's not right on that peice, most of the time its tiny scratches. This is normally only visable AFTER you have painted the part if you didn't prime.
I take my work to the max (under finacial and physical abilites). So, primering is a must on 98% of my models.

[M1CRO]

hi batman, AGAIN just to try and clear some things up...

Most people will sand prime and paint in that order... This is fine as a general rule.. EXCEPT..Some people enjoy taking their preperation further.. by washing the parts and doing various other things...

Some people take all the parts off the "trees",Sand and test fit them before they prime.

If you are just beginning this Is not required..You will learn from your efforts that some things improve the look of your models, Learn as you go. This is part of the fun.

It all depends on how you want the models to look when they are completed.

The most important thing is to enjoy making the kits..Sometimes this is overlooked.
Its a hobby not a competition.

M1CRO.

[willimo]

It's something that is really up to you. People run the gamut of priming every piece of plastic or metal or whatever in the kit, to priming nothing at all. As long as the results are ok for you, you're good. I tend to prime almost everything. I'm sitting here thinking about it, and I can't think of anything that gets paint without primer, though I am sure I get lazy at some point and miss some stuff. I'd say a good rule of thumb is to prime everything bigger than your.... thumb.