What step is missing here.

[Chieflongshin]

Just trying to work out what step i've missed in getting deep shines.
I've used the following when painting shell....

Tamiya Primer - couple of coats.
Tamiya Chrome silver paint - good few coats built up slowly to get even cover.
Tamiya clear coat - approx 3-5 thin coatings to build it up.

This is my balls up i think, i heard people had used normal car polishes for finish so used this, applied with a cotton bud and gently polished off however there is not the deep gloss finish i was looking for.

Can anyone help me please?

Thank you.

[drunken monkey]

why is there no mention of sanding?

what is your understanding of the term "polish"?

and the obvious:
have you looked at the faqs?

[MPWR]

I would say that the step missing is probably to sand/polish the primer. You want the surface of the primer to be perfect- especially when using metallics. If it is not absolutely smooth and flawless, spray more and sand/polish until it is. If the primer is not perfect, there is nothing you can do with paint and clearcoat to correct it. But if the primer is perfect, it is very easy to obtain a perfect paint job with paint and clearcoat.

[rsxse240]

I wouldn't suggest POLISHING the primer, but instead using a 1200 or even 1800 grit wet sand to even out any roughness and/or high/low spots in the body/paint. I usually use a fine foam backed emery board found at beauty supply shops. if your primer is shiny, paint won't stick!

[Didymus]

Sounds like two more steps are needed after you've applied the final coat:

1. Wet-sand the final coat, whether it's color or clear. Dried spray paint almost always has a textured surface. It can range from a faint grittiness to severe orange peel. Regardless, the final coat should always be be sanded until it's "flat" overall, that is, until it's uniform and smooth. Dull, but smooth. It is crucial that all gloss be removed at this stage. If you can still see tiny shiny dots on the surface when it's dried, more sanding is needed. I use 1500 or 2000 grit wet-or-dry paper.

2. Compounding, also known as polishing. In my experience, 1:1 automotive polishes, including Scratch-X, are too coarse for modeling purposes. Tamiya "Coarse" compound will remove the sanding pattern left by 1500 or 2000, leaving a satiny finish. Then use Tamiya "Fine" and "Finish." "Fine" gives you some gloss, and the "Finish" stage will give you a high polish, that deep gloss you're looking for.

I don't polish the primer coat. I think polishing at that stage is unnecessary, and many polishes contain silicone, which could cause fish-eyes - spots where the paint refuses to stick. Texture or defects should be sanded, however. 800-grit wet-or-dry is good for this.

With Tamiya TS-series paints, you don't need a clear coat to get a very deep gloss. Just follow the above steps after the final color coat. That is not true of automotive urethane, which requires a clear coat.

The best painting tutorial I've found is on Alex Kustov's Italian Horses website http://www.italianhorses.net/Tutoria...mer/primer.htm

Alex is a master builder who has developed a very refined painting system. He doesn't include any unnecessary steps and anyone can follow his method. Highly recommended!