I have started and can not stop

[Motard]

Hi all
I am still making my first model (Tamiya WRX STi) and I sprayed it this morning and because it looks good, I now have the confidence to carry on modelling.
I think if it had looked horrible I might have stopped there.
I just need to wait for the paint to cure and finish the assembly. One question, when I have fitted the decals and I am ready to clear coat, do I just give it a good clean with a Tac Cloth or is there any other prep needed?

I already have a Tamiya 350z to do next, but as my LHS caters more to RC planes and cars, than models. I have just placed my first order with Hobbyworld,

Hasegawa-LANCIA DELTAHF integrale evoluzione

Fujimi-SPRINTERTRUENO AE86 CARBON BONNET FUJIWARA TAKUMI

Aoshima-SKYLINE2000GT-R KEN & MARY

NISMO LM-GT4 wheels

RS WATANABE WHEEL

The "Engrish" on the site always makes me smile and it is certainly better than my Japanese

Sorry for the long post.

[pettercardoso]

Well, first of all, welcome to AF! and welcome to the hobby...
Second, about the clear coat...try to check the FAQ section. There's an aswer to almost every question you may have.
But OK then, you don't have to do any special prep before you clear coat it. As you said, just give a nice clean with Tac cloth and that's enough. At least that's the way I do it. Again, check the FAQ. P-man wrote a fantastic how-to on painting.

[Motard]

Thanks for the help.
I did check the FAQ's and How to's, but I could not find any mention of if any prep was needed for clear coat.
Pman did not mention it, even though it is a great guide which I have to thank for my first spray job, and in Guiddy's guide he just said

For metallic colours, most of the technique is the same, except you will add about 3 coats of lacquer over the top of the base metalic colour (which should look dull!) This can done 24 hours after the basecoat colour is applied. Then you polish the lacquer the same as you do a solid colour, i.e after a week of drying time.

[SonyMobile]

Welcome to af, and a nice selection of supplies you have ordered. for your clear coat question ( i am no expert) what i do is let the paint cure for a good week, then when im ready to clear coat it, i make sure it is dust free, then give it one coat of clear, then after that has cured, i apply my decals, then let them set in for a few days, then clear coat again, then if its not shiny enough, give it a few more coats.

[Motard]

Thanks, looks like it is going to be a trial and error thing. But thats what it is all about, I have learnt a lot from this model and made a fair few mistakes aswell. I still can't do the really small decals, too many years of swinging big hammers for a living I think

As for the supplies, I just want to make cars I like and are bit different from the norm, though I have found already that a lot of the models I want are rare and go for large amounts on Ebay only.

I will post some pics of the WRX when it is finished.

[Jay!]

Welcome to the fray!

Many people don't clear coat over decals, for fear that it may eat the decals. If you do use one, make sure to use a few mist coats first, so you don't saturate the decal with the solvent in the clear coat.

Also a clear coat may un-do any polishing you've already done.

Some modelers are satisfied with a simple coat of wax over the decals.

But you're right; it'll be a lot of trial-and-error and experimenting to find out that works best for you.

[ADVANFAN]

heres a great website with good how-to's

www.italianhorses.net

[primera man]

If your paint job is very good, just give it a good rub with copound and then a wax.
I've never been a fan of clear coats

[Motard]

Originally Posted by primera man

If your paint job is very good, just give it a good rub with copound and then a wax.
I've never been a fan of clear coats

I wouldn't say it is very good, just better than I thought it was going to be

[Motard]

I just wanted to say how impressed I am with Hobbyworld after placing my order, unfortunatly one of the sets of wheels was out of stock, but after exchanging some emails, which were really friendly and helpful, my order was dispatched on Wednesday 4th Feb and arrived yesterday Wednesday 6th Feb(and that was with the cheaper SAL), well packed and with "Handle with Care" written all over the outside. I dont know if I was lucky because I did not pay any import tax either.