How to: Mini-Z Painting - Tips & Tricks

[RFick73]

So Cowboy & XMods.... (As you two seem to be a good starting source)
& of course, ANYONE else with experience please speak up...

I am thinking of trying my hand at painting again & doing up a new white body I just got.
I've done it before with Mastercraft Aerosol Auto Paints & that worked out pretty well, the paint was rather expensive though...
(The front quarter of the darned body snapped off like 20 mins into racing it & I never really used it after that)


What tips & tricks would you give us all?

What prep should be taken?
Soap & water, lightly scuff, Primer?

Information on types of paint to use
Tips & tricks for a good coat (Wet sanding in between coats & at the end?)
Masking tips for multiple colors (Green painters tape, Fastmask?)
What to use for a clear coat (Clear coat paint, floor polish, epoxy/resin?)
Suggestions for trying not to mix types of paints together & why...

I have a new white body that I'm itching to use some of my off time to get ready for when I'm able to come back out & play!

What about pre-painted auto scale bodies that we may want to paint over?
Should they be stripped somehow or just scuffed up, primered?

Inquiring minds want to know!

[blt456]

1. Sand body with 1500g sandpaper (don't sand too hard or else it shows under the paint)
2. Spray body with motor spray (water and soap should be fine as well. I just use motor spray because it's easier to get all the excess plastic off of the body after sanding)
3. Put spray paint can in water for 5 minutes (this makes the mist finer)
4. paint

I have been prepping my white bodies like this since 2011 and the paint on my cars has barely come off. Usually, the only paint that comes off in on the corners, where people hit me or I rub the rcp rail.

[mleemor60]

Approximate water temperature would be?

[cowboysir]

Originally Posted by RFick73

So Cowboy & XMods.... (As you two seem to be a good starting source)
& of course, ANYONE else with experience please speak up...

I am thinking of trying my hand at painting again & doing up a new white body I just got.
I've done it before with Mastercraft Aerosol Auto Paints & that worked out pretty well, the paint was rather expensive though...
(The front quarter of the darned body snapped off like 20 mins into racing it & I never really used it after that)


What tips & tricks would you give us all?

What prep should be taken?
Soap & water, lightly scuff, Primer?

Information on types of paint to use
Tips & tricks for a good coat (Wet sanding in between coats & at the end?)
Masking tips for multiple colors (Green painters tape, Fastmask?)
What to use for a clear coat (Clear coat paint, floor polish, epoxy/resin?)
Suggestions for trying not to mix types of paints together & why...

I have a new white body that I'm itching to use some of my off time to get ready for when I'm able to come back out & play!

What about pre-painted auto scale bodies that we may want to paint over?
Should they be stripped somehow or just scuffed up, primered?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Some things I have figured out:

I used tamiya spray cans and have had good success with them but since i got my airbrush going I'm using small bottles of Acyrlics from tamiya.

warming and sanding like blt mentioned is a good idea...I usually use 2000 grit from autobody stores.

Masking is tricky. I'm using the "Frog" brand of green painters tape and I've had mixed results with bleeding. Make sure the tape is super secure to the body and do a super light layers as first spray so bleed is minimal. I've found for whitebodies its a good paint method to go from light to dark colors for layers. My Repsol paint scheme goes white-orange-red-black so oversprayed areas get covered by darker sections.

Clear coats are tricky. I've got Tamiya clears and I'm not sure how durable they'll be compared to the automotive clear Landon used on my Repsol HSV.

Paint mixing is hit and miss so my experience is to test and mix as you go...if you're not using an airbrush don't know if that'll be a concern to you. Mixing colors of the same base (acyrlics with acyrilics)

Autoscales that are dark or Red as a base layer should be primered first unless you are painting them dark over top. Trying to put yellow over red or black will be difficult...primer first.

lmk if I can help with anything else...my knowledge base is limited but ever expanding. Once I get my badger airbrush going (need to p/u a compressor) I'll be trying stuff like flames and using templates. Sooner or later i'll wind up like Larry with a gigantic collection of mini-z's custom painted.

[twinkie]

just so I don't have to type it out again...

http://mini-zracer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38175

[ScoobyPete]

Hi guys sorry to jump on the thread but I am looking at getting a starter kit:

Something like this..
http://www.airbrushonline.co.uk/vict...as176k-6-p.asp

Due to avaliablity in the UK I was going to use Tamyia Acyrlics.

I have a couple of Questions.
Do you thin the paint before using it in the Airbrush, If so what sort of ratios are you using.

I was under the impresion that you start with the lighter colours first is this correct?

Thanks for the time.

[cowboysir]

it seems like a good value but I don't know enough about airbrushes to be any real help. The gun itself looks like a knockoff version of my Badger 150
and i've been told that siphon based airbrushes tend to run at the psi rating shown on your product page.

i typically thin paints until i get fast droplets off my mixing stick...its a bit of a guesstimate but having something plastic to test on is always a good idea. viewing the flow and application of paint beforehand has helped me in my limited experience.

[RFick73]

Muchly appreciated twinkie!

[color01]

Originally Posted by mleemor60

Approximate water temperature would be?

Depends on paint -- Tamiya tends to work well with kitchen-sink hot water (~140F). Even with my crappy technique the finish on my newest R8 came out smooth, no buffing/polishing needed.

[cowboysir]

Stupid paint question for those in the know:

I'm considering using a clearcoat with a bit more durability but can't afford expensive epoxy based auto clearcoats. My question is who's had good results with Future floor polish (it's recommended by my decal supplier) and how did you apply it?

[FocusOne]

I use Future quite often but can't really comment on durability...for crashes...
So far the coat is consistent over the years (no noticeable degrading) but most ppl I talked to about it mention that it's quite durable...

As for application, I brush it on. Thin coat application and the brush streaks will go away. I find that one coat is enough but adding a second coat tends to mess up the finish. If you need to remove it use windex or ammonia.

Airbrushing tends to result in a satin finish (dries quick in the air). Places I've read online ppl say it takes a lot of skill to obtain an even high-gloss finish so it's not worth the extra effort. This stuff was designed for mopping on the floor and has a very effective leveling agent, so brush marks don't show.

Some also say to dip the entire part in future, but as stated above, brushing it on will produce an even finish. I've brushed it on windows and brush marks don't show.

Hope this helps!

[gctkaz]

I did up my extra Celica body recently, some of you saw it at the last meet.

I used Testor's spray enamel (copper colour), and Testor's spray lacquer glosscoat. The only reason I chose this colour is because I couldn't get metallic orange from Tamiya, but it's still not quite the colour I wanted. Anyway......

I'm never using these Testor's spray enamel again. Peels right off with the scotch tape that I use to keep the body from popping off during impacts. To be fair, I didn't really do any prep to the body beforehand, but neither was the one painted with Tamiya TS-series and I don't have a problem with paint peeling there.

[arch2b]

future is all i use get a pack of cheap brushes and cut the bottom off a soda bottle and your good to go. i don't think i've ever seen brush marks from painting it on, provided you don't recoat before the previous is completely dry. i typically due 2 coats 24 hours apart. it chips for sure but so will everything else. the plus side is, you can wipe off color marks and brush on more. it's cheap, it's effective and repairable. it's not bullet proof.

i've found the newer stuff is thinner than the old stuff, or it thickens over time? one bottle should last a year or more. my old one actually turned hazy after 2 years so i just tossed it and got another. i've never finished a bottle.

[cowboysir]

Originally Posted by gctkaz

I used Testor's spray enamel (copper colour), and Testor's spray lacquer glosscoat. The only reason I chose this colour is because I couldn't get metallic orange from Tamiya, but it's still not quite the colour I wanted. Anyway......

I've been doing a bit of experimenting with your colour dilemma....

I think I've got your metallic orange figured out with my airbrush with a base layer of gold and then a top coat of clear orange. I did a mock up on a test white body but I don't have a photo as of yet...ill post it later for you. If you think that's what you're trying to acheive I can paint it up for you once I get a few more paint pots.

As for another fun paint tip, I found out that Simple Green (degreaser/cleaner) makes a very effective paint stripper. Depending on complexity (layers of paint) it takes some time but damn does it work well!

[gctkaz]

Thanks for the offer, cowboy. I might not need to trouble you with that since the metallic orange S15 ASC is among the sets in Kyosho's price reduction so I might pick up one or two.

What I would like to get eventually is something painted up in the style of a Hong Kong taxi cab, but I don't think there are any suitable bodies that are still readily available these days. I think the Lancer, Fit, and Vitz might be the only semi-viable options.