Painting Model Kits

CAR MODEL PAINTING GUIDELINES

1. ENSURE A SMOOTH FINISH THROUGH FILLING AND FINE SANDING

A smooth finish is paramount to producing a high quality paint thus you will need to make sure that this step is never skipped if you want to produce something above average. Great finishing is done under a concentrated light in a room that is darkened. This technique involves focusing light at shallow angles relative to the surface of the eye. This enables you to get a look at minor details that would otherwise be hard to notice in basic lighting.

It’s worth noting that it is important to scrape down any inconsistencies with a knife blade to minimize the risk of sand marks. This is done in conjunction with the use of CA glue to eliminate the associated sinks and holes. For large sized holes and bubbles, it is advisable to use some baking soda into the depression which is then saturated with the CA glue. In addition, it is wise to avoid some putties like squadron brand as it does not dry and shrink completely. Coarse grit sand paper may also not exactly serve a noble purpose.

Upon leveling up the surface and you are satisfied, it is important to redo the frame with fine sanding by using the 800-1000 grit wet or dry sandpaper. This ensures the surface has an exceptionally smooth finish. Furthermore, this lays a good foundation for the primer to anchor to.

2. MAKE USE OF FINE WHITE SURFACE PRIMER

Primer is basically a flat paint that has augmented adhesion properties. Gloss paint can be used but it has problems associated with surface tension and basically come with problems holding on to smooth plastic surfaces.

If you embark on giving gloss paint a try, you will notice that the paint tends to separate easily from the edges and clogs up on the inside of the corners leaving you with a car painting nightmare.

Upon finishing of the primer and waiting for it to dry up, it is also advisable to redo the surfacing with a fine emery cloth that helps with removing high spots and nibs. It is important to note that you have to go gentle with the surfacing unless you want to respray the surface over again. After finishing, check the surface under strong light to make sure the details are well taken care of.

3. SPRAY 2 MIST AND 2 WET COATS

This stage involves spraying the color and is probably the most exciting.

The first thing you want to make sure is well taken care of is to employ easy to use and above average quality paint. The Tamya TS Synthetic lacquer is a good example as it supplies an easy to apply, a wide range of colors to play around with and tends to have a great lifespan.

Utilizing an airbrush provides you another great advantage through giving you a lot of versatility and control. It is also a wise thing to do to try and get used to the brush by practicing on some materials you can practice on. This allows you to get accustomed to the paint as different paints have different properties that can surprise you if you plunge head first without having a preview.

Applying the first mist coat is characterized by the focus placed on getting to the hard to reach areas of the model. You don’t necessarily need to cover the whole model but rather pay most of the attention to areas such as wheel wells and underside spoilers.

The next mist coat is the one that should cover all the areas of the car model while making sure that there is uniformity in terms of the density and texture of the covering. This stage may not be able to eliminate all the roughness and it’s still okay because this is well taken care of in the next stage.

This stage is followed by the application of the wet coat which is basically incorporated in to ensure that the surface is smooth. Always make sure that this is done in area with strong light. You can apply another wet coat layer to achieve more smoothness and clarity depending on your personal impression.

COLOUR SANDING

This stage involves further smoothening of the surface by means of abrasive papers with progressive grits to the point where all the little inconsistencies are eliminated. Micromesh Emery papers are a good example. They progress through a total of six grits namely: 3200, 3600, 4000, 6000, 8000 and 12000.

The procedure begins with the coarsest grit and it is done in a circular fashion in about 1 inch diameter circles. Coarser grits remove more material so it is always worth remembering that high spots should be sanded with caution as you may end up disturbing the both the top and color coat.

FINAL POLISHING

This stage is really about giving your model the final touch of perfection. To begin with, you squirt a little dab on a piece of cloth which can be anything from an old shirt or a piece of cotton. The application procedure is in essence the same as the one for sanding which employs a circular pattern by going through circles of approximately 1 inch in terms of diameter.

It is also worth noting that the polish is basically liquid sandpaper and it has the potential to compromise the quality of edges. This places the need for extra care when you are going through the process.

ON BUILDING DIECAST CAR MODELS….

It might be that you have gone through a memorable experience witnessing some incredible Die cast car model collection. Perhaps you just want to have a few tips on building award winning die cats car models. Whatever the reason may be, chances are you are keen on getting through the first steps in developing some Die cast car models of your own. Well, we came up with this short article to provide you with some practical tips that can enable you to at least start off on a journey to amazing Die cast car models. Overall, coming up with a Die cast car model is an exciting adventure though it may take a bit of more time to complete something satisfactory. Let’s get forward and explore the first principles relating to building Die cast models.

It all begins with making the right choice in choosing the right building kit for you. The kits are fairly easy to find and can be found at a number of hobby and craft shops. The kits exist in different levels namely: beginner, intermediate and advanced. If you are a newbie in this niche, it is appropriate to consider getting the beginners level as it affords you the necessary tools to learn the basics. The intermediate and advanced kits are more suitable for those who have had a fair share of practice and a versed in the peculiarities that come with Die cast model car kits.

The materials you need are determined to large extent by the kind of kit you choose. While some kits offer you with more comprehensive packages including paint, others only afford the basics and let you purchase some of the tools you need separately. If you are looking for more finesse in your build, you can elect to add some more accessories including racing decals, customized rings, tires, racing engines and a myriad others.

Another point worth noting is that you need to have a stock of basic model building supplies despite the fact that they may come as part of the building kit. Often times, you may discover that there isn’t enough of something, for instance, glue and paint. This usually happens when you are up for the best look and need a good number of coats to get the best out of the car. There are good examples for Die Cast cars at less than 5 dollars on the market today which include the Testers Brand found at the Hobby lobby. Other indispensable items you may want to consider on your tool list are the knife, the wax paper and Acrylic for protective coating.

On the last note, it is always wise to learn from other people’s experience to build on your Die Cast car adventures. You can get a lot of reviews based on different Die cast kits on authority sites like Amazon and other popular sites related to model building. This helps to enhance the bigger picture while you are learning some really practical tips on Die Cast model car building.