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Airbrushing Car Body

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  • Member since
    June 2009
Airbrushing Car Body
Posted by Falcon10275 on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 5:12 PM

Hi Guys,

I need some advice on airbrushing and gloss finishes.   If I use a spray can, with very little skill or effort I get an amazing finish in just one shot.  Its glossy and perfect.

 

When I use an airbrush, with a gloss color, I can't seem to ever get past the orange peel stage.  Even with half a dozen coats.  When I add clear coat its still kind of orange peely and rough.  The closest I ever came to a nice smooth glossy finish, I had the airbrush opened full and was dumping paint on the model.  It worked, but it was a pretty big waste of paint and caused runs, unevenness.   Seems like the airbrush makes a hazy type finish to gloss coats.   

 

How do you guys paint car bodies with an airbrush?  Is it better to just stick to spray cans when painting a gloss car body?

 

 

  • Member since
    August 2011
  • From: Hayward, CA
Posted by GreenThumb on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 9:05 PM

You should ask this in the 'Autos' forum. Wink

 

Mike

 

 

  • Member since
    June 2008
  • From: Iowa
Posted by Hans von Hammer on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 9:57 PM

All gloss enamels produce a texture which is sometimes referred to as "orange-peeling", but it's generally not... It's only more pronounced on models cars becasue you can't "scale down" the actual paint... Take a REAL close look at your own car's paint jobs... You can see it...

True "orange-peel" is a problem experienced due to a number of factors in a gloss enamel finish, ranging from air-pressure to mixture to silicone contamination to.....

If you want a high-gloss, extremely smooth, "glass"-like finish, it takes laquers, clear laquers,  and buffing... And like Mike said, the car-guys over there and in the "Painting" forums will have more answers on how to achieve it.. My main concern is getting the "dead-flat" finish I want on figures, lol...

 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 9:12 AM

GreenThumb

You should ask this in the 'Autos' forum. Wink

 

Another good forum for this question is the Painting and Airbrushing forum.  However, I'll take a crack at it.

An airbrush has a coverage more like a brush than a spray can.  You are likely trying to hold brush too far from model and paint is drying before it reaches the surface.  Cut down on the pressure and move closer, then move more slowly to put wetter paint on.

Gloss painting is more difficult than painting with flats.  You need to indulge in brinkmanship.  The final coat needs to go on so wet it is just on the verge of running.  How do you know just when it is about to run, but before it actually does?  Two things- experience, and good lighting.  You need to have a light positioned so you see the reflection of it in the surface you are painting.  That allows you to see just how wet the coat of paint is.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    June 2009
  • From: Metepec, Mexico
Posted by Electric Blues on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 9:58 AM

I only use acrylic lacquer.

The first thing is good surface prep. Lay down a good coat of primer and sand it down smooth with 2000 and 4000 grit. Wash it, dry it and avoid the finger oil.

Paint it with as many light paint coats as it takes to achieve full color coverage. Let it dry.  Sand smooth with 2000 to 4000 grit. Paint again and let dry for a week.

The shine won't come from the paint application. The shine will come from sanding.

Start wet sanding with 2000 grit and progressively move up to 12,000 without skipping intermediate grits. Use clean water every time you change grits. Final polish is done with Novus#2.

= Mirror shine 

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