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Painting this Shelby Mustang, Tamiya paint for polycarbonate?

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  • Member since
    July 2005
Painting this Shelby Mustang, Tamiya paint for polycarbonate?
Posted by Lloyd on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 8:41 AM

Hello, is there any problem using the Tamiya spray cans for polycarbonate on plastic? I don't want to mess up this expensive 1/12  Mustang kit, but I was concerned it would etch the plastic or something. Thanks for any advice.

  • Member since
    July 2012
  • From: Douglas AZ
Posted by littletimmy on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 10:48 AM

I dont see a problem....  However,  you should test it first on a piece of the kits plastic.   just use a bit of one of the part trees  (sprue)  or a part that you wont be using.

 Dont worry about the thumbprint, paint it Rust , and call it "Battle Damage"

  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Nashville, TN area
Posted by bobbaily on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 12:27 PM

I think you might want to use something from the Tamiya TS line, rather than the PS line.  I believe that I read/heard somewhere that paint suitable for polycarbonate (clear RC bodies) will destroy a styrene plastic body.

You might want to post the same question in the Paint & Airbrush forum.

Bob

 

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Atlanta, Ga.
Posted by MrSquid2U on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 2:29 PM

bobbaily

I think you might want to use something from the Tamiya TS line, rather than the PS line.  I believe that I read/heard somewhere that paint suitable for polycarbonate (clear RC bodies) will destroy a styrene plastic body.

You might want to post the same question in the Paint & Airbrush forum.

I realize I must have forgotten what I once knew from my RC experiences but Bob sounds right. As I recall Polycarbonate paints are "hot" to bind and flex with RC bodies. While you can use modelpaints on RC bodies they can flake when crashed and RC paints can craze styrene. But like 'hot' lacquers you can overcome that with the right 'barrier'/primer over styrene. And not to insult you, but, you know that RC bodies get painted from the inside so the clear body offers it's own 'ptotection' during impacts.Wink

 

       

 

  • Member since
    July 2005
Posted by Lloyd on Thursday, March 14, 2013 1:14 AM

Apparently it's ok to spray PS colour onto styrene, but you can't spray over the top with clear coat or anything.

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Sydney, Australia
Posted by Phil_H on Thursday, March 14, 2013 1:34 AM

It should be noted that most paints for polycarbonate bodies have a dull or eggshell finish at best. This is because the paint is applied to the inside of the shell and the gloss is imparted by the shell itself.

In short, use the correct paint.

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