Hello!

I'm no expert on this subject - for those you should look up a group build like the "Red Hot & Rolling" - I managed to put on some glossy paint, like here:

What I did was to put on some primer, three-four layers of Motip paint from a spray can and some clear coat (two-three layers - Gunze Top Coat). It's important to put on the layers lightly, let each layer of paint dry throughly (at least two days), it's also good to lightly sand each layer with fine sandpaper (grit 2500). In hindsight it probably would be better to use Motip clear coat here, as it is more durable - but I have sandwiched the decals between the clear coats, and Motip is known to eat up some decals. After all the paint dried up I sanded it once again with that fine sandpaper to remove soma orange peel that I had in some places and then I have polished it out with a polishing compound - in this case it was "Tempo" made in the Czech Republic - that works really nice. And that would be it - take your time, don't put too much of anything at once and it should turn out OK. Hope it helps - good luck with your build and don't forget to post some pics, have a nice day

Paweł

Most full scale paint jobs nowadays are flat base coat and then clear, so no reason you can't do the same. You can get a smoother paint job with a airbrush versus rattle can.

Make sure all the parts to be painted are clean. I use a good dish washing detergent that will clean grease (fingerprints and mold release agents). I wipe the body parts with alchohol and sand with 600 or 800 wet or dry sandpaper (wet sand). Clean again before priming with a color primer that suits your final color. You may want to experiment with primer colors, e.g. light gray, dark gray, charchol/black, or rusty red. The finished color can be effected by the primer color. If you like the rattle can color then shake it real well and decant it into a bottle from which you can put it in and airbrush and spray it throught an airbrush. If the paint is a lacquer then spray several coats and let each dry berfore the next coat. If the paint is enamel then spray a lighht "tack" coat and let it get "tacky" say half dry. Then spray a final coat or two but not thick enough to "run". If you plan on clear coating the finish then a clear enamel would be applied the same way. Clear lacquer can be sprayed in coats, let dry, sand, and spray another coat. Be careful not to cut through your color when sanding. Do not use anything coarser than 2500 grit. Before you do the model do some practice runs on something similar. I use white Evergreen sheet plastic (0.060). I have a piece that may have been painted 50 time. Gloss paint jobs take practice and patience. Some enamels (most) need to be allowed to dry for several weeks before you can handle and assemble the model. Acrylics and lacquers are a little more forgiving.

Thanks for the replies so far, guys.

I did pull out a donor kit I'm doing tests on now. The paint I bought is a lacquer, so there's that, at least. I masked off half that donor car body and sprayed it direct from the can, no prep, and it turned out surprisingly acceptable. I'll keep messing with it. Luckily the commission calls for quite a bit of wear and tear on the truck, so a less-than-perfect finish won't be a deal breaker.

--Chris

I sometimes combine rattle cans and airbrush.  I put down initial color coats with a rattle can, sand them out, and finish with one or two airbrush coats of same color.  I like to build period cars, when super glossy clear coats was not common.

Some friends do use the flats first and then glosscoat.

Many of us occasionally finish cars with Duplicolor or other auto touch-up rattle cans.

One secret to a good gloss is that the final coat must go on very thick/heavy. I characterize that last coat as a operation of brinkmanship.  I put it down until just before the paint runs.  How do you know "just before it runs?"  Experience/practice. If I am airbrushing final coat, I often thin it thinner than the previous coats.

 

 

Thanks Chris for starting this thread and everyone with advice. I've gotten this itch to do a car and picked up a vintage Cadillac that I want to paint hot pink but have been putting it off since I wasn't sure how to get the paint right. 

Dirk....many, many times I've gone to the local auto parts store and had small quantities of automotive laquer custom mixed.  The 1/8 scale Poscher F-40 contract build I did comes to mind.  The stuff dries fast...HARD...and glossy.
Also - Tamiya laquer rattle cans are fantastic.  Decant into your airbrush bottle, thin, and spray.  Tamiya's rattle cans are awesome.  Seriously. 
Automotive polishes (like Meguiars - awesome quality) and NOVUS polishes will make your teeny ride shine, big time. 
Don't be scared of automotive laquers....they're thick, you have to thin them a lot.  And don't forget to use appropriate primer colors.  Reds, white, and yellow topcoats need lighter primers - like white....Blues and greens can also pop with white primer.  Black is probably best sprayed over gray. 
Don't be afraid of laquers....I MUCH prefer them over enamels.

dirkpitt77

Thanks for the replies so far, guys.

I did pull out a donor kit I'm doing tests on now. The paint I bought is a lacquer, so there's that, at least. I masked off half that donor car body and sprayed it direct from the can, no prep, and it turned out surprisingly acceptable. I'll keep messing with it. Luckily the commission calls for quite a bit of wear and tear on the truck, so a less-than-perfect finish won't be a deal breaker.

--Chris

 

Lacquer is the best way to go. When you spray it, remember that you don't "mist" on lacquer---full-on spray coat-to-cover works best. And one thing you can do that really helps is to heat the paint up slightly by putting the bottle or jar in a cup of microwaved hot water. Get it nicely warm and it will settle and lay a lot smoother. DO NOT spray lacquer below, say, 65 degrees or it will peel terribly. Also, lower air pressure on lacquer works better than high; high AP will tend to orange peel it as well. Forget enamels---they take FOREVER to cure and dry. Lacquer will cure in 24 hours, even sooner, and is more durable to sanding than enamels or acrylics.

Welcome to your nightmare. I love building muscle cars and am currently squirreled away making three Johnny Rutherford McLarens and am in gloss paint hell. I hate spraying and trying to get a gloss finish, but you gotta do it if you want the cool car models. :)

the doog

 

dirkpitt77

Thanks for the replies so far, guys.

I did pull out a donor kit I'm doing tests on now. The paint I bought is a lacquer, so there's that, at least. I masked off half that donor car body and sprayed it direct from the can, no prep, and it turned out surprisingly acceptable. I'll keep messing with it. Luckily the commission calls for quite a bit of wear and tear on the truck, so a less-than-perfect finish won't be a deal breaker.

--Chris

 

 

 

 

Lacquer is the best way to go. When you spray it, remember that you don't "mist" on lacquer---full-on spray coat-to-cover works best. And one thing you can do that really helps is to heat the paint up slightly by putting the bottle or jar in a cup of microwaved hot water. Get it nicely warm and it will settle and lay a lot smoother. DO NOT spray lacquer below, say, 65 degrees or it will peel terribly. Also, lower air pressure on lacquer works better than high; high AP will tend to orange peel it as well. Forget enamels---they take FOREVER to cure and dry. Lacquer will cure in 24 hours, even sooner, and is more durable to sanding than enamels or acrylics.

 

Welcome to your nightmare. I love building muscle cars and am currently squirreled away making three Johnny Rutherford McLarens and am in gloss paint hell. I hate spraying and trying to get a gloss finish, but you gotta do it if you want the cool car models. :)

 

Pretty much summed it all up right there. Be careful with automotive body shop type lacquer though if you get froggy enough to try that............that stuff DOES NOT like plastic model putty or super glue used as filler.

When I did auto kits back in the 80s, I used put a rattle can of gloss coat under running hot water for a few minutes (2 minutes tops), shake, then run under hot water for another minute, then shake and spray in several light coats. I found it giving off the best shine. Then I top it off with a gloss clearcoat.

I know it sounds kind of risky and dangerous but I've never had an issue of rattle can exploding on me then. But hey, it worked for me!

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

 

I know it sounds kind of risky and dangerous but I've never had an issue of rattle can exploding on me then. But hey, it worked for me!

 

 

Hey, that would be one way to quickly apply the paint!