I need to remove A LOT of orange peel from my first ever model!!

Welcome to the forum and the hobby. The only answer I know of if it is very bad is stripping it and trying it again. But then I have always had bad luck with orang peel myself. Hopefully someone else will have a better solution.

i dont think its bad enough to have to strip the paint, i think i can sand it, but will 1500 be fine enough, followed by rubbing compound and wax?

Start by wet sanding with 1000 or 1500 grit,move up to 2000,or finer..clear coat it,sand again carefully (wet),and polish it.

The hobby places in my area dont carry anything finer than 1500, so i cant get anything else!

Check with the stores that sell auto paint and supplies in your area, they may have finer sandpaper for you.

check the hardware stores too.

I checked all the auto and hardware stores today, and i couldnt find anything finer than 1500 !! Can i still get a good finish with 1500 grit, or am i screwed?


Thanks for all of the replies guys, keep sendin em in!

Here is a place that sells micro mesh kits they work great starts at 1500 grit and gets finer. http://www.simcom.on.ca/woodbin/MicroMeshProducts.htm

You can use the white sheet and the red sheet of sand paper in theTestors model car sandpaper pack from any hobby shop,or Wal-Mart.Plus,it's cheaper than auto sandpaper.

You can still get pretty good shine without a full polishing kit. I'd suggest wet-sanding up to the 1500 grit (watch the corners and edges very carefully though - actually, I'd suggest putting a thin strip of masking tape over all of the edges/corners to prevent sanding through the paint.) Then, you could use some paste-type polishing compound (not wax) on it. Tamiya sells some, or you might try some of the automotive stuff (Turtle Wax brand, 3M brand, etc... check the automotive section of Walmart)

After that, you may want to shoot it with clear coat for a final 'shine'...

Murray

You could also use a piece of well used 1500 paper. That will significantly reduce the potential for deeper scratches etc.

Yeah put away the misery! Just strip the paint! And try again, again, and again till you are satisfied! Trust me. Later on when you got the feel, and when your paint jobs look good. You will appreciate it most!

Cheers!

The other option is to remove everything by stripping the paint completely. In the UK, there is a product called Mr. Muscle Oven Cleaner. Although not designed for models, it will completely strip off paint, varnish, decals - the lot - without damaging the plastic. Apply it to the model, seal the model in a plastic bag and let the chemicals do their work. After a few hours, take the model out - wear gloves - and wash it under running water. The whole lot should rinse away leaving an undamaged plastic model.
I would suggest trying it out on something old first, but I have heard it works extremely well.
Hope this helps.

Try your local plumbing stores, or home improvement stores. Even a place like Michaels, or similar art/craft store.

shalin,
when you say you checked 'auto stores' do you mean like autozone & pep boys?
what you really need is a bodyshop or a place that supplies bodyshops.
if you are in SoCal, there should be some around!

I regularly get 1500 and 2000 grit from a couple of my local hobby shops. And I'm in Phoenix! If you're in SoCal, you should be able to find something, somewhere. Grab the Yellow Pages and let your finger do the walking!