Help - Primer, Paint, Future and Clear Cote wont stay on...

Chances are the plastic itself is the culprit. Does it feel waxy to the touch? I've found that those kits with such a waxy feel tend to reject paint or not allow it to bind properly. It has something to do with the plastic's composition.

A while back a manufacturer had produced parts that no matter what one used to paint them with the paint flaked off days later. The contractor used a blend of plastic not to specification. Fortunately it was a limit run of a small sprue set.

Alcohol isn't necessarily the best surface prep item. You might consider using a window cleaner that has ammonia.

Prime, let cure. Then proceed on with your paint application. Even Tamiya (and Tamiya like) tape will pull paint under the right circumstances. Reduce the tapes tack by applying it to your skin first.

Hi Andrew,

Wow, it sounds like you're really having some issues.

Firstly, Future is not resistant to alcohol. (BTW - are you using "real" Future or one of the locally available alternatives?)

I am curious as to how long you left
(a) your primer coat to dry before applying your colour coats
(b) how long you left your colour coats to dry before applying Future
(c) how long you left the Future coat to dry before applying your decals and Microsol.

As I so often say, flat acrylics like Tamiya and Gunze are touch dry in minutes, if not seconds, but should be left for a minimum of 12 hours, preferably more, before masking and overcoating. Future also should be left overnight to harden before applying decals, particularly if you use a setting solution. (Some etting solutions are known to cause Future to haze if insufficiently hardened.

It does seem strange that mineral turps will affect Tamiya acrylics - I've never seen that happen in my experience. Humbrol Satin Cote being a lacquer, I am guessing that alcohol may have some effect, but it shouldn't  strip an enamel base coat.

Thanks for the reply Gerald, after running my finger across the drop tank (one of the few unpainted parts) I'd say yes it has a feel very much like a wax crayon, very different feel to another kit i have on my desktop that I'm having no issues with.

As for the window cleaner tip for prep will do (since I keep a bottle on hand for future clean up).

Andrew

Phil,

I left it about 24 hours between primer and the first paint, then probably 18 hours for next then 6 hours for the final colour).

The future was applied about 24 hours later (I use the local version from coles- pledge one go, never had any previous issues with it). I know its suppossed to be fine with mineral turps but I couldnt remember if same for alcohol.

It was about 18 hours between pledge/future and start of decaling.

Andrew

I would avoid using alcohol for cleaning or thinning.  I had a similar experience, I soaked the pieces of a nice, large, expensive resin figure in alcohol for hours to be sure all the mold release was off, then I let it dry thoroughly for days.  Long story short, nothing would stick to it or cure on it, acrylic, enamel, lacquer, nothing.  I stripped and redid it many times, same thing.  I finally had to relegate it to "Mr. Wastebasket".  It was a gorgeous Vampirella figure, $100 down the drain!