How do I fix my paint job?

John,

I think you will need to sand it all off clean and start over.  But if you are unfamiliar with using an airbrush, I suggest you practice for awhile, spraying on paper sheets or scrap plastics, until you get the hang of it.  I know I used up a lot a paper for awhile, until I got comfortable with controlling the thing.  It's an art and a skill that you will need to develop over time.

good to know you got the correct info and learning. a good sand will fix the problem. funny thing is i made the same problem when spraying my Hog. it was my first attempt using an AB. i thought it was because it was an enamel but after doing some research i found the why it was like sandpaper. take your time and practice on some spare parts. i usually use a single action AB for covering larger areas. my hand isn't steady enough for going over large areas with a dual action. 

Grrr, I screwed it up again and I am not even sure why. I sanded down the model and re-shot the base coat (MM Enamel Light Ghost Gray) which came out pretty good. Last night I tried to shoot the second color for the camo (Dark Ghost Gray) and it came out horrible. Another sandpaper type, inconsistent finish. Im starting to get frustrated, not a good way to get going in this hobby. I dont know why this happened either. I turned the pressure down to 20lbs, got the brush closer, and thinned the paint a bit more. I think part of the problem might have been that the tonal differences between the colors were such that I had real problems seeing where I was working. Looks like i have to sand this thing down a second time.

Any words of wisdom appreciated.

John

I can't help except to say that you should practice the scheme on a used plastic pop bottle. Try to find what works on there. If it doesn't work, start over with a new bottle - no sanding required.

I'm just learning how to AB right now too and this is what I am planning to do. I've sprayed a couple pieces here and there but I am not ready for a body yet.

Good Luck!

As has been suggested, a bit of practice on something is a pretty good way to work around this type of issue, cleaned up plastic pop bottles / milk bottles are ideal for this - best of all, if you muck up it's not an issue.

A combination of reducing pressure, reducing distance & increasing thinners will cure the rough finish, just have a play about with the variables & you'll find the sweet spot for you brush, paint & technique. Don't let it get you down, as after a while it will become easier & more or less automatic.......

Regards not seeing your paintwork, it you paint under a bright light your freshly laid paint will look wet in comparison to the rest - adjust the light or your viewing angle until the freshly laid paint can be seen.

Yeah, I have been working under a bright light. This is I think a technique thing. And to be honest I just decided to turn this project into a painting mule. :) I thought about cleaning off the paint with some thinner cause even as I was sanding I noticed that the base coat was super thick.  Well I got too hot with the thinner and started to melt / ruin the wing panel. Thats why I chose a $15 kit as my first :)

I suspect that a good chunk of my problem might have been the first coat which went on uneven and thick. My guess is that I probably didnt get that surface prepped properly for the second color and hence my surface was completely uneven and nasty. Guess this makes sense. Keep the ideas coming if you have any more.

John

I had nasty dusting issues this summer that I was attributing to the stupid heat, but that more likely were caused by the half gallon of sludge water I discovered in my compressor tank during the move. Anyway, pick up some micro mesh sanding pads/cloths and gently sand the rough spots smooth. No need to strip and start over. 

I did this on my big Tamiya Spit, and it came out pretty solid in the end. 

PilotSpike

I thought about cleaning off the paint with some thinner cause even as I was sanding I noticed that the base coat was super thick.  Well I got too hot with the thinner and started to melt / ruin the wing panel.

John,

Instead of using thinner to strip paint off of a model, use Simple Green (or Mean Green is another one).  Soak model overnight and all the paint should come up with a soft toothbrush.  No toxic fumes and won't melt the plastic.  It isn't the best thing for a spot stripping, as the model needs to be submerged (you can't just brush it on to specific areas).

Paul

Now thats a great piece of information.

Looking back at my continued problems I have done a bit more research and it looks like maybe I didn't cover all of the basics. I have been thinning MM enamels with lacquer thinner. Could this be a contributor to some of my issues with uneven surface coverage / texture? Researching seems to show that thinning should be done with MM enamel thinner or a mineral spirit. Thinking back my best spray ever came when I was shooting a flat white enamel without any thinning. I have been fighting texture issues ever since.

John

What pressure were you using? Too much will atomize the paint and give it a dusty grainy look and feel.

For what it's worth, I recently sprayed a bare plastic car body, pre- washed with dish detergent/water and air dryed, using a rattle can of Tamiya Black synthetic lacquer.  Just one coat, and the result was the most beautiful, glossy coat of black I have ever seen!   I don't think I could have done better with my airbrush!  That paint is really good stuff, and it took only about 10 seconds to do it!