My latest project is the Polar Lights/Round2 USS Enterprise refit in 1/350 scale. In order to light the build, I have been using Wal-Mart flat black in the 96 cent rattle can to light block subassemblies as I build. The original plan was to apply two coats of the black and then overspray it with two coats of flat white to help distribute light once I got the LEDs ininstalled. Simple enough, right?
Last week, I sprayed the interior of the bottom of the engineering hull with the black and let it cure in a box to keep dust out of the drying paint. I let it cure for a full week before spraying the Wal-Mart white over the top. Almost immediately, the paint cracked and crazed, leaving several areas that looked like a broken mirror.
After the paint dried, I wet sanded the mess and reapplied the white. Again, it crazed...the affected areas are buried deep within the model and will be covered by the hangar bay subassembly, so it will never be seen. However, it still bothers me and I am reluctant to go about painting the rest of the build until the problem is solved or there is another alternative for me. Any suggestions?