Question for Swanny (Now with Photos)

my friend, i myself am a rookie model builder and have never had success decanting any type of paint from a spray can and applying it to a model. this certainly doesnt mean it cant be done. i get the rough orange peel everytime no matter what pressure i use, what distance i get from the subject, or what size needle/nozzle combo i use!! dont ask me, i cant figure it out for the life of me. its lacquer and it will dry quickly, so you can spray with too much pressure. try it at 15 psi and work you way a few pounds up or down in that nieghborhood. i personally buy the high dollar gloss black base made by alclad. this stuff is very easy to apply with not a lot of hassle. i have 2 P-51's that i just sprayed this weekend, the one that i used krylon on is being stripped back to the plastic because i got the same results that you did, and the other that i used alclad's gloss black base is being masked for the different panel shades and such. i doubt i ever go back to krylon. i hate going backward with a kit!! you work hard, you know how to paint, but you only have one shot on a natural metal finish or you'll be stripping it back to plastic if its not right. the alclad gloss black base sprays so much easier than krylon in my opinion. so, if you are a rookie like myself, maybe you should get some castrol super clean, strip the model back to plastic, go back to the LHS and purchase the alclad gloss black base, and start over. otherwise, every one of those pits and bumps will scream "look at me" when you spray the metal finish on your bird. sorry to break the bad news.

if i were you and had a question for swanny, just click on his email and ask away, he usually answers within 24 hours. later.

Sorry to say it, but you need a smooth glossy finish for the Alclad2. Bumbs & grit will scream "Look at me" on your finished model. Sounds like you may have sprayed at too high a PSI with the AB too far from the model. Lacquer dries quickly and the rough finish may have been caused by some of the atomized paint drying in the air before hitting the model.

Without seeing the finish ourselves, it's hard to say as to whether it's past the repair stage or not.

With Orange peel, all you really have to do is sand it with a FINE wet and dry sand paper. Using a little water is a must, and sand in a circular motion, otherwise you end up with big gouges in your finish.
The 'gritty' looking bits are most likely paint that dried before hitting the surface of your model.

The choice is yours really.
Personally I'd sand some of it first to see if it can be repaired.
Or you may choose to strip and respray.

But remember the most important thing, don't be discouraged!!!Very few people have had instant success with NMF, just takes a little practice, thats all.

Sean

It doesn't look at all gritty--washing it got rid of all that. It's just not a smooth, glossy finish. There's one spot on my model where I felt that I had sprayed far too close, but that turned out glossy and smooth, while the rest felt like a flat finish. I'll post some pictures, and then do some wet sanding before painting again. I'm pretty sure I could achieve a glossy coat with another try...I'll just do 15 psi at closer range.

Had I been going for a matte finish, I'd be very happy.

All the others have pointed you in the right direction, I believe. Laquer is so "Hot" it dries quickly, much like acrylics. Too much pressure or too great a distance can cause particles to dry slightly on the way to the surface. Since they are somewhat dry when they hit, they cannot flow and level out, thus causing that grainy surface.

If you put your final Alclad surface on it now, all that grain will show through unfortunately. Stripping or very find sanding are the best ways to go, and I'd try sanding first since you have nothing to lose.

Something I've had good luck with are Scotch Guard scouring pads. You can get them at most grocery or department stores, and even some drug stores. They are used for cleaning fine dishes and are very fine. There are two "Grits", green and white with teh white being the finer of the two.

Alright, I wet-sanded and then put on another few coats, and it looks (and feels) much improved. I noticed that I can only achieve a really glossy coat by letting the paint really flow on there. With that in mind, I might wet sand a little more and put on another coat. I don't seem to be losing any surface detail, so it can't hurt, I guess...



Is that the glossy effect I'm going for? It's so uneven because I was afraid to paint from very far away, and therefore painted in narrow stripes...

Your getting closer!

But where you have narrow strips of glossy finish, that is where your final finish will look it's best.

I would let it sit for a couple of days to allow the black to totally cure, then give it another wet sand till it is smooth as a bubbas bot bot.
Then spray again.

This time test your brush on some scrap plastic, and play with your pressure until the black is hitting the plastic and flowing.
After that practice a little more in getting a nice even paint flow with the new pressure setting, and adjusting the distance between brush and target.

After you feel confident with the above, then go back and finish the gloss coat on your project.

It may seem like a bit of a hassle, but the end result is truely worth every bit of pain.