Model disaster, Lacquer thinner and white primer mixed

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Model disaster, Lacquer thinner and white primer mixed

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 24, 2005 12:30 AM

Heres what happened, I primed a plastic model car with a can a testors white primer with the intent of painting it with a lacquer paint. I was later told to strip the white primer and use automotive light grey primer instead because the testors white primer and the lacquer paint would react badly together. So heres what I did, I stripped the off white primer and then dipped the entire model in a bath of lacquer thinner thinking this would help prep the model for the lacquer paint, the model now appears to be ruined as Its covered with shiny blotches thru out. I think what happened was I still had a good amount white primer on the inside of the model and it mixed with the lacquer thinner and caused a bad reaction. I tried to sand the model to get the blothes off of it and it didn't work. I was thinking of dipping it in Castro Superclean to see if that would clean up the model again so that I can prime it with the Automotive light grey. Please advise as I'm very disappointed since this is a vintage 67 mustang that I'm trying to refurbish. Thanks..

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 24, 2005 6:05 AM

You dipped the whole model in lacquer thinner??? That is a recipe for disaster. Lacquer thinner is the enemy of model plastic my friend.

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MusicCity

Member since
January 2004
From: USA

Posted by MusicCity on Sunday, April 24, 2005 8:35 AM

Yep, as Dolittle said you've got a problem. Laquer thinner and styrene do not mix. It works fine for a paint thinner because it evaporates quickly when it hits the plastic and doesn't have time to do much more than etch the surface, but using it to remove paint is not a good idea.

I don't think you are going to have much luck fixing this one, but what you can try is either very fine steel wool or 2000 grit wet sandpaper to try and polish the surface back. You will most likely lose some surface detail, but panel lines such as around the hood, trunk, and doors can be scribed back.

Scott Craig -- Nashville, TN -- My Website -- My Models Page

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 24, 2005 12:46 PM

Sorry about the misfortune Howard. Like MusicCity said sanding may help but otherwise I would just chalk it up to a learning experience.

QUOTE: Originally posted by howardshobbies
I primed a plastic model car with a can a testors white primer with the intent of painting it with a lacquer paint. I was later told to strip the white primer and use automotive light grey primer instead because the testors white primer and the lacquer paint would react badly together.

I have to disagree with this. It just isn't true especially if your using an airbrush and painting each coat after the previous one has had some time to cure. I think you shoud tell the person who gave you the bad advice that they owe you a new mustang body.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 24, 2005 5:33 PM

As far as dipping the body in lacquer thinner, WHOA Nelly, big mistake. Should of just let it gas out for a couple of days and then soaked it in Super Clean. You say it's covered with shiny blotches that won't sand out. It seems they should sand out, replay back with more info on exactly what these blotches look like.......

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MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Sunday, April 24, 2005 10:29 PM

You soaked it in lacquer thinner? [:0]
The only thing worse would be to soak it in Tenax. Wink [;)]

Mike

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

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plasticmod992

Member since
January 2003
From: The Hoosier State

Posted by plasticmod992 on Monday, April 25, 2005 1:55 AM

Well gentlemen, I do believe we've just had our first modeling homicide for the year, and he just confessed to the crime......book'um Dano!

Greg Williams Owner/ Manager Modern Hobbies LLC Indianapolis, IN. IPMS #44084

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 4:52 PM

Give the entire body a light sanding with your finest grit paper then wash it is soap and luke warm water and air dry. Take any primer you have mix it with the appropiete thinner... doesnt matter what kind. lightly mist the car body let dry 24 hours, mist again, dry 24 hours, mist again.... till you have built the surface up. Kiss your panel lines good by, prolly from the lacq. thinner bath anyways. You can rescribe them later anyways. Give the primer a few days to dry up. Look for any low spots or dimples and fix them in the usual way. after all clean up is done mist one last time and lightly sand the model one last time too. Clean with alcohal after primer is cured. check your body to make sure its ok last time them paint as normal.
Smack friend in the back of the head while your at it for the bad advice... did he tell you too dip the plastic in lacq thinner? deserves 2 smacks for that one.

The body is not lost as long as it is not deformed form the lacq thinner.
Jeff

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 9:21 PM

While gray car primer is a good primer, I have never had too much of a problem using Testor's white primer. However, what I have heard (and what your friend may have meant) is that it is best to spray gray primer FIRST, and then spray white primer if you absolutely have to have a white undercoat. The reason being that the gray primer is much finer and you can get a nice solid, smooth foundation. Also is you just spray white primer on the car, and say you paint the body gloss white, and the interior flat black, it may bleed through. With the solid gray primer on though, it will help keep the color bleed to a minimum.

Has anyone told you about Simple Green? It is completely safe on plastic, on your hands, etc, etc, and it will strip the paint off of a model without too much problem. It takes a little bit of time sometimes, but is much Safer than........Lacquer Thinner.

Make your friend sand the body...that aught to teach him!!! LOL

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 9:40 PM

hey kiki, will simple green work on enamels and tamiya laquers?

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 10:27 PM

I have personally used it on Model Master enamels. I am pretty sure it works for Tamiya paints as well, but can not confirm it. What I have done is put some simple green in a container, and soak the parts (painted with enamels) overnight, and come back and it is mostly off. You may need to use an old toothbrush and some water to get the rest off, but it is much safer that way. Personally I am trying to keep as many chemicals away from me as possible, so I don't want to use oven cleaner or anything crazy like that. It takes a bit more time, but is worth not having the health concern for me.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 1:01 AM

cool, thanks mate...
thats pretty much why i wanted to know, coz im using oven cleaner atm, and i cant get csc over here, but i have seen simple green....

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tho9900

Member since
July 2004
From: SETX. USA

Posted by tho9900 on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 7:13 AM

Tom - I have used it to remove laqcuer as well... it had to soak about 48 hours or so but it all came off!!! doesn't do nicely with clear parts though... they came out cloudy, though I didn't try future on them, I had an extra canopy and just used that one...

---Tom--- O' brave new world, That has such people in it!

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cj95

Member since
August 2004
From: Mission, Texas

Posted by cj95 on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 8:40 PM

OUCH!!

Did this myself a few months back, by trying to scrub off badf paint job with laquer thinner and a toothbrush.

I discovered as you did.....not a good idea. Wink [;)]