Hey John,
Yes, the pinstriping tape is the stuff used for decorating your car. It
comes in all sorts of colors, but more importantly, the sizes and it is
"very" flexible. So I can really bend the narrow sizes for some tight
contours and shapes. Just remember to work off some of the stickiness
and let your models underlying paint dry thoroughly before applying the
tape. Better yet, you can also get the pinstriping tape meant for paint
design layout, look
here.
I've used, I think it was call "frisket film", it comes in different
size sheets and rolls for masking. And yes, I would smooth it out, draw
my design, carefully cut the lines with a #11 blade (not much pressure
needed), remove a section, paint, let dry, put that mask section back,
remove the next and paint, etc... until the design is finished. Takes a
long time with enamels. I'm looking into trying "
Auto Air Colors" or something similar.
I've used automotive paints for my models many times. I've gotten away
from lacquers (to toxic and you have to primer the model really well or
it might melt). I prefer using some of the fast drying enamels now.
Almost anything that I can pickup in a touchup spray can. Even regular
spray paints in the hardware section, such as Krylon works.
I do spray light even coats. Usually this is my routine -
-
Primer, let dry for a few days.
-
2 to 3 mist coats, let dry for a few days, lightly wet sand (800 to 1200 grit).
-
2 wet color coats, let dry for a few weeks, check for imperfections, if
any, wetsand with 1200 or finer grit (2000) or Crest toothpaste (or
polishing compound).
-
Possibly another 1 or 2 wet color coats of paint depending on how bad it looked after the above step.
-
Then wax.
But I have also completed the painting in one day and it came out just as nice.
-
Mist coat, 30 minutes later another mist coat.
-
3 hours later a semi-wet color coat.
-
3-6 hours later another semi-wet color coat.
-
A few weeks to dry, sand and/or polish and wax.
My prefered products (Mequiar's mostly) -
Wax:
Mequiar's - Professional Paste Wax [Mirror Glaze 16] or Gold Class Clear Coat Car Wax.
Polish:
Mequiar's - Body Shop Professional Hand Polish or Show Car Glaze or 3M Imperial Hand Glaze or Imperial Microfinishing Glaze.
Compound: (
for removing nasty scratches)
3M Imperial Microfinishing Compound or 3M Perfect-It II Rubbing Compounds
NOTE:
Links supplied are for reference only, not for best price shopping.
Hope that helps some with my old ways...