SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

Testors Red Enamel adhesion

553 views
7 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    November 2005
Testors Red Enamel adhesion
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 11, 2007 8:08 PM

I'm in the process of building a P-38, "Marge" by Revell, and I'm having problems with paint adhesion. All parts are thoroughly washed before painting but, I've not primed anything. All of my colors (Testors enamel basic and Model Master) are adhering well except for basic red. Is there something particular to red that needs to be done? 48 hours after painting, it still gets fingerprints and can be easily scratched off as though it's not fully dried. I'm sure it's been stirred well. Could it be a bottle from a bad lot or am I missing something? I saw a Marge at the website ARC and it looks like his red was scratched, too.

Any ideas?

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Peoples Socialist Democratic Republic of Illinois
Posted by Triarius on Monday, June 11, 2007 9:04 PM
Yes, reds do sometimes have a problem. Try mild heat and forced air curing. And yes, it could be a bad lot of paint, but red is one of those "difficult" colors, especially gloss.

Ross Martinek A little strangeness, now and then, is a good thing… Wink

  • Member since
    October 2005
Posted by gulfstreamV on Monday, June 11, 2007 11:31 PM
Red on slick plastic might not adhere well. But in my expirence it's a dead on color that sprays well. By the way, I A/B everything with a good lacquer primer/sealer. White even covers well? and sticks!   HTH?
Stay XX Thirsty, My Fellow Modelers.
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 7:40 PM

Thx guys.

This is on the prop cones. Ross, you mentioned mild heat. I don't have any 'forced air' stuff. What about overnight in a gas oven on Off? Will the heat not affect the blades?

Gulf, I'm going to strip them back down and use 4/0 steel wool to scuff up the plastic. Think I should prime Just In Case? 

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Peoples Socialist Democratic Republic of Illinois
Posted by Triarius on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 10:05 PM
 Preston wrote:

Ross, you mentioned mild heat. I don't have any 'forced air' stuff. What about overnight in a gas oven on Off?

NO! NEIN! NON! NYET!

Like counting to five with the Holy Handgrenade of Antioch, (of Monty Python infamy) the oven is "right out."

Here's the deal:

A small lamp, about 40 to 75 watts. A small fan blowing past it set to its lowest setting. A cardboard box with the model or parts thereof in it, with the fan blowing into it past the light bulb. Leave overnight, or until paint is cured.

The "high tech" alternative is a forced air food dehydrator set at about 115°F (or "Stun"— whichever is lower…)

Ross Martinek A little strangeness, now and then, is a good thing… Wink

  • Member since
    October 2005
Posted by gulfstreamV on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 11:53 PM
 Preston wrote:

 

Gulf, I'm going to strip them back down and use 4/0 steel wool to scuff up the plastic. Think I should prime Just In Case? 

Yes.  or apply a light first coat of flat red. Your original post said you had adhesion problems.        Also, force drying paint that does not adhere well will only give you fast drying paint that dosn't adhere well. HTH
Stay XX Thirsty, My Fellow Modelers.
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 7:39 PM

Sign - Oops [#oops] A box with a low-watt bulb and a fan, huh? I feel so ... stoopid. I'll rig that up tonight. Thanks for the tip!

I do think I'll prime this time, too.

What's HTH?Confused [%-)]

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: White Mountains, NH
Posted by jhande on Saturday, June 16, 2007 3:10 AM

Testors Red giving problems...

Yes some enamel colors are tricky to work with.
Depending on how "thick" you laid the paint, depends on how long it takes to dry and cure.

But... my guess would be either an old bottle of paint, thinned paint, or possibly a bad batch.

After washing my plastics with detergent I wipe them down with rubbing alchohol. I then give the main and larger parts a light wet sanding with 600-800 grit followed by another alchohol wipe down. I don't always primer, usually only on kits that are molded in other than white. I have used two different methods for speeding up the drying time. One was simply a hair drier and the other was something I rigged up. I made a drying rack (similar to those for baking) out of window screening, a picture frame, added some legs to it and stuck a small lamp with a low watt bulb under it.

No matter what color I use (Testors & MM enamels) I always let the parts sit roughly two days before working with them again. That has always been long enough for things to dry without the worry of an ill placed finger print in a glossy car finish. Wink [;)] 

Oh yeah... I always stir the heck out of my paints with wooden toothpicks.

 

-- Jim --
"Put the pedal down & shake the ground!"

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.