Paint the Pilot first...
Discussion
When I was about seven years old I remember taking my latest Airfix Hurricane into school to show off and was instantly cut dead by some
superior model maker who took one look at my grey plastic Biggles and snorted "should have painted the pilot first".
So, now I'm considering a slightly larger paint job on my scruffy little '88 Mayfair I though I'd start by asking a few seasoned model makers their advice.
I can't afford to go to a body shop and have it done by a pro so I'm relying on hard work and good luck
to get a decent finish - does anyone care to share their advice, experience, wisdom or warnings before I
take my piggy bank down to Halfords for a boot full of spray cans ? : )
Best wishes
Tony
superior model maker who took one look at my grey plastic Biggles and snorted "should have painted the pilot first".
So, now I'm considering a slightly larger paint job on my scruffy little '88 Mayfair I though I'd start by asking a few seasoned model makers their advice.
I can't afford to go to a body shop and have it done by a pro so I'm relying on hard work and good luck
to get a decent finish - does anyone care to share their advice, experience, wisdom or warnings before I
take my piggy bank down to Halfords for a boot full of spray cans ? : )
Best wishes
Tony
More questions before advice can be forthcoming, I'm afraid:
Is this to be a complete re-spray of the entire car, or are you just aiming to touch in local areas?
What colour is the car?
Is it to repair damage of to sort out the ever present rust problems?
The reasons for asking these questions are to determine how much work there will be and what problems you are likely to encounter.
Now, if it's a localised touch-in exercise, you may find difficulty matching the paint on a car over about 5 or 6 years old. Metallic paint and any red colours are always a problem to match. My Cooper 'S' rally car is tartan red and to get any sort of a decent match I always have to spray a complete panel to repair any rally damage. Metallics are even worse once they have faded even a small amount.
It is getting difficult to obtain celulose paint now, although some stockists have a good stock from before the new legislation started. Two-opack is difficult to spray unless you have a really good workshop with forced ventilation and the correct breathing gear (it's poisonous).
However, spray cans never really do the job properly and whilst OK for things like scratched sills and, maybe, around the headlights, for highly visible panels they never give an acceptable finish as one can always 'see the join'.
The other possible problem with using spray cans is that if/when you decide that a full re-paint is necessary and rub it all down, the areas where spray cans were used can easily reticulate which is a complete nightmare. I've had this happen and the only solution is first to spray all over with an isolator coat, followed by a couple of coats of a good high-build primer, a 'nib' down with wet and dry, then several top coats before finally 'nibbing down' and buffing.
Decide what you want to achieve before starting, don't rush it and prepare everything extremely well. Then go for it properly and as professionally as you can. Good results depend on both the skill of the painter, the capability of the spraying equipment and the conditions when spraying. Don't ever attempt to spray in a damp or high-humidity atmosphere. It must be warm, dry and dust-free.
Is this to be a complete re-spray of the entire car, or are you just aiming to touch in local areas?
What colour is the car?
Is it to repair damage of to sort out the ever present rust problems?
The reasons for asking these questions are to determine how much work there will be and what problems you are likely to encounter.
Now, if it's a localised touch-in exercise, you may find difficulty matching the paint on a car over about 5 or 6 years old. Metallic paint and any red colours are always a problem to match. My Cooper 'S' rally car is tartan red and to get any sort of a decent match I always have to spray a complete panel to repair any rally damage. Metallics are even worse once they have faded even a small amount.
It is getting difficult to obtain celulose paint now, although some stockists have a good stock from before the new legislation started. Two-opack is difficult to spray unless you have a really good workshop with forced ventilation and the correct breathing gear (it's poisonous).
However, spray cans never really do the job properly and whilst OK for things like scratched sills and, maybe, around the headlights, for highly visible panels they never give an acceptable finish as one can always 'see the join'.
The other possible problem with using spray cans is that if/when you decide that a full re-paint is necessary and rub it all down, the areas where spray cans were used can easily reticulate which is a complete nightmare. I've had this happen and the only solution is first to spray all over with an isolator coat, followed by a couple of coats of a good high-build primer, a 'nib' down with wet and dry, then several top coats before finally 'nibbing down' and buffing.
Decide what you want to achieve before starting, don't rush it and prepare everything extremely well. Then go for it properly and as professionally as you can. Good results depend on both the skill of the painter, the capability of the spraying equipment and the conditions when spraying. Don't ever attempt to spray in a damp or high-humidity atmosphere. It must be warm, dry and dust-free.
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