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Correcting blemishes


godzilla

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Hey guys. I just got started with spray paint (just cans!) and it has gone reasonably well so far all things considered. The primer went down beautifully and so did the colour coats until the final one. A few bits of dust / debris managed to get on the model.

 

What is the best way to correct this before applying the decals and clear-coating? I was thinking of using a very fine wet sandpaper on the area and go over with a light spray, but this may cause the paint to go on too thick on the unaffected area around it.

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D'oh why did it slip my mind about masking lol. Well I just sanded down the one of the sides almost entirely as I noticed even more blemishes, but I will be sure to mask the other small areas.

 

I think tiny paintwork problems are the least of my worries because I done goofed and painted before sticking on the mirrors... now I will just have to guess where they go :D well I am glad this is just a learning kit for me.

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I admire your attitude about this is a learning build, keep it up. Post it notes work if you have an airbrush. I noted your using rattlecans which i used for three years. Blue or green painters tape works fairly well. And it comes in cheaper as its a ulk buy vs. tamiya tape and its clones. Painters tape is low tack and some brands have an edge coagulant. Which prevents runs under the tape. 

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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Thanks! I'll try and get some of that tape when my current one runs out. Using Tamiya at the moment but it is a bit expensive like you say.

 

Yeah I am working my way up on this hobby for sure :) I know the first few models won't be perfect, but I am using them as testers so I am kind of glad things have gone wrong as I will learn from it!.

 

I hope to get an airbrush sometime once I can afford one, though spraying outside with cans is good for the avoidance of smells in the house :D 

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If the paint is non metallic you can simply wet sand the dust/debris out of the paint carefully using fine 1500/2000 grit paper, used wet. As long as you don't go through the paint layer, back to primer, you can then put your clear straight over the top and you will have a uniform finish. There's no need to apply more colour coats unless you sand through, whereas then you would have to apply more colour, so as to cover the rub through.

Metallic paints are a little different. My general rule is never to sand the last coat of metallic paint before clear, as it can alter the flake structure of the metallic particles. Always apply a final coat of metallic colours before you clear if you've had to sand out any dust/debris or ibbly pibblies that got into the finish.

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Thanks for the info! Will bear that in mind for the next model which is going to have metallic paint. Right now I am just using TS-8 so it is fairly forgiving. The sanding did go through to the primer in places as the spray went a bit uneven (plus I need to learn to be more accurate with sandpaper), but I've just masked off the problem areas and I will sand them down properly and start again tomorrow. May need to redo the primer in some places as during sanding it went right through on a couple of places

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Try to mask on panel lines (like if you need to repaint a door...just mask around it on the "shut lines"). That way it's easier. You can also mask before sanding (that way you minimize the risks of rubbing panels that don't need corrections). Also like Steve Noble was saying: try to avoid sanding metallic paints. The pigment rubs off from on top of the flakes and the sanded area gets a completely different hue. If you need to sand apply another light coat on top before applying the clear coat. That's where an airbrush comes in; the coats are much lighter so you can make several passes on an area to cover it and you don't lose details, rattle cans aren't that forgiving (used them for many years, don't miss them at all).

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7 hours ago, bmwh548 said:

Try to mask on panel lines (like if you need to repaint a door...just mask around it on the "shut lines"). That way it's easier. You can also mask before sanding (that way you minimize the risks of rubbing panels that don't need corrections). Also like Steve Noble was saying: try to avoid sanding metallic paints. The pigment rubs off from on top of the flakes and the sanded area gets a completely different hue. If you need to sand apply another light coat on top before applying the clear coat. That's where an airbrush comes in; the coats are much lighter so you can make several passes on an area to cover it and you don't lose details, rattle cans aren't that forgiving (used them for many years, don't miss them at all).

Yeah you are right there. Today I applied the final coat on the side I have been trying to fix, but it went on really thick :( I attempted to sand down after it dried and applied primer and started again. It's come up better now, not perfect by any means but I'm at the point now where I am saying "that will do!". I am definitely going to look into getting an airbrush before I do the next model, just my concern is the smell of the paint lingering in the room as up till now I have been spraying outside.

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You can go down the acrylic route... Even the ones like Tamiya have a very faint smell (at least to my nose). On the other hand I'm used to painting with lacquers so my opinion might not be the best :)

You can also get/build a spray booth (it changes everything in every way). That way the smell is gone 5 minutes after you're done cleaning your airbrush.

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16 hours ago, Steve Noble said:

Best bit of kit I bought was a proper extractor. Really makes painting pleasant. No smell whatsoever, the workspace is just cleared instantly. Makes all the difference when air-brushing..

Thanks, I will have a look for one. I've seen a few floating around amazon which seem to fold away like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Display4top-Airbrush-Extractory-Portable-Extraction/dp/B07CG454GN/ 

 

I might pick up a really cheap airbrush set just to experiment with (there's one on Amazon for about £35). I know for best results you should really get a proper compressor (and tank), but I don't want to spend out hundreds in case I can't get to grips with it. In time I will upgrade if I like it.

 

Painting outside has been ok since I took a few precautions. At the moment I use a cardboard box on it's side then once finished fold the flap down to stop dust getting at the model. Seems to be giving good results in that respect. Shame there doesn't seem to be a good value battery powered airbrush compressor that I could work with outdoors, only one I found was one by Iwata and it was almost £300 which is crazy money as you can get a silent compressor with tank for that.

Edited by godzilla
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I wouldn't spend £300 on a battery powered compressor myself. Like you said you can have a really nice one with tank and super silent operation for that. I paid about £230 for my compressor back in the early nineties. It's a Premi-air ss30e (Silair) by Werther in Italy. Still going strong today and never let me down in almost 28 yrs of use. A yearly oil and filter change is all I've ever done with it. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

For very fine bits of dust I usually try to polish them away using nail polishing shading sticks that can be bought cheaply from a Chemist (or stolen even more cheaply from your Wife/sister/girlfriend/Mum but don't steal them from the shop). Let the paint dry properly and harden off then very lightly polish the area affected with the finest grade nail buffer you can find (it'll feel almost like it doesn't have any roughness to it at all). I actually use a nail buffer to polish my paintwork after painting anyway to give it a smoother finish for the decals to go onto, just be careful not to take the paint off hight spots, lumps and bumps.

Sometimes the dust is only stuck by one end and can be lifted off the paint with a pair of tweezers (something else that can be acquired from the Chemist etc).

 

Duncan B

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