October 13, 2001
By Jamie Makin

Recently I have had a lot of people asking me how I get the beautiful gloss finishes on my model cares. The answer is lengthy and involved, so I thought it would be best to write it all down.  I have put together my own technique for painting. It’s a combination of my own past experience, tips from model books and magazines and suggestions from other members of several clubs.

Before starting, I want to mention that I have only tried this technique with basic hobby enamel paints; primarily Testors’ Model Master paints. The basic technique can also be used with acrylics and lacquers, but I have omitted them from this article due to my own inexperience with them.

I have divided the whole process into three overall steps: 1. Preparations, 2. Painting, 3. Polishing.

1. Preparation:
This step is very critical, although often overlooked. It is especially vital if you are painting with an airbrush. A thick coat of paint from a can will hide many flaws, while the airbrush will highlight them. Start by sanding off all mold parting lines, flash and other imperfections. These are a byproduct of the injection modeling process, but do not exist on the real car. Fill all seams, scratches and gouges, and sand them smooth too. Also, ensure the surface has been washed to remove all mold release agents and dust from sanding. Major components should be assembled before painting. For example, glue airdams, spoilers, bumpers, etc. to the body if they are going to be painted the same color.

For good paint adhesion, the body must be primed. I have been using Plastikote T235 automotive primer straight from the can. It will not harm the plastic even though it is lacquer based. Apply 1 or 2 coats, and let it dry fro at least 2 days. Lightly sand it after that (1000 or 1200 grit) to remove the very slight texture you may get. Often the primer coat will highlight some flaws in the body you may not have noticed. If this occurs, repair the flaws, then reprime.

2. Painting:
For an average 1/24 or 1/25 car, I have found I need slightly less than one Model Master bottle for regular gloss finishes, and between 1 and 1 ½ bottles for metallic colors. Thin the paint for the airbrush using manufacturer’s recommendations. For enamel paints, I use the #3 head on the Paasche airbrush. (This would translate to a medium head on other brands). Acrylics and lacquers require using a #5 (large) due to the fact that they dry quicker and tend to clog the airbrush.

When painting Metallic / Clear Coat types of colors, spray either silver or gold first onto the body. One or two coats are adequate, and you must let it sit for at least 48 hours before applying the metallic color over it. I have heard of metallic paint being used directly over primer, but often it has less depth and glitter when done. The choice of the silver or gold undercoat will produce subtle differences in the finished color. You may want to test several ways on a scrap piece before making the final decision.

First, you must apply “mist coats” of paint. By this, I mean you are just trying to get a light surface coating of color. Each coat should be thin, and cover all areas uniformly. If shouldn’t go on too thick, or have a “wet” look. In fact, the look may range from flat to semi-floss. You need to apply 4 to 6 “mist” coats.  Allow 15 minutes between each mist coat for enamels. Dark colors will generally need fewer coats than light ones to build up the color.

Once the “mist coats” are done, you can do the “wet coats.”  A wet coat should be applied heavier, and have a “wet”, “gloss” look after being applied. You will need 6 to 12 wet coats or more. Regular gloss colors should be okay with only 6. Metallic colors will need many more to build up their color and depth.  Allow 25 to 30 minutes between wet coats.  If at any time in the whole process you have to stop for the day, you MUST wait 48 hours to resume painting, or you risk winding up with a severe “orange peel” problem. Take note that when painting with metallics, the color will get darker with each successive coat. You need to apply several more coats once the color has reached its final shade. This is to allow the model to withstand polishing without rubbing down to a lighter shade.

Now, for the agonizing part. With enamels, the painted body needs to sit for at least 2 weeks before handling again. I prefer to let it sit and cure longer if possible. For this reason, I do the body first on all my models, and then work on the rest of the car while the body is waiting. The longer you let it sit, the better the paint cures.

3. Polishing:
A good polishing kit (such as the one available from Detail Master) will have complete instructions, but here are some things I have discovered along the way that are just as vital. For starters, the car body will receive major, major handling during this process. This is unavoidable. You must wear gloves doing this or you risk body oil and fingerprints ruining the paint job. I use pairs of the white cotton gloves, which can be found in model tool catalogs such as Micro-Mark.

Use the instructions with the kit to determine your starting grit. Keep in mind 2 things with the grit you choose. 1.You will do about 50% of the polishing just with this one grit. 2. You will be gripped with fear that you have permanently destroyed the paint job with this grit. Don’t worry, you probably haven’t, but you won’t be reassured of this until the very last step.

The single most important thing with polishing is “Apply no pressure with it.” Do not use it like sandpaper and apply pressure, as you will quickly wear through the paint down to the plastic. Instead, wrap it around a foam block (provided with the polishing kit) and gently move it back and forth over the surface as described in the instructions. Let the abrasives do the work themselves. Don’t try to press down and force it. It will take awhile. You are done with this grit when the entire model has a uniformly flat, dull surface. Each grit after that should be used the same way (alternating directions though). You won’t spend nearly as much time with the rest of the grits. The first grit is basically “damage removal,” while the rest gradually restore a gloss shine to the car.

Now for the next discouragement. You will use the last and finest grit, and the paint job still won’t look half as good as when it was first painted. It will have regained an overall gloss look, but haze and very fine scratches will mar the surface. Here is where you use the polish provided in the kit (again, following specific kit instructions). You will have to apply moderate pressure with it, and it is somewhat like waxing a care. This step will restore the finish about 95% of the way. The final step is to use Novus 2, then Novus1 (purchased separately) to remove any slight haze left by the polish. This also helps give a clean, static free finish. If the results are still unsatisfactory, repeat the polish and Novus until you are happy.

Okay, home stretch. Inevitably, the polish and some Novus will remain in some panel lines. I have learned the hard way DO NOT use an X-acto blade, or other hard pointed tool to scrape this out. You will chip off paint this way. Instead, take an index card, or fold over a piece of regular paper several times, and use the thicker corner this forms to scrape out the polish.

One final note is I recommend against using Model Wax on the finished body. The reason is the wax is actually slightly abrasive, and will slightly dull the polished finish. Using Novus 1 will provide the same protections that model wax normally would.

Congratulations, you’re finished. This s a lot of work, but given eh fact that the paint job really makes or breaks a model car, this effort is well worth it. It isn’t even that hard, or beyond the skip of the average person. The key to success is patience.