JWalker's Tips on Painting Slick Hard Bodies!!

[alexchen86]

JWalker’s Tips and Tricks on Painting ABS Hardbodies!

Hey guys...mods you might want to make this into a sticky.
Courtesy of JWalker!

Here's a brief intro of my hardbody painting experience:
I’ve only painted 3 Tamiya hardbodies before which was a junkyard banger Tundra on CC-01 chassis, Tundra High Lift (full optioned), and a shelf queen Sand Scorcher. All of which I never did professionally. My paints I use are all Tamiya TS rattle cans/Tamiya acrylic with brush/Tamiya clear for lenses and I’ve never used primer except on the banger Tundra which is all primer matte black.

I asked JWalker for some tips on how I should do a professional job after watching a bunch of YouTube videos on painting model cars…here are some useful tips/tricks he has graciously shared with me which I bet will benefit a lot of scale freaks like myself out there.

So onto JWalker’s tips:
1. Don’t use any detergents when washing the hard body. Just use water. I use at least 800 grit or 1000 grit wet sand paper on primer, then let dry after you rinse off really good overnight.

2. After you prime, make sure you do light layers of primer to make sure you get a good bond. You can get the 1000 grit before you prime to get that extra paint bond.

3. Then you start your light coats of red, one can may be good enough but I always like to have an extra can just in case, then let that dry and cure overnight before you wet sand with 1000 grit. Then you clear coat it, and let it dry once again but I like to wait 48 hours to be sure it is completely cured. Then I wet sand with 1000 grit and then with 2000 grit and then polish. I would do a test piece of the Testors clear on the Tamiya paint because it may have a reaction with each other that may make you pissed off and have to start all over again. I would recommend using Duplicolor paint because it is easier to wet sand.

4. You can also get Testors laqure paint and clear coat and it works great, but if you want that plain red then i was going to use Duplicolor auto paint which takes wet sanding to get it smooth and glossy.

5. As for the vinyl stripes I would just install them after you clear coat the body.

Again big props to JWalker for helping me out!!