Advice on clearcoating an unpainted hardbody

[Killa-Cotton]

I've been thinking about trying a flat/matte clear coat on my Marlin crawler body instead of painting it. I like the color but it has that shiny plastic look probably because it's shiny plastic. I figure if i black the underside of the body that would of course get rid of the transparency. Then i could do some detail work with Tamiya enamel or acrylic paints and finish up with a couple coats of Tamiya TS-80 flat clear. Tamiya says that their TS paints not affected by acrylic or enamel paints. Anyone here have experience with type of painting?

[mewalsh100]

Maybe try it on a small area on the underside of the bed to see if there are any adverse effects between the paints?

[Killa-Cotton]

Good idea. I can do a couple test patches of enamel and then clear over that. It's gonna get blacked out anyway. I ruined a painted body clearcoating over some krylon a few months ago so that's got me scared.

[DukeMinnix]

Originally Posted by Killa-Cotton

Good idea. I can do a couple test patches of enamel and then clear over that. It's gonna get blacked out anyway. I ruined a painted body clearcoating over some krylon a few months ago so that's got me scared.

I got some matte clear I had planned to paint over stock color new bright raptor and now you have me questioning that decision too

[Killa-Cotton]

If it's painted and not just colored plastic i would be careful.
When i did mine ot looked great for 2 minutes then it reacted with the paint and bubbled up bad. It looked horrible. It took forever to sand be smooth too.

Originally Posted by DukeMinnix

I got some matte clear I had planned to paint over stock color new bright raptor and now you have me questioning that decision too

[Bananaclip]

KC, I think it would work just fine. I would give it a good light scuff (no 180 grit lol). If it doesn't turn out ideal you've already done the prep for a top coat of Marlin Red.

[Killa-Cotton]

True. My i'm just trying to skip a step but truthfully i don't think it's gonna look like i think it should. I'd probably be best just to stop being lazy and do it right. I'm gonna spray the underside of the bed just to see though. I'll post results. Thx guys!

Originally Posted by Bananaclip

KC, I think it would work just fine. I would give it a good light scuff (no 180 grit lol). If it doesn't turn out ideal you've already done the prep for a top coat of Marlin Red.

[Shinchu]

good question.
my son's rc4wd blazer body kit is in the mail. he said he likes the grey and wants to matte clear it for a "primer look". he also wants to do one panel, maybe a fender in another color with some rust/weathering for a mismatched donor panel look.
i'm thinking TS paints for everything, paint the fender first then weather it, matte clear the whole deal to seal it when its done.

[DukeMinnix]

Originally Posted by Shinchu

good question.
my son's rc4wd blazer body kit is in the mail. he said he likes the grey and wants to matte clear it for a "primer look". he also wants to do one panel, maybe a fender in another color with some rust/weathering for a mismatched donor panel look.
i'm thinking TS paints for everything, paint the fender first then weather it, matte clear the whole deal to seal it when its done.

I doubt you'll have any issue there, those body kits aren't actually coated in anything are they? Just the color of the plastic used? I think where hes questioning is where he has a stock painted hardbody, meaning not painted after the fact, not necessarily totally unpainted or uncolored.

[Shinchu]

pretty sure the marlin body is red plastic just as the blazer body is grey plastic. OP just wants to clear over the red plastic if i read that correctly. i have the same situation going on.

i remember another thread here about prepping and painting hard bodies... gonna find it a post link here.

[Killa-Cotton]

You should be fine. The gray on the Blazer is nice and flat already so a good coat or two of TS-80 and it will look great.

Originally Posted by Shinchu

good question.
my son's rc4wd blazer body kit is in the mail. he said he likes the grey and wants to matte clear it for a "primer look". he also wants to do one panel, maybe a fender in another color with some rust/weathering for a mismatched donor panel look.
i'm thinking TS paints for everything, paint the fender first then weather it, matte clear the whole deal to seal it when its done.

[DukeMinnix]

Originally Posted by Shinchu

pretty sure the marlin body is red plastic just as the blazer body is grey plastic. OP just wants to clear over the red plastic if i read that correctly. i have the same situation going on.

i remember another thread here about prepping and painting hard bodies... gonna find it a post link here.

May be, I've never had one of them in my hands so I cant say if they are red painted or red color plastic. Nor the blazer either. I guess I kind of assumed hard bodies were all white/grey like you see the hilux or mojave body kits and painted by a factory, but thats purely an assumption on my part and not backed by any facts.

[Shinchu]

your honesty and humbleness is appreciated.

here is the link i was talking aobut... it was pretty tough to find until i realized it was RIGHT ABOVE this thread lol
Hard Body Paint Not Sticking Well

[Ironhide13]

KC, if you look in Hobby Lobby or Michaels, they usually have a matte/satin clear by Krylon. So, if you're worried about using Krylon underneath, try picking up a can of that to keep the same paint base.

[Killa-Cotton]

Duke, thats correct both the Marlin and Blazer are simply colored plastic. The difference is the Blazer is a nice solid gray where the Marlin is a translucent red. The Blazer doesnt look too bad unpainted especially if you detail the body out. The Marlin looks obviously plastic and really needs to be painted IMO.

[Mike Flea]

Clearcoating a colored plastic body is a no-brainer. The color is already in the plastic, no worry about bubbling using a TS paint.

If you're using Krylon paint, use the regular Krylon, (not the one made for plastics, takes longer to cure, and when you become impatient, that's when you'll ruin the body) light coats, dry til tacky between coats until you get the desired color, careful not to spray too heavy or you'll get orange peel. You can spray or brush an acrylic over the top of the finished enamel, just make sure you've let the enamel cure well (usually 24hrs) before applying an acrylic. My advice is if you start with a Tamiya TS paint, you should finish with Tamiya TS paint.

Prior to painting, wash and dry thoroughly, especially if all you're using is clearcoat. Don't scuff the surface, you'll see the scratches through the clear, unless of course you're looking for the well worn, rough paint, scuffed look.

If, however, you're going to lay down a color, scuff the surface, and sand the mold lines before washing and drying, and use a primer similar to the final color of the paint you're using.

[Killa-Cotton]

I thought Krylon was an acrylic paint?

[Mike Flea]

As far as I know, regular Krylon is an enamel, I don't know what the Krylon for Plastics is made of. I do know that when I've used it for a plastic garden set (chairs & table), it sucked. Took a day and a half to cure, and even when it was dry to the touch, when I sat down on it, it left an imprint of my jeans on it.

[mewalsh100]

"and even when it was dry to the touch, when I sat down on it, it left an imprint of my jeans on it."


That's just "Free weathering" and distressing Mike!

[golfmech]

Just use a white scotchbrite pad to dull the finish.