prep for paint

[trq steer]

how do u guys prep for painting do u rough the surface with sand paper then clean

with metho,wax and grit remover
mayb plastic primer

after seeing my mates car chip and peel in sections i am a bit nervous about painting my first r/c body

[bd581]

Firstly, i wash the body with warm soapy water (dish washing detergent) Then dry the body with paper towel.
Mask the windows, then scuff the body was scotch brite pad a steal from work, but any form of scouring pad will do or steel wool (not the soapy stuff)
Note: If you ever air brush, and use AlcladII Chrome DONT scratch the body.
Then i do any further masking.
Give the body a quick wipe with paper towel or blow it off with an air compressor, then paint away
Use light 'dust' coats alowing to dry between coats.
Back the colour in white or silver (can experiment with other colours)
Just don't forget to remove any over spray film, and make sure you are using proper poly carbonate paint

[justo316]

....and don't forget to remove that overspray film before applying any stickers like I did......wasted a whole set of decals before they started coming off and warned me that I hadn't removed the film.

[bd581]

And if you are painting a HPI or proline body, don't forget to paint the correct side of the wing. Usually the over spray film side. So you will have to remove that first. If you trim the body first i reccomend you pus some masking tape on the wing so you don't get overspray on it.

I love painting bodys. Got a few i've done just for the hell of it. They will never see the track.

[trq steer]

thanks guys

[James]

good tips.. I want to spray a couple soon.

bd581, do you have any pics of one's you've done?

[BALISTC]

Cut all your holes before you paint too.

Invest in a body reamer, its so much easier than anything else. I've also got a craft cutter to cut round holes in the windscreen, and its so much easier than using a craft knife or anything else :)

[James]

*hugs his dremel tool*

[BALISTC]

Yeah thats what I used to use b4 I got all the proper stuff :)

[bd581]

Check out the gallery, a couple of my race shells there. When my camera gets back from holidays (parents took it) i'll post heaps more.

Christmas i painted a Tamiya Mini, pearl blue with black & white checker roof.

Mazda RX8 Parma Faschange Red backed in Tamiya bright green (it changes colour from red to green)

Honda NSX faschange Red backed in white

Dodge Stratus faschange red backed faded from front to back - White - Fluro Blue - fascent Blue - fascent Purple

Mazda Six Fasflip Jade then faded back to front Fluro Orange, Fluro Yellow, white (Fasflip Jade gives the colours a green metallic) With FW-05R logo masked into the side painted in SpazStix Colour change Red/Orange/Purple

Dodge Stratus As above but those colours reversed and Yokomo logo in the side