spray painting for novices

[Ivor SewellParticipant @ivorsewell76111]

Hi Phill Parker

            enjoyed you article and hope you have time to answer me.

I”ve just finished (yes another Perkasa) and am concerned on the finish.

The question, after spraying a gloss and clear varish from spray can, is it possible to respray the gloss finish with some primer coats to get a matt finish?

I”m in Thailand and where I live I am a bit restricted to accessing decent paints, hence the spray cans.

Thanks if you can reply.

Ivor@dslthailand.com

 

Ivor Sewell.

[Ivor SewellParticipant @ivorsewell76111]

[JeremyParticipant @jeremy15845]

Hi Phil Parker

I also found your article helpful but I do have an additional question.  I waterproofed my wooden hulled Nordkap with epoxy resin and painted it using Halford’s sprays – red oxide primer overall and then Ford Fjord blue above the water line.  The red oxide is matt, the blue is gloss.  I would like the whole thing to be semi-matt.  I have a spray can of Humbrol Hobby satin acrylic varnish – would this do or can you suggest something better?  The superstructure is primed with Halford’s white primer and I thought of using the Ford diamond white for the main coat but it will also need to be dulled down.  My other option is to use the Humbrol Hobby matt white acrylic spray followed by the satin acrylic varnish.  Which of these would you recommend or again is there a better solution?  Your advice would be much appreciated.

 Jeremy Beloff

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I’m not sure how frequently Phil visits the Forum but I have emailed him drawing attention to your queries.

 

Colin

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Phil has now seen your queries and says he will respond shortly.

 

Colin

[JeremyParticipant @jeremy15845]

Colin

 

Thanks for passing my enquiry on.  The hull concerned is shown below:

[Phil ParkerParticipant @philparker56542]

Posted by Ivor Sewell on 25/01/2010 06:27:19:

Hi Phill Parker

            enjoyed you article and hope you have time to answer me.

I”ve just finished (yes another Perkasa) and am concerned on the finish.

The question, after spraying a gloss and clear varish from spray can, is it possible to respray the gloss finish with some primer coats to get a matt finish?

I”m in Thailand and where I live I am a bit restricted to accessing decent paints, hence the spray cans.

Thanks if you can reply.

Ivor@dslthailand.com

 

Ivor Sewell.

 Ivor – If you intend overspraying one paint with another, test this in a spare piece of plastic first. Some paints are not compatible and can react badly with each other can react badly. I would be suprised if you have a problem with primer though as it usually dries so fast there isn’t time for the reaction.

 

Incidentally, if you just want to turn a gloss painted colour matt without repainting it, try spraying the gloss varnish on a warm day with the can held further away from the model than the instructions say. That way the paint dries slightly before it hits the hull and give a slightly rough (and therefore matt) finish. Obviously a proper can of matt varnish is a better bet but it’s worth a go if you are stuck. Do try it on a piece of scrap first though and not your finished model.

 

As for paint supplies – find out where the local car repairers get their paint from. You should find that the same suppliers can mix you and colour and any degree of shine you need into an aerosol can. It’s probably going to be an industrial unit somewhere and not a nice friendly shop but if you expalin what you want they are usually very helpful.

 

Hope this helps. Phil

[Phil ParkerParticipant @philparker56542]

Posted by Jeremy Beloff on 31/01/2010 18:45:10:

Hi Phil Parker

I also found your article helpful but I do have an additional question.  I waterproofed my wooden hulled Nordkap with epoxy resin and painted it using Halford’s sprays – red oxide primer overall and then Ford Fjord blue above the water line.  The red oxide is matt, the blue is gloss.  I would like the whole thing to be semi-matt.  I have a spray can of Humbrol Hobby satin acrylic varnish – would this do or can you suggest something better?  The superstructure is primed with Halford’s white primer and I thought of using the Ford diamond white for the main coat but it will also need to be dulled down.  My other option is to use the Humbrol Hobby matt white acrylic spray followed by the satin acrylic varnish.  Which of these would you recommend or again is there a better solution?  Your advice would be much appreciated.

 Jeremy Beloff

 

Jeremy – I don’t think there would be a problem but would recomend testing on some spare plastic with the same paints as used on the hull and then the Humbrol varnish. Let them dry thoroughly first to get accurate results.

 

Aside from this, the Humbrol spray can is ideal for your purposes. From the photo, your boat is quite large and will need a lot of paint – much easier to apply from an aerosol than an airbrush. Work in as warm and dust-free an enviroment as you can. Ensure the spray can is warm by sitting it in some luke warm (not boiling) water and give it a very good shake. That should ensure the paint is well mixed and flows properly. Get a spare can too as you don’t want to run out half way through a boat !

 

I’d also tend to work with a hairdryer handy and apply lots of thin coats, drying each one as you go. It takes a reasonable amount to varnish to get a consistant semi-matt finish.

 

For the superstructure I’d go for the Humbrol white – it will give you a thinner coat which can then be varnished in the same way. Car paints are thicker than model paints as your average motor doesn’t have the same problem with small detail !

 

Personally I wouldn’t spray the oxide – it should be matt and the contrast with the semi-matt hull colour looks really nice and empasises the effect. It’s your boat however so at the end of the day, do what you want and if anyone moans, tell them to go away !

 

Hope this helps.

[JeremyParticipant @jeremy15845]

Phil – thanks for the advice – it certainly helps.  In your article, you pointed out that “primer isn’t waterproof so you may need to consider a top coat of varnish”.  As my hull is waterproofed under the primer with two coats of epoxy resin, should I take it from the above that I don’t need to varnish the primer?  If not, I am quite happy to leave it matt as you recommend.

Jeremy

[Phil ParkerParticipant @philparker56542]

Jeremy – If the hull is waterproof then you should be OK. My note was for those who hoped the paint would protect the hull. On my boat, Pigeon Pie the red oxide is primer over a fibreglass hull and it hasn’t fallen off yet !

 

Phil

[Mark Beard 1Participant @markbeard1]

Hi Phil,

 

Thanks for your excellent article.  I’ve airbrushed acrylic paints onto plastic kits and am very pleased with the results.  Being water based, acrylics are very easy to use, thin and handle.  I understand that once dry, these are fully waterproof.  Are they suitable for RC models?  How do they compare with enamels for toughness?

 

Mark

[Phil ParkerParticipant @philparker56542]

Mark – I’ve never been a fan of acrylics but then I haven’t really used them for many years. I’m told that they are tough but not as tough as enamel. If I use them I’d be inclined to topcoat with a varnish just to be on the safe side. Make sure the varnish is compatible with the paint though.

 

First though, I’d paint a test piece (a margarine tub would do) and then float it for a few days to see what happens. Better that than have the paint peel off your model !

 

Hope this helps.

[Neil BramleyParticipant @neilbramley87492]

Thanks for the article. I have a couple of questions if anyone can advise.

i am trying to restore a clockwork model boat that my father had in the 1940s although I suspect it may be older than this.

When I was a boy I foolishly got my Humbrol paints out and totally spoiled the look and patina. I have now stripped it all off and want to try and at least return to something like it should be.

Can you advise on the volume of paint required. The boat is around 24” long sleek ish shape. Sorry I am not a model boater. I have access to professional car spraying equipment and a little model sprayer so have the gear but no idea on the model front☺️

I do quite like the idea of just using the car spray tins though despite all the equipment.

all advice appreciated.

neil

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

.Hi Neil and welcome to the forum.

As a man who has the gear, you know what we all know here, in that using cans is much easier..less faff.

I can’t imagine that more than one tin of primer and one tin of topcoat would be required for the hull of your model, although obviously this depends on how many coats you want to put on. My double size Sutcliffe Valiant fake-clockwork boat used two tins of topcoat but mainly because I needed to have a flawless gloss finish which required plenty of rubbing down, in addition I had to paint the topsides as well.

Ashley

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