Newbie Paint Questions

[Guest]

Hello all.

I finished building my Airfix Douglas C-47 last year and have been putting off painting it because I am scared I'll ruin it due to my inexperience. Anyway, I finally decided that I need to stop procrastinating and get the job done, but I have some questions first.

The kit will be colored with the standard C-47 color scheme, OD on top and grey on the bottom. I'm wanting to do D-Day invasion stripes as well.

First off, I want to say that I don't plan on using model paints. For my other models, I have used normal rattle can spray paint (paint + primer), and they've turned out okay (See http://www.scale-models.co.uk/thread...t-build.25842/ for my first build). I feel it's silly for me to buy special paints just for models, since I am not really good at it yet and I don't want to waste money. Normal rattle cans of spray paint are so much cheaper and you get more.

So right now I have a light grey primer I was thinking of using for the bottom color, and I have an OD paint+primer that I used for the SE5A in the linked post.

Here are my questions:

1. Will it be okay to just use a primer as the bottom color? I have done it in the past and it seems okay.
2. How should I deal with the panel lines? Is pre-shading or post-shading better for the absolute beginner? (And will pre-shading work with standard rattle-can spray paint, since I can't thin it?) Post-shading is just like a pin wash, right?
   
3. What should the order of paint be? If I do pre-shading, I would do that first, then I'd mask off and do the invasion stripes, then do the bottom (or the whole thing?) in the gray primer (and somehow make the rounded mask for the nose), then mask off and do the top in the OD.
4. What is the best way to mask off the door of the plane so I can hit the outside, but paint won't get inside the fuselage?
   
5. What are some good rattle can spary paint techniques? I always seem to get spots, or the paint goes on too thick.
6. If I mess up on the paint (like using too much and blotting out panel lines) is there any way to save it?

I know I am asking about techniques that probably aren't used by good modelers, but I am hoping I can get a decent result with regular spray paints and no airbrushes. Thank you for your time!

[Thorbrand]

Personally I would only use a rattle can for a primer coat. I know most people that use a spray gun thin the paint first, if it's acrylic then it's thinned with water or if it's enamel then low odour white spirit or specialist hobby paint thinner. Mainly that's because the paint can run through the thin nozzle and not get clogged up. The problem with rattle cans is you cannot really get the accuracy unless you use some good masking techniques.

I think pre shading is easier, as if you mess it up then you can cover it up. Pre shading also works best when you are using thinned paint because of the increased transparency. If you have no way to thin your paint then you are basically going in blind and will have to at least test it out first on a spare piece of plastic to see how the shading shows through.

With panel lines often the best way to get them to pop out is by using a colour wash, a very thin solution that you drop onto the panel line and it runs down, then you wipe off the excess with a cotton bud, but should only be done once you have covered the model in a couple of clear gloss coats, otherwise the colour wash wont run down the panel line.

If I want to clean up a panel line for example if too much paint has dried inside the groove, then I normally use a small pin and score down the groove very carefully, that normally works but there are probably better methods.

[Guest]

Thanks for the tips, Thorbrand. Maybe I will look at getting a cheap airbrush. I do have some model-specific paints for detail work that I could use in that (I think).

Just thought of something else. There is a bit of a gap between the fuselage and the wings. I kind of tried to fill one side in with putty, but I found it was nearly impossible to sand it down, so I stopped. Will this gap be a problem when I paint? Or is it meant to be there?

[Thorbrand]

That gap shouldnt cause too much trouble if you have the right model filler and a good diamond file. I use humbrol plastic filler and a tooth pick to pack it in, then i smooth it out with my finger, wait for it to dry for at least an hour and then use a small diamond file. Diamond files are quite cheap and can be picked up in a hobby store for around £5 -6. For a really really smooth finish you could use some fine grit sand paper. Ive found with modelling that it helps to buy the right stuff including the correct paints and brushes etc. Eventually youll have all the kit neccessary to tackle most model related problems. Its taken me a year and a half to build up my tools and paints and im certainly not swimming in money. A little bit now and then soon adds up and you will see the difference you get by using hobby specific tools

[Guest]

Oh, ok. I have some Tamiya putty (basic type) that I used for some other gaps (like the top seam in the photo). I can probably use that again. The tooth pick is a good idea, and I do have some fine grit sandpaper I can use. I'll just have to be careful maneuvering it into place.

The reason I am starting cheap is because I am not sure if modeling is going to be a good hobby for me and I'd hate to spend a lot of money to build up the right tools, then drop it.

[Guest]

I mix my Tamiya basic putty with cement in order to make it flow into whatever I'm fixing. It goes on much smoother and it leaves a lot less mess to deal with.
It also seems to try much faster this way so I can sand earlier. I've also mixed Tamiya putty with cellulose thinner and it worked equally well, but when using cement I felt it worked better.
Just a quick tip from another noob