9
Use the airbrush air line to blow debris out of the model’s panel lines and recessed areas (do this
away from your painting area to keep dust to a minimum). When you’re finished, gently wipe
down the surface with the tack rag.1
Start by applying the color over the sealer.
Hold your airbrush six to eight inches from the
surface, and move it across the model at moder-
ate speed. I use a Badger 350 single-action air-
brush with a heavy nozzle and tip, and apply the
paint at 35 to 40 psi. Hit the recessed areas
first. Here I’ve painted the inner fender panels
with the nozzle closed down to a fine opening.
2
Next, apply the color around the wheel openings and along the lower part of the model. Do this on
both sides, then apply two medium coats of paint to the entire model. Before the coats dry, turn
the model so you can apply color along the top edges of the fenders, up the A-pillars to the roof, and
then onto the trunk. Since this is a solid color, the actual spray pattern isn’t critical, though it is
generally best to apply the paint in a line parallel with the panel’s longest dimension. Start on the
fogged edge of the color and move up and away from that surface. It’s important to minimize rough
overspray wherever possible.5
Some surface flaws may persist. I missed this
problem on the front fender. Once the sealer
had thoroughly cured (about an hour), I used a
fine-grit sanding stick to wet sand the offending
area. After the model was washed (again) and
dried, I applied additional sealer to just this area
over the bare plastic. The sealer has a “pot life”
of about 48 hours after you mix it, but always
shake the bottle before you reapply it.
6
Let’s mix up the colors coats as the primer
cures. I’m using a 1996 Hyundai color with a
rich, red-wine tone. A paint jobber in my area
will mix up any color in the DuPont catalog in
small bottles. A few phone calls will probably
turn up a paint shop in your area that will do the
same. Always strain the paint to remove imper-
fections, and discard the strainer after use.7
Pour the paint slowly, fill the bottle to a little
less than half full, then add the thinner.
Leave a little space at the top for proper agita-
tion when you shake up the mixture. Mix the
paint, load the airbrush, and spray a test pat-
tern. Mixing formulas may require a little fine
tuning before everything will work the way it’s
supposed to.8
Before you paint, you’ll need to remove dust
and other debris from the surface of the
model. Gently wipe down the model with a
“clear coat” tack rag. Don’t use one of the old-
style yellow tack rags; they can deposit
beeswax on the surface of the model.
Prep and Primer, cont.
Painting