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The 4-H car…Painting…
I am starting to learn what the H’s stand for…this is my son’s 4th year in 4-H modeling and each year become progressively more difficult. I have tried to help him find some of the best practices for completing these projects.
We live in an apartment for our first challenge was to choose a suitable place to paint. You should not paint where dust or other airborne particles may adhere to your work. Choose a clean, dry place, between 5 and 30 degrees Celsius to apply and dry paint.
We have a balcony which at least provided good ventilation, however he skipped the first instructions that were to wash the release agent and any other dust particles off the car and went right to work painting the car. (sigh). He also held the spray can about 3 inches from the car. Now I am not sure which of these factors caused the problem, but the paint pooled in spots on the car.
So, step 2 for my little modeler was sanding and stripping the paint off the car.
What he failed to realize is that Painting over particles will not remove or hide them, but trap them in place.
Now there are several kinds of paints you can use. We used model spray paint, some people prefer air-brushing. This is a little more costly (which is why we use the other)
You will want to mix your paint to a thorough consistency. Start by striking the closed container of paint sharply and repeatedly against the palm of your hand.
It may become necessary to mask adjacent parts from the part you wish to paint, so as not to accidentally get paint on that part.
When painting with a brush, always ensure that it is of appropriate size and that there are no loose or stray bristles. Brush painting should be reserved for small or isolated parts, or parts which require a certain finish to them. Applying paint with a brush leaves striations in the direction of brush travel, and must not be used for exteriors or large surfaces.
