Supplies: Dr. Microtools putty, Testor’s Model Master enamels [Boyd’s colors are best],
DuPont Centari acrylic enamels, Parks Epoxy and Lacquer Thinner [for Testor’s
enamels], DuPont 8022S Mid Temperature Reducer [for DuPont acrylic enamels],
paint shaker or stirrer, paint bottles, Tac rags, 2 ml pipettes, vinyl gloves,
cotton gloves, airbrush, air tank, compressor, regulator, moisture trap,
respirator with organic vapor canisters, paint booth with exhaust, paint stand,
3M 600 and 2000 grit wet or dry (W/D) sandpaper, hard expanded foam “sanding
block”, LMG polishing kit, soft bristle tooth brush, dish soap without
conditioner [Dove], Novus Plastic Polish # 2, ClearCoat wax, and soft cloths
[old cotton tee shirt or diaper].
Body Preparation: 1. Lightly sand the body with 2000 grit W/D
sandpaper used wet with some dish soap in the water. Keep the sandpaper and
body wet at all times.
2. Wash the body to remove sanding residue with running warm water and dish soap.
3. Let the body air dry in a clean area.
4. Inspect the body for obvious sink marks and
defects and fill any defects with putty. Allow the putty to dry for at least 1
hour and lightly block sand with 600 grit W/D sandpaper used wet. Repeat steps
1 through 3.
Body Priming: 5. Mix equal amounts of Testor’s Model Master Flat
Gull Gray and Parks thinner. Stir well.
6. Wipe down the body with a tac rag and place it on the paint stand and into your paint booth.
7. Airbrush 2 or 3 light coats of grey primer onto
the body at about 45psi. Allow about 10 minutes between coats for solvents to
evaporate. [Try to use a paint booth with exhaust, wear vinyl gloves to
minimize contact with solvents, and use a canister respirator.
8. Let the body air dry for 2 days in a clean area.
9. Lightly block sand the 1st primer coat with 2000 grit W/D sandpaper used wet.
10. Wash the body with running warm water and dish soap.
11. Let the body air dry in a clean area.
12. Go to step 17 if you didn’t sand through the 1st primer coat.
If the primer was sanded through in any areas, repeat steps 7 through 11 to get
complete coverage of flat light gray.
13. Let the body air dry for 2 days in a clean area.
14. Lightly block sand the 2nd primer coat with 2000 grit W/D sandpaper used wet.
15. Wash the body with running warm water and dish soap.
16. Let the body air dry in a clean area.
17. Mix equal parts of Model Master flat black and Parks thinner.
18. Airbrush a very light dusting of flat black onto the light gray primer as a guide coat,
especially if body work was performed.
19. Let the body air dry for 2 days in a clean area.
20. Lightly block sand the black guide coat with 2000 grit W/D sandpaper used wet.
Use as little pressure as possible.
21. Wash the body with running warm water and dish soap.
22. Let the body air dry in a clean area.
23. Carefully inspect the body for low or high spots and use putty if necessary.
If putty had to be used, allow it to dry, then sand, wash, and re-prime the body.
Repeat steps 17 through 23 and re-check for smoothness of the body work.
24. Mix equal amounts of Boyd’s Flat White Primer
and Parks thinner if a white undercoat is required [great for pearl paints to
highlight the pearl effect]. Some colors look better over white than gray. Go
to step 31 if a white undercoat is not needed.
25. Wipe down the body with a tac rag and place it into your paint booth.
26. Airbrush 2 or 3 light coats of white primer onto the body.
27. Allow the body to air dry for 2 days in a clean area.
28. Lightly block sand the white primer with 2000 grit W/D sandpaper used wet.
29. Wash the body with running warm water and dish soap.
30. Let the body air dry in a clean area.
Body Painting: 31. Mix the final color using equal parts paint and thinner.
32. Wipe down the body with a tac rag and place it into your paint booth.
33. Airbrush 2 or 3 light color coats onto the body. Do not try to get complete
coverage with one coat of paint.
34. Let the body air dry for 2 days in a clean area.
35. Lightly block sand the 1st color coat with 2000 grit W/D sandpaper used wet.
36. Wash the body with running warm water and dish soap.
37. Let the body air dry in a clean area.
38. Wipe down the body with a tac rag and place it into your paint booth
39. Airbrush another 2 or 3 light color coats onto the body.
40. Let the body air dry for 2 days in a clean area.
41. Lightly block sand the 2nd color coat with 2000 grit W/D sandpaper used wet.
42. Wash the body with running warm water and dish soap.
43. Let the body air dry in a clean area.
44. Wipe down the body with a tac rag and place it into your paint booth.
45. Airbrush another 2 or 3 light color coats onto the body.
46. Let the body air dry for 2 days in a clean area.
47. Lightly block sand the 3rd color coat with 2000 grit W/D sandpaper used wet.
48. Wash the body with running warm water and dish soap.
49. Let the body air dry in a clean area.
50. Carefully examine the body to see whether complete color coverage was achieved and
the correct hue was obtained.
51. Mix equal amounts of Boyd’s High Gloss ClearCoat and Parks thinner.
52. Wipe down the body with a tac rag and place it into your paint booth.
53. Airbrush 2 or 3 light clear coats onto the body.
54. Let the body air dry for 2 days in a clean area.
55. Lightly block sand the 1st clear coat with 2000 grit W/D sandpaper used wet.
56. Wash the body with running warm water and dish soap.
57. Let the body air dry in a clean area.
58. Wipe down the body with a tac rag and place it into your paint booth.
59. Airbrush another 2 or 3 light clear coats onto the body.
60. Let the body air dry for 2 days in a clean area.
61. Lightly block sand the 2nd clear coat with 2000 grit W/D sandpaper used wet.
62. Wash the body with running warm water and dish soap.
63. Let the body air dry in a clean area.
64. Wipe down the body with a tac rag and place it into your paint booth.
65. Airbrush another 2 or 3 light clear coats onto the body.
66. Let the body air dry for 2 days in a clean area.
67. Lightly block sand the 3rd clear coat with 2000 grit W/D sandpaper used wet.
68. Wash the body with running warm water and dish soap.
69. Let the body air dry in a clean area.
Body Polishing: (Short Method) 70. Wear cotton gloves when polishing the painted body and assembling the model.
71. Go to step 77 for a more thorough method for polishing a painted body
[it can also be used on plastic without filler].
72. Apply Novus Plastic Polish #2 using a soft, clean cloth. Lightly rub the
surface until it is dry and clear.
73. Look at the reflection of a light bulb in the polished surface to see whether
you can read the wattage of the bulb. If not, polish further.
74. Apply ClearCoat wax using a soft, clean cloth. Lightly rub the surface until it is dry and clear.
75. Clean out door and panel lines with a soft bristle tooth brush.
76. Finished.
Body Polishing: (Long Method) 77. Lightly block sand the body with successive grit polishing cloths
from an LMG polishing kit. Go from coarse to fine. Try to
avoid moving the cloths in a consistent direction, alternate directions with
subsequent grits. Keep the cloths and body wet with warm, soapy water.
78. The surface should appear semigloss when finished.
79. Apply Novus Plastic Polish #2 using a soft, clean cloth. Lightly rub the surface
until it is dry and clear.
80. Look at the reflection of a light bulb in the polished surface to see whether
you can read the wattage of the bulb. If not, polish further.
81. Apply ClearCoat wax using a soft, clean cloth. Lightly rub the surface until it is dry and clear.
82. Clean out door and panel lines with a soft bristle tooth brush.
83. Finished!
84. Remember to wear cotton gloves when assembling the model.
Badger single action airbrush
Aztek Single/Dual Action Airbrush
Air Tank with Regulator and Moisture TrapAir Compressor
Respirator with Organic Canister Filters
Spray Booth with Exhaust
Homemade Paint Stand for bodiest
Created: June 23, 2005 Last Updated: June 25, 2005
