Plastic structure painting

[Anonymous]

What type of paint can I use to paint my resin or plastic n-scale structures and what can I do to make it stick to the surface.[?]

[ndbprr]

Probably the most important thing to assure adhesio is to wash and dry the surfaces before painting. After that you can use alomst any paint out there. The water soluble paints like acrylics take a little getting used to and work better if you keep your brush wet. So every two or three brushfulls you dip it in water. The advantage is no carcinogens to speak of and very good coverage. You shouldn't have any problems with paint coming off buildings. After all you generally only handle them once or twice positioning them.

[cwclark]

first, clean the model...I like to use flat acrylic paints...they go on easy and clean up is easy....don't forget to weather them when you are done ...there are all kinds of weathering techniques out there...if you are good with an air bru***hat's the best way to weather...dry brushing is another good technique..dip the brush in the paint and brush it out on a paper towel until it is almost dry..then brush it in vertical lines where the elements may cause discoloration ...suttle colors and thin lines look the best...use earth tone paints too...blacks, grays, burnt and raw sienna's, umbers and tans...stay away from bright oranges, yellows, silvers, ect... they look gaudy on a layout...last month's MR had a good article on weathering..alcohol and paint works wonders ....on brick..use a bit of plaster and rub it into the mortar joints of the brick..it looks like mortar when you're done...Chuck

[Anonymous]

That is good advice - wash your models. They often have mould release (so the manufacturer can get the parts out of the mould) that stops paint from sticking. The other thing is oil and grease from your hands. So after you wa***he models, try some disposable latex gloves (or cotton, or vinyl) from the dollar store. The added bonus is that you will not get paint on your fingers! [;)]

I generally use Polly Scale or Model Master water-based patins for ease of clean-up, and to avoid fumes. After the first coat is on, I switch to the dollar store/Walmart-type craft paints for weathering, mortar, and general drybrushing to achieve a less uniform look, especially on brick where you see natural variation anyway.

Hope that helps.

Andrew

[EMDSD40]

I had very good luck using Testor's Model Master paint. Wa***he subject, use compressed air to dry. Very important---DO NOT TOUCH WITH BARE HANDS, USE GLOVES WHILE WASHING AND DRYING!! I use an airbrush with 12-15 psi and a 50-50 mix of paint and thinner. Some of my buildings were painted 20+ years ago with Testor's paint and have no problems