Painting resin models

[Anonymous]

What is the best way to prepare resin models for painting?

[cwclark]

i would sand them a bit with very fine grit sandpaper then clean them with a mild detergent before painting them....Chuck[:D]

[AntonioFP45]

Good!

Just one thing. Make sure your hands are clean and sweat free. Go ahead and wa***he surface first. Ivory liquid is pretty decent. It's best to get oils and silicones off right away to avoid adhesion problems afterwards. Make sure that the surface feels smooth, but not slippery or oily! If necessary, repeat the wash.

Dry with a clean terry cloth towel or even paper towel that leaves no lint behind. Make sure there is no hardwater stains left on the surface. I always recommend 3M Wet or Dry sandpaper. On a smooth surface I get good results wetsanding with 600 grit. After cleaning make sure there is no sanding residue left on the surface. Check and see if the manufacturer of your model recommends a primer or adhesion promoter.

Hope this helps!

[novacoach]

They can never be too clean - the release agent can be a real pain when painting if not cleaned off. I use the Sylvan resin prep prior to assembly - after I have removed all excess flash etc. Then I wash again and air dry..it's worth it!
Chris

[the-big-blow]

I can't stress enough that you PRIME the model before painting. Due to the resin making process, impurities from the resin bleed to surface often discoloring the paint. A good primer coat helps prevent this from happening giving the paint a good grit surface to stick too.

[orsonroy]

Clean and prime resin models, especially rolling stock (a little peeling paint looks OK on a building). I generally use 70% denatured alcohol, running water, and an old toothbrush, and try to scrup every single surface of the car (I do this to the major subassemblies as well, before assembly). Set the car aside ot dry for a day or two, primer it, and paint it. And only handle the car wearing latex gloves until at least the final paint layer is on and dry!

[AntonioFP45]

If you have access to automotive paint products, you can purchase one gallon of DuPont 3939S prep cleaner. Water based, it does a good job of removing oils and silicones. Easy to use and evaporates in a short time. A clean white cotton towel is best used with it.

BigBlow is on the money regarding primer.

Word of caution. When spraying primer apply it as smoothly as possible! Too rough, and you have to wind up sanding with more course sandpaper. Even when wet, the more course papers tend to leave deeper scratches and when you come back with the finer paper the scratches don't always come out if you rush. Sanding scratches that are deep or course will show up in the paint job.
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If you accidentally sanded through to the surface and it shows significantly re-primer the spots and carefully wet sand again. Better to spend the extra time and avoid problems.