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Seriously, how to paint glossy white properly?


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So I'm doing my Revell 1/48 F-15E, and I planned to apply the white inside the MLG bays before moving onto the next step. I had tried 2 attempts already in painting the glossy white with my airbrush and both failed. It seemed the paint would roll off and gather at the corners, and so I would try to make the paint thicker but still worried I'm doing it wrong.

For you the pros out there, how do you go about to painting glossy white properly so it works well? Should I apply primer first as well?

Anyway, I will like to hear you guys now.

Thanks

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Use Tamiya Flat white, then gloss it with your favorite gloss cote.

That's how I do it, no more white enamel for me.

Curt

Flat coat sprays much easier, then put a coat of future over it or laquer what have you.

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I've learned to first use Alclad Polished Aluminum as a base. Then mist on white coats until you have good coverage; the goal is not gloss in these coats, but coverage. Then I apply a final gloss coat that's just heavy enough to be smooth and glossy. Works quite nicely!

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Use Tamiya Flat white, then gloss it with your favorite gloss cote.

That's how I do it, no more white enamel for me.

Curt

^ THIS (except I use the Tamiya white primer in the rattle can. I can usually getgood coverage in 2 to 3 mist coats.)

Edited by TomcatFanatic123
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A slight deviation from the above. I shoot the entire bay Matt Black first as my undercoat, I then apply a couple of Matt White coats lightly misted on followed by Gloss White, then a second Gloss White coat once the first has fully dried. You don't really want to get 100% even coverage as it looks false, instead you want to get a patchy effect which represents the shadowing that you get in these areas on the real thing.

Edited by scotthldr
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I normally spray flat white (either Tamiya White Primer or Floquil Reefer White) and polish it with MicroMesh to the desired sheen. You can get super-glossy finishes this way without using a single drop of glossy clear coat.

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To make it even easier for me - Tamiya White Primer over a light coat of Tamiya Gray Primer - doesn't get any easier. A very light sanding (1200 or greater) - gloss if necessary.

Yes - the Tamiya primers are a little pricey - but what is your modeling time worth? For me, the ease of use far exceeds their cost.

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A couple options, first, priming is a must. Then you can either spray flat white and then gloss coat it directly. Or after flat white, spray a few coats of the gloss white; this way the gloss white has something to "bite" into a little bit better. I find that gloss coating with future produces a higher shine than you actually find with straight gloss white painting.

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Personally i spay silver first as a primer then white (all humbrol enamels). But when i dont feel like priming i turn to badger model flex antique white. Two coats in the same session and its done

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For all light colors, I prime 1st with Tamiya Gray primer. Then I apply a tack coat of tack coat of flat white, then slowly build up the color coat. The last step is to seal with Testors Glosscoat or Pledge. I keep on going back and forth between the two. I guess when I finally finish the bottle of Glosscoat, I'll stick with the Pledge.

Joel

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A slight deviation from the above. I shoot the entire bay Matt Black first as my undercoat, I then apply a couple of Matt White coats lightly misted on followed by Gloss White, then a second Gloss White coat once the first has fully dried. You don't really want to get 100% even coverage as it looks false, instead you want to get a patchy effect which represents the shadowing that you get in these areas on the real thing.

I'll be trying that once I get back to jets. Thanks.

G

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I'm able to get the same basic effect of shadows and highlights using just Tamiya Gray Primer. The trick is how you apply and build of the light coats of white. BTW, that procedure applies to all light colors

Joel

Edited by Joel_W
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  • 2 weeks later...

For me it's Mr. Color gloss white thinned with leveling thinner in three to four light coats without any primer.

IMG_0171copy.jpg

Incredibly easy to apply...

My 2¢ for the discussion.

Cheers

-Larry

Are all the coats done in the same painting session or do you do it at different times?

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  • 1 month later...

It seemed the paint would roll off and gather at the corners, and so I would try to make the paint thicker but still worried I'm doing it wrong.

The reason this is happening is that the paint is too thin (liquid) and too heavy (thickness). The paint is still liquid when it hits the model's surface, and capillary action is pulling it away from edges and convex corners, into creases and concave corners. I know the natural reaction is "aaaah! my paint is pooling in the corners! I'd better lay down more colour," but adding more paint will only make this worse. It's actually less to do with spraying white paint than it is spraying gloss, which tend to take longer to settle and cure than matte paints, so you have to revise your technique.

The solution is to spray multiple light, mist coats rather than few heavier, wet coats. If not notice pooling, stop shooting paint *immediately* and give the part some drying time. A few passes with the airbrush just shooting air should work, then throttle back on the paint and slowly start adding colour again. It doesn't have to take a long time - shoot a light, misty coat of paint, give it a pass or two of air until you can see the sheen change slightly, then another mist coat, then air, repeating until you've built up colour density. When you feel its 'white enough', give it a heavier, wet coat to give a nice, smooth, glossy surface. Not super-heavy - you don't want to melt the paint underneath - but enough so that the paint stays wet on the surface for a few moments, giving it time to level out.

No need to do multiple paint sessions or anything, just be a little more delicate building up the colour.

It will also help if you use a matte, light grey primer; the matte surface is easier for the gloss white to bite to, and the light grey will let you build up colour density faster.

---

Yellow and red are the same. Multiple light, misty coats, followed by a couple of heavier coats at the end to level out the surface. The only difference: you NEED to use a white base coat. Because the paints are fairly translucent, it takes a lot of coats to build up colour density, which wouldn't really work on a model. The way to get around that is with a bright, white base coat, which will give the appearance of correct density with a lot less paint. White is preferable because it's neutral; greys tend to make yellow and red look 'muddy', although you can also use pink as a primer for white; Ferrari do.

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