Zen-shooter
05-05-2007, 23:15
This is Part 3 of my do it yourself painting project. For those of you who missed Phases 1 and 2 of the project, please visit Phase 1 here (http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40038) and Phase 2 here (http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40451).
- Just about ready to do priming. First, the plates get a 1500 grit sandpaper rub and alcohol cleaning to remove any dust, oil, etc. This time around, I'm using Tamiya modeller's primer. It's supposed to have finer pigment, which will keep the engraving fairly deep for engraving painting later on. Mask and latex gloves are a must at this phase.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/226/479366438_9b3a9399bb.jpg?v=0
- Priming done!
Now just hang the plates for drying. Then place them in the kitchen oven for 30 minute and bake at 200 Deg. F. Keep the plates in the oven for a more gradual cool down. Next the plates rest for a 2 day curing period. After this, lightly sand the primed coat and prepare for the colored coats.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/167/479366444_45a8d94e6b.jpg?v=0
- Getting ready for the first coat. The primed pieces get a light sanding and cleaning before the first coat. I decided to paint the MDa top & bottom plate in Metallic Red (my homage to Ferrari). The MD2 plate gets the Olive Drab Khaki Matt. The ocean blue hammertone will have to wait for another project…
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/483375079_96cee6ca3b.jpg?v=0
- First coat done and the engravings still look deep enough for paint filling. One thing I noticed is that the Metallic Red applies much thinner than the Olive Drab. Either the Tamiya spray nozzle has smaller diameter or that the pigment them shelves are smaller than the Testors' Olive Drab.
I'll place the plates into the oven again using low temperature to help evaporate the residual VOC's. By the next day, the plates should be ready for their final coat. So it looks like I should be able to paint the engravings in a couple of days after.
Once that's done, it's the final clear coat for extra protection.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/209/483375083_10a4c1521e.jpg?v=0
- Second coat done and baked in the oven for an hour same as before. Now I'm ready to begin the white engraving paint fill. Here, you'll see my main tools an eyedropper and a rubber putty knife. The paint is water base acrylic so that I can easily wipe any mess up with a damp rag, without harming the Olive Drab. The eyedropper will have to do since I could not find any syringe to help guide the paint into the engraving. Any over spills get squeegeed using the rubber putty knife (a silicon spatula would also do). Before working on the red MDa plates, the olive MD-2 test plate gets the nod for first guinea pig...
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/175/484764592_ea674749f7.jpg?v=0
- MD-2 test plate done but not exactly how I wanted to finish!
The white paint flowed fine but Olive Drab absorbed some residue (probably because the plate wasn’t 100% dry). So to buff out the residue I used metal polish compound. But in doing so, some of the olive drab got rubbed off as well. OK fine, don’t panic, Then I might as well duplicate a brassing top plate. You can see the white primer still on and some brass showing through where I rubbed the corners. Typical places like where the thumbs rest get rubbed to the brass surface.
Seeing this happen, I'll allow the red top plate to dry for another 48 hours.
Notice the small scratch on the bottom plate? This happened when the plate tipped over in the oven and touched the rack. Looks like grille marks on a steak. No worries, I'll sand around that scorch mark and then repaint it. The final clear coat should hide any flaws.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/206/484764594_8c7fce9767.jpg?v=0
- Finally got the engravings filled and the serial numbers too. And also was able to touch-up the scorch mark on the bottom plate. Only have the clear coat to protect the finish and then it’s reassembly time.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/230/486029347_8a0e09fba3.jpg?v=0
Time = 60 minutes total accumulated time for priming, 2 color coats, engraving painting and clear coat
Tools = Eye dropper and rubber putty knife
Cost = $30 for the primer, metallic red, white filler paint and clear coat (won't count the olive drab, which was for testing purpose only)
Stay tuned for Phase 4 - Reassembly
- Just about ready to do priming. First, the plates get a 1500 grit sandpaper rub and alcohol cleaning to remove any dust, oil, etc. This time around, I'm using Tamiya modeller's primer. It's supposed to have finer pigment, which will keep the engraving fairly deep for engraving painting later on. Mask and latex gloves are a must at this phase.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/226/479366438_9b3a9399bb.jpg?v=0
- Priming done!
Now just hang the plates for drying. Then place them in the kitchen oven for 30 minute and bake at 200 Deg. F. Keep the plates in the oven for a more gradual cool down. Next the plates rest for a 2 day curing period. After this, lightly sand the primed coat and prepare for the colored coats.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/167/479366444_45a8d94e6b.jpg?v=0
- Getting ready for the first coat. The primed pieces get a light sanding and cleaning before the first coat. I decided to paint the MDa top & bottom plate in Metallic Red (my homage to Ferrari). The MD2 plate gets the Olive Drab Khaki Matt. The ocean blue hammertone will have to wait for another project…
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/483375079_96cee6ca3b.jpg?v=0
- First coat done and the engravings still look deep enough for paint filling. One thing I noticed is that the Metallic Red applies much thinner than the Olive Drab. Either the Tamiya spray nozzle has smaller diameter or that the pigment them shelves are smaller than the Testors' Olive Drab.
I'll place the plates into the oven again using low temperature to help evaporate the residual VOC's. By the next day, the plates should be ready for their final coat. So it looks like I should be able to paint the engravings in a couple of days after.
Once that's done, it's the final clear coat for extra protection.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/209/483375083_10a4c1521e.jpg?v=0
- Second coat done and baked in the oven for an hour same as before. Now I'm ready to begin the white engraving paint fill. Here, you'll see my main tools an eyedropper and a rubber putty knife. The paint is water base acrylic so that I can easily wipe any mess up with a damp rag, without harming the Olive Drab. The eyedropper will have to do since I could not find any syringe to help guide the paint into the engraving. Any over spills get squeegeed using the rubber putty knife (a silicon spatula would also do). Before working on the red MDa plates, the olive MD-2 test plate gets the nod for first guinea pig...
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/175/484764592_ea674749f7.jpg?v=0
- MD-2 test plate done but not exactly how I wanted to finish!
The white paint flowed fine but Olive Drab absorbed some residue (probably because the plate wasn’t 100% dry). So to buff out the residue I used metal polish compound. But in doing so, some of the olive drab got rubbed off as well. OK fine, don’t panic, Then I might as well duplicate a brassing top plate. You can see the white primer still on and some brass showing through where I rubbed the corners. Typical places like where the thumbs rest get rubbed to the brass surface.
Seeing this happen, I'll allow the red top plate to dry for another 48 hours.
Notice the small scratch on the bottom plate? This happened when the plate tipped over in the oven and touched the rack. Looks like grille marks on a steak. No worries, I'll sand around that scorch mark and then repaint it. The final clear coat should hide any flaws.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/206/484764594_8c7fce9767.jpg?v=0
- Finally got the engravings filled and the serial numbers too. And also was able to touch-up the scorch mark on the bottom plate. Only have the clear coat to protect the finish and then it’s reassembly time.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/230/486029347_8a0e09fba3.jpg?v=0
Time = 60 minutes total accumulated time for priming, 2 color coats, engraving painting and clear coat
Tools = Eye dropper and rubber putty knife
Cost = $30 for the primer, metallic red, white filler paint and clear coat (won't count the olive drab, which was for testing purpose only)
Stay tuned for Phase 4 - Reassembly