General Guidelines...

1)  Surface preparation is essential... make sure all the parts have been washed to remove the "parting agent" and any oils from handling.

I use a solution of one part Dawn Dish liquid to ten parts water... spray it on... brush with a clean paintbrush... rinse with water and let dry.  (I use filtered water for all cleaning, and I have spray bottles that have built in pumps to pressurize them — find these in cooking stores, or at American Science and Surplus)

2)  Use for the thinnest masking tape you can find; the stuff sold in artist's supply stores is often much thinner and with less "tack" than the automotive/hardware kind.  I use Tamiya masking tape, but there are others.  "Drafting" tape is also better than Masking tape because it has less adhesive.

3)  Cut your own tape strips, using a sharp blade and a steel ruler. I lay the tape out onto a glass plate and cut strips. This makes for much cleaner lines, as the rough edge and adhesive "bleed" from the machine-cut rolls is eliminated.  Special modeling tape does not always need to be cut again... find what works for you.

Remove the tape as soon as the paint has set.

Keeping It Clean...

Once the plastic is clean, avoid fingerprints, dirt, and skin oils.  Handle parts with tweezers; or wear "finger cots," which are sold in office supply stores; or cotton gloves; these keep your finger oils off of the surface but still enable you to feel what you're doing.

I found some nice — and cheap — cotton stretch lab gloves at American Science & Surplus that I use when air-brushing.  They are only $5.75 for a dozen pair, and they do last pretty well.  This way I don't have to worry about getting skin oils on the nice clean parts while painting, and I don't have to worry about getting paint all over my hands (though a little can seep thru).  It just seems to make air-brushing easier...

Dust: the annoying bugaboo of the glossy paint job. I feel your pain.

I have a few tricks to help.

1)    Get an sheet of fabrics softener (the stuff you put in the clothes dryer) and shove some portion of it into the model being painted (though a window or under the chassis). These sheets have an anti-static property and help prevent dust from clinging to the model.

2)    Get a lens brush from the camera store. Just before you paint your model observe it under various lighting conditions to detect any dust. I've noticed that if I look at my models under intense, direct light, I can never see dust. But if I look at it under very oblique, low angle lighting, dust is evident. Use the lens brush to remove the dust. That should be your last step before painting.

3)    I like to attach a model to a wooden stick, coat hanger or some such item that will allow me to hang the model inverted while it dries. In other words, dust will fall on the chassis, not the hood/roof/trunk.

Brent Gair

As to the dust effect on glossy painted surfaces: I've found putting a large inverted bowl on top of the model while it is drying can reduce dust in the air from falling and accumulating on the drying surface.

Dan H

I have a sheet of window screen material hanging over the front of my painting hood to keep dust out.  With the hood on, air is pulling in threw the screen over the drying model... this does keep most dust off it.

naplak.

Masking...

I have found a reasonable good replacement for frisket film that is very affordable to buy. I use low tack 2 or 3 mil vinyl when painting murals on walls and on vertical surfaces. These products can be found in almost any color and also in transparent for less than $50 a roll in most cases (the roll is usually 24"w x 20-50 yrds long). Vinyl is easily cut, can be printed on if need be, easily applied and removed, with no overspray effects I have had from tape and spray adhesives. Most sign supply companies carry vinyl for public buying, but if one can't be found email me and I will give you my suppliers. Andre P.....Inkwell Graphics....

I've discovered this while trying to mask off my rudder fins on my resin USS George Washington SSBN sub. Instead of trying to get masking tape around the compound curve and rudders on the hull, just take some tissue paper, wrap in around the desired area's then take an eye dropper and apply water to it. The tissue paper will conform to all the surfaces. Just add more layers with the same method for more protection. I then painted my propellers, then gently peeled off the tissue. You can even paint it with the tissue wet!

Submitted by Pat Hensley

Paint Storage...

To help prolong the life of your paint, store them upside down. The pigment will help to seal the jar and reduce the evaporation of the medium or thinner used in the paint.

John Ross

Model Painting Stand...

I created two painting stands for model cars and planes by simply bending wire coat hangers into a tall "U" shape, bending them 45 degrees forward at the 1/3 mark, and bending forward again 45 degrees at the 2/3 mark.  You wind up with a very stable platform for you modeling use.  I've made a variation of this to make an airbrush holder.  the hangers were free and all it cost me was a total of 15 minutes and a pair of pliers was all that was needed.

Ed

Acrylic Paints...

If you use Testors Acryl paints, you can get the Acryl Cleaning solution directly from Testors for a huge savings!.  Instead of $5 for 4oz retail bottle, you can get 32oz for $10... and it is concentrated!  I mix 1 part of the concentrated cleaner to at least 2 parts water, yielding over 3 quarts of cleaning solution.

This cleaning solution also works well with Tamiya and Gunze Sangyo acrylic paints.  I have not tried it with other acrylics, but I suspect it would work equally as well.

Find it under Airbrushes/Accessories.  And they only charge $4 shipping.

Removing Paint...

I have been using various brands of oven cleaner with success.  The overnight version that is generally un-scented and consists of a foam spray seems to work the best.  Due to the caustic nature of the medium, precautions such as using a sealed area, wearing rubber gloves and the use of hot water as a rinse will help. Spray all the surfaces with the oven cleaner, or spray it on a plate, and brush it on the plastic.  Enamel or acrylic paints will begin to dissolve almost immediately.  After about 30 seconds, the initial layers can be rinsed off with a hot wash of water.

Stubborn older remnants of paint can be scrubbed with a toothbrush.  The method is nearly foolproof and can be used to salvage an otherwise ruined model.  The oven cleaner will affect the standard putty used for seams and joints but usually leaves Crazy glues alone.  Decals will also peel off nicely and an added bonus is that clear parts looked polished after this treatment.

Hobbycraft

A few tips on Ship models...

Depending on what vessel and what time period you're modeling, you need to remember two basic rules:

1. No matter how well maintained, they rusted.
2. The top deck (wood) showed wear.

The paints used should be flat's grey/blue and black. Not to say that they are all the colors, but the majority.
 

Jake from Hobby Talk BB