I have just returned to the hobby again. I now use TAMIYA acrylic paints instead of enamels. My problem is I leave fingerprints all over the model even if the paint is very very dry. I tried to use surgical gloves, and is bothersome and the hands feel numb. Anybody have a better style or tricks Im open for tips and suggestions… thanks!
If your paint is really dry, I’d expect the fingerprints to be body oil left on the model when you touch it. Other than advising you to touch the model as little as possible, maybe varnish or coat(s) of Future could help. I expect you find this problem more with flat finish than gloss ones… And it’s always more difficult to remove the prints from flat surfaces than glossy ones… The flat paint is, at a microspopic level, very uneven, a bit like a mountain range, and oils left in the ‘valleys’ will be hard to remove. Varnishes and Future will even out peaks and valleys and make it easier to get rid of the prints.
If you have damp hands, moist towellettes may help if used before handling the models. A quick wipe with an alcohol moistened paper towel may be of use too.
I agree with jcarlberg. I keep a seperate cloth/rag close by that I am constantly wiping my hands with. I keep a bottle of alcohol nearby and clean my hands with it every now and then (not sure if that’s healthy or not, but I do it anyways). I’ve also used windex and just shot some on my hands, and then wiped off with a rag/towel. I always use gloves during painting primarily to keep my hands/fingers from getting paint on them. I find that the dried paint on my hands can be a real hazard to the rest of the model.
It probably is skin oils. Something else you can try - I don’t like latex gloves either, and only use them when spraying. At photography stores they sell lintless cotton gloves for handling negatives and fresh prints. They’re very light and thin, and if your paint is truly dry, shouldn’t leave a mark. Might even give it a nice polish if you handle it enough! If you don’t like handling tools, etc with gloves, you can discipline yourself to just wearing a glove on your “holding hand”.
To remove the prints from my models, I use model wax. I cleans away finger prints and helps smooth the surface. I apply it with an old t-shirt with light pressure and wipe away or “buff” away the excess with a dry, clean portion of the t-shirt. Like magic, fingerprints are gone!
try using fine sandpaper to sand it out, then apply car polish to polish, then prime and paint