I have noticed that handling a freshly airbrushed model (you have to handle it to apply weathering, decals, etc.) results in considerable amounts of paint rubbing off the leading and training edges of the wings and especially wingtips. I thought about it and decided the only solution is lots of Future sprayed on directly on the leading edges and other sharp edges immediately after the main coat goes on. The Future should work well. Also, I though about protecting with masking tape while working on the model. If you have better ideas let me know.
I just shoot the model with a coat of Testor’s Glosscoat from a rattle can… Or any spray varnish you wanna use, it doesn’t really matter as long as it’s compatible with the finish…
Quicker than messin’ with an airbrush, IMHO…
I keep a box of vinyl gloves under the bench to wear once I get started on weathering. This keeps your finger grease from affecting the finish. You may need to wait longer before starting to weather as well.
I always use my airbrush to shoot clear gloss lacquer prior to weathering. There is nothing worse than being almost finished with a model and then shooting a glob of nozzle spit onto the finish. Even with the airbrush you’ve got to be careful. It’s just looks bad to get that close to finished and then find uneven splotches on the clear coat. Treat your clear coat just the same as you would any other coat of paint.
What sort of paint are you using and how soon after drying are you handling it?
If you are using acrylics and handling within, say, 4 hours after applying, it’s much too soon. Acrylics “touch dry” very quickly, sometimes within seconds, but can take considerably longer to cure.
Regardless of what type of paint you’re using, I’d suggest leaving it at least overnight before handling.
Another thing you can do prior to painting is to give those areas a light rub-down with 1200 (or higher) grit wet and dry paper (used wet) to give your paint a little “tooth” to grip on.
Phil, your recommendation of rubbing with sand paper is something I haven’t thought of and it will be easy to implement. Thanks.