Hello, is there any problem using the Tamiya spray cans for polycarbonate on plastic? I don’t want to mess up this expensive 1/12 Mustang kit, but I was concerned it would etch the plastic or something. Thanks for any advice.
I dont see a problem… However, you should test it first on a piece of the kits plastic. just use a bit of one of the part trees (sprue) or a part that you wont be using.
I think you might want to use something from the Tamiya TS line, rather than the PS line. I believe that I read/heard somewhere that paint suitable for polycarbonate (clear RC bodies) will destroy a styrene plastic body.
You might want to post the same question in the Paint & Airbrush forum.
I realize I must have forgotten what I once knew from my RC experiences but Bob sounds right. As I recall Polycarbonate paints are “hot” to bind and flex with RC bodies. While you can use modelpaints on RC bodies they can flake when crashed and RC paints can craze styrene. But like ‘hot’ lacquers you can overcome that with the right ‘barrier’/primer over styrene. And not to insult you, but, you know that RC bodies get painted from the inside so the clear body offers it’s own ‘ptotection’ during impacts.[;)]
Apparently it’s ok to spray PS colour onto styrene, but you can’t spray over the top with clear coat or anything.
It should be noted that most paints for polycarbonate bodies have a dull or eggshell finish at best. This is because the paint is applied to the inside of the shell and the gloss is imparted by the shell itself.
In short, use the correct paint.