Pre-paint surface preparation

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

Hi all.

From time to time I read in FSM about surface preparation liquids, like Poly S Prep(?), that removes oil and grease stains and reduce static electricity prior to painting. I have looked for these sorts of things in the local hobby shops, but haven’t found any.

Are there alternative products, available from e.g. auto parts shops or paint shops, that can be used instead? Please provide chemical characteristics in addition to brand names, as brand names available in the US might not be available to me.

Doc

2

There are lots of things you can use as an alternative to the “off the shelf” hobby shop products.

Starting under the kitchen sink, thee’s plain old dishwashing liquid just a little in some warm water will do the job. Next up, Windex. Rinse well after using either of these.

Moving up a little, you can use denatured alcohol or isopropyl alcohol, just a quick wipe down with a clean cloth moistened with either type and the job’s done. Note that alcohols may affect filler/primer products like Mr Surfacer and Tamiya Liquid Surface Primer.

3

I tried washing-up liquid, using a toothbrush to clean off shavings and dust from sanding etc. The model attracted a bit of dust while drying, so I suspect the brushing might have induced static electricity. Any suggestions how to handle that?

Doc

4

Brushing a bare model when dry may well induce a static charge, but it’s not likely (but not impossible) with a toothbrush. If the model was wet when you brushed it with the toothbrush, it’s even less likely.

You can wash your model and then cover it with a suitably sized Tupperware container (or even just a plain old carboard box) leaving one corner elevated to allow some air circulation to let it dry.

5

Hey Doc,

Here’s the steps I take with every kit:

  • Open box, put all parts in small bucket of warm (degreasing dish soap) soapy water.
  • Lightly rub large pieces with cloth or sponge, use soft brush on smaller pieces.
  • Rinse well then let air dry.
  • Right before working with the pieces, wipe down with isopropyl alcohol, let dry.
  • If it’s dusty or has anything on the parts I either use a soft brush or usually a tack cloth.
  • Paint right away and then store the parts in an airtight kitchen plastic container till dry.

For the most part my finished kits (auto’s) come out dust free.

Hope that might help some.

6

I personally use any dishwashing liquid I have at home, with medium warm water and gently brush the model with a basic toothbrush. Then I put the model under the tap water to clean it up, and dry it with a basic hairdryer. When dry, I leave it under a clean shoes box until it gets painted.

I think the 3 keys for having a dust free model are:

  • Clean workbench
  • Gentle brushing
  • Hairdryer

Hope this helps!

7

I used to wash the model when I opened the box as well but haven’t done that in years as I feel it’s not needed. I just wipe it with PolyS Plastic Prep or 91% rubbing alcohol before painting and it works great.