I just got done spraying my M41 Walker bulldog in OD green and am about to give it a coat of Future so I can start weathering. I managed to get some very fine dust and specs in the paint. I am not sure if I should just take a high grit sandpaper and sand them out before applying the future or is there a better technique? How do you armor guys deal with crap in the paint and working around all the fine PE to get all the stuff out of the paint before each coat?
I have that problem all the time. I get a thin, narrow, fine grit sanding stick and lightly pass it over the dust specs until they disappear. It is usually flexible enough to get around detail and P/E. Most of the time I don’t even need to touch up the paint!
Anyway, that is my method, perhaps someone else has another, better way.
I’m bumping an old thread, but my question is related to the original question asked.
When sanding over a paint job (or primer job), how does one make sure all the dust and grit that was created from the sanding are properly removed? I figured my airbrush without paint (and the compressor on high) or some canned air (careful to make sure I don’t get the difluoroethane to come out of the can and onto the primer) could be used to blow off the dust and grit. Will this work? What do the rest of you all use?
I ended up blasting with canned air, but that did not remove all the dust and grit, so I used a damp towel and wiped down the model.
There’s got to be a better way…
Before painting I wash the entire model surface with dish soap and scrub it with a soft toothbrush, rinse it in warm water and let it air dry. This will remove any dirt, grime and dust left over from sanding especially from the recesses. If this is done before any painting you should not have any problems with dust. If you have painted let paint dry to the touch and cover the model with clear plastic sheet to keep falling dust off with it paint fully dries.
I do all that, but sometimes you need to sand your paint or primer job anyways.
Get a tack rag and wipe down the model just prior to painting… It’s a beeswax coated piece of more or less cheesecloth used by autobody painters as the final wipedown before painting…
Would a hardware store sell tack rags, or would I need to find one at an automotive store?
I’m pretty sure you can get tack rags in the paint department of a hardware store… Ace carries them, I know that…
Wont the bee’s wax come off on the model?
I wash my models with running warm water and soap as described on an earlier post. I use light, foam sponges to wipe all exterior surfaces.
TOP TEN BEST TIPS FROM THE AIRPLANE FORUM:
Also… Before washing I use JWBs techique of sanding my model with a paper coffee filter. It’s the BEES KNEES! IT’LL TAKE OFF ALL THE TEENY DUST BUMPS AND MAKE YOUR MODEL SMOOOOOTH! PERFECTLY SMOOTH!
-T
I use a fine grit sanding sponge (Norton 320 grit -yellow to be exact). Those things are great. Best if you cut them into little 1 inch squares.