What are the steps?

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Hi all,

What are the steps to painting and decaling?

It is my understanding that you paint, then gloss clear coat, then decal, then future, then wash, and then matte clear coat.

thanks for any help,
Lon

2

That’s the way I do it. I use Future for all the gloss coats, before & after decals. I also use decal set & solution (Microscale).
Wait 48 hours for paints to cure. The same for Future. Decals are usually fixed in 24 hours.

Hope this helps.

3

Thanks Pix,

I guess I now have some down time [:)] I have finished the cockpit and then clear coated it (next time ill use future).

I was alittle scared I was out of step, what a relief.

4

Always remember the beer between each step.

It makes the waiting so much more bearable!!!

[(-D]

Karl

5

Lon,

If you have painted and detailed the interior (cockpit, turrets etc), the wheel wells and engines, and are not going to apply decals, why gloss coat them? I usually use a combination of flats, semi-glosses, glosses and washes to coat and help detail and then simply mask those areas off.

On another tangent, if the final paint surface is going to be semi-gloss or flat, why put a coat of Future over the decals? You’re just adding a step to the process which costs time and money and adds addition coats to small details. Just go with your semi-gloss or flat clear directly over the decals and Future. Only problem I’ve ever had with doing that is getting in a hurry and painting decals that haven’t dried completley (the decal ends up looking like you took paint stripper to it). And I wouldn’t reccommend using the Micro Systems clears, they tend to turn yellow after a couple of years.

6

Lon:
Step 1: Paint.
Step 2: Decal.

Or as the viking said to his son: Pillage, THEN burn!
And of course the beer’s a good idea too …
Regards,
Bruce