Things You'll Need:
- Sand paper
- wood filler
- primer
- paint
- clear lacquer
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Step 1
Once the car design has been cut out, and weight added, I fill all the holes with putty and then I start hand sanding the entire car with 150 grit sandpaper.(if your cuts are really rough, you might need to step down to 100 grit or 120 grit sandpaper) (keep in mind that you should never jump more than 2 grits when sanding. ie. sand with 100 skip 120 and sand with 150, or sand with 150, skip 180 and sand with 220 etc...)As you sand and the car begins to take shape, often times there are imperfections that need tending to. that's where the wood filler, or wood putty comes in as well. I like to use the white filler as it dries faster and is easier to sand off. If you have deep gouges from cutting, these may be easier to fill in and form with putty rather than trying to sand everything out.
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Step 2
Once the 150 grit sanding is done, I like to give the car a thin coat of white primer. I usually hang the car from the basement ceiling or in the garage and spray the entire car with light shots from the spray can. Be careful not to go too heavy as paint will run and runs are not our friend! Make sure you let this light coat of primer dry good before handling.
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Step 3
Once the primer is good and dry, inspect the car for any imperfections, dents, holes or scratches. Fill these in with a light coat of putty, leaving enough to sand off after dry. Once this is done, you are now ready to sand with 220 grit paper. You will almost sand the entire coat of primer off before the car starts to get fairly smooth. Once it is smooth and you feel the sanding is done, give it another light coat of primer. The primer is going to cause any loose grain to rise and you will then feel any roughness or "light" spots on the car. Make sure you sand the entire car again to remove any of these rough spots and to really make the car smooth. Then one more coat of primer this time a little bit heavier, as this should be your final coat of primer. LET THIS COAT DRY VERY VERY WELL!!!
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Step 4
Once the primer is dry, the car should not have any wood grain showing at all, and should be relatively smooth to the touch other than paint dust or overspray. At this point, I like to very lightly sand it with 220 grit paper to remove that dust and make the car very smooth. You could hit it with 00 steel wool as well, I just don't like the steel dust it leaves behind. Once sanded, inspect the car again and be sure it is all filled and primed and everything is smooth to the touch. It should almost look plastic in this state.
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Step 5
Now you are ready for the "color". I like to really make my cars "POP" and like vibrant colors. I have used bright yellow with red striping and badging, Electric Blue with black badging, Lime Green with yellow badging, and Blaze Orange with black badging. These are really eye catching and make a car stand out in a crowd. Make sure when you start to paint that you do it in very light coats and scuff sand the car between each coat using a 400 grit or above sandpaper. I usually give my cars about 4 light coats of paint before I am satisfied with it's look. Remember to let each coat dry thoroughly and completely prior to handling and between each coat.
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Step 6
Once the color is applied and cured, I now add any badging, decals or pin striping. After which, I give the car one final inspection and then I spray on the clear lacquer over the entire car lightly. I let that dry good and then give it another light coat and allow to dry again. One final check and one final third coat of clear and the car should be finished. It should now have the appearance of plastic rather than wood and be very smooth to the touch. NOTE: Be sure you let this car cure for at least 72 hours before you handle it to put wheels on etc... The lacquer needs to cure or you can easily leave fingerprints behind. My suggestion is to leave it alone for a week before handling it with any aggressiveness. Enjoy your masterpiece, and good luck!
