RC Car Painting Tips
Painting your RC model car is an integral part of the project. Getting the paint to look the way you want can be daunting. Airbrushes are most commonly used for body painting, while paintbrushes can be used to add details to customize and finish your RC car. Remember to wear an OSHA-approved fume mask when spraying paint, even in well-ventilated areas.
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Masking
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For clean edges and lines when painting multiple colors, always mask off the areas you don't want painted. Stick-on clear acetate masks are commonly used and can be cut with razor knives, but you can also find art masking fluid at artist supply stores--this fluid paints onto your model car and can be useful for masking uneven surfaces where the sheet masking won't cling.
Inside Out
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If your RC car has a clear plastic body, you'll get a better look and greater shine by painting the inside of the plastic, not the outside. Mask off all of your detail areas first because you won't be able to add paint on top of your body color inside the shell. Spray your body color on, remove the masking, then re-apply masking over parts of the detail and spray on paint for your first detail color. Remove and re-apply the masking for your next color, and so on.
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Airbrush Settings
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R/C Tech recommends setting your air compressor to 15 to 25 psi for lacquer paint and 55 to 80 psi for acrylic paint for the smoothest application. Experiment with different air pressures within those ranges to find the one that works best for the paint you are using.
Paintbrush Care
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When using brushes, make sure to keep a small tub of water or brush cleaner and a towel handy. Swirl the brush in the liquid to rinse it, then shake it out and lay it flat on the towel until your next use. Leaving the brush bristles-down in the tub will damage the bristles and allow them to become saturated, which will affect your paint the next time you use the brush. Clean brushes for paints with metallic flakes separately from your other brushes to avoid contamination from the flakes, and change your cleaning fluid frequently.
Car Paint
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If you are painting more than a single model, consider using automotive paint rather than model lacquers. True car paints are durable and designed to be applied in thin coats, which works well for model RC cars.
Paint Thinner
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Use high quality paint thinners to thin your paints because cheaper brands containing large amounts of toluene may damage the model's plastic.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit rc-modell image by andreas from Fotolia.com
