OK, quick question (OK. maybe not _that_ quick).

Currently I spray prime with lacquer and finish with acrylic enamels. Because of this I apply Future/Kleer to glazings, mask and shoot the interior frame color separately from the airframe. I then attach the canopy subsequent to priming plane but before applying general color. Sometimes this creates sequence challenges if there is extra work required to improve the seams/transition between canopy and airframe.

Does anyone have experience spray priming lacquer on top of Future without cracking. Future, being acrylic, leads me to suspect it is a no go. Still...

Any thoughts?

Cheers,
Fred

I cannot give you any practical input on the case that you are presenting.

However, my first reaction reading your question was: why is he making it so complicated?

I use only two types of paint: enamel or acryl. When I start with enamel, then it is enamel for the whole plane, the same for acryl. For smaller isolated sections like the cockpit or the undercarriage I often deviate from this rule.


In general, i prefer enamel because it sticks better to the plastic (or at leas I have that impression ) but i still often use acryl because it seems healthier.

Future comes on after all the airbrushing is done, but before the decals. After decaling I apply a second layer of future. Then I may do some weathering.

Most primers I have found (be it Mr. Surfacer, Tamiya, or Testors) seem to be lacquer based.

I have always followed the sequence I do to avoid the hazards of spraying a lacquer over any acrylic work.

Cheers,
Fred

If you are having cracks in the finish you are not letting the base coats fully dry . Doesn't matter whether it is lacquer , enamel , acrylic . Lacquer and Acrylic are fully dried with 48 hours , enamel ( oil base ) can take up a full two weeks to dry sometimes longer depending how much moisture is in the air . A sure way to tell if the paint is dried is hold the model to your nose , if you can still smell the paint , it's not dried yet . Once the paint is dried you are good to go ...



Terri

Nice tip, thanks. (it totally makes sense).

Cheers,
Fred

Nie tip.

I never faced the problem of cracks. Maybe because i always (and only) use the airbrush in the weekend which gives a week of drying time in between layers.

Have you ever tried "forced drying"? I met a guy once who put freshly painted models in a box with a switched-on 40W bulb. This heated the model to +/- 40 degrees celcius. He claimed it gave a much more scratch resistant surface.

I tyried it a couple of times but did not notie much effct.

No trouble at all guy's . I learn't this the hard way myself a few years back ( many years ) . When the paint is drying it contacts , surface might be dry to the touch but under between the plastic and paint is still wet and this is when cracks forum in the finish . If it's acrylic over acrylic you can start masking your camo and such in 24 hours same with lacquer and enamel . As soon as you change this up longer drying time is needed .

Drbslab , I do the same as well it can take me a week before I get the chance to spray the next colour so there is amble drying time between coats . Speed drying does work - works very well with acrylic and lacquer base paints , but when it comes to enamel it still takes awhile for this dry . Oil takes a bit for the carriers in the paint to evaporate .




Terri

Dipping canopies or clear glass into Future, for a super shine is a common practice. The product usually dries in 20 mins. as it's original purpose was as a floor sealer. Therefore, you can safely say it's very tough stuff once fully dried. I've masked it after a few hrs, and painted the canopy frames with acrylics, and never had any issues with cracking. Lacquer based paints won't effect it, as you're applying such a small amount with an air brush.

As Terri alluded to, cracking is caused by trapping moisture in the lower paint surfaces with a fresh coat of a different faster drying paint. Applying the same base paint usually doesn't cause that effect in small air brushed quantities.

I've often done a two or three tone soft edge camo scheme one color right after another, and never had any problems. Where you would cause cracking if you then applied a lacquer sealer like Glosscoat, or a acrylic sealer like Future/Pledge which would completely seal the paint as it tried to dry out.

Years ago, I painted a car body with a gloss enamel paint (which takes many wet coats to produce). I thought after a few days it was dry enough, so I sealed it with Glosscoat. A few days later I started to see small spider cracks appear in the finish. This continued for nearly another week. Finally the spider cracks stopped, but the paint job was completely ruined.

Joel