Painting Buildings

I do not use tape. If you want to spray paint the walls, then use the final colour paint that you want. Too many layers can fill the "details" with paint. My preference is to generally hand paint everything, however I sometimes use spray paint on exposed steelwork. I then paint the windows by hand, as well as foundation stone and corner bricks. I then use a light wash on the bricks, to go into the mortar holes and age the brick, and dark wash on the lighter colours used for the windows and doors. (light wash on dark colours, dark wash on light colours)  In my opinion this give a good effect, and you can control the amount of wash to give the effect you desire. Sometimes you have to apply multiple wash layers, as it always dries lighter than when wet.

In the picture below, I painted the bricks, using a relatively wet brush to ensure the paint layer was thin over the brick. Note that with this technique, I generally paint the building before I assemble it, as this makes painting much easier. I then touch-up the building as needed after assembly.

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Chris

I recommend Tamiya Masking Tape.   Also, a coat of primer helps the base coat stay stuck to the plastic.

John,

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to see who has it near me.  The spray paint I'm using is a primer and paint combined. At least that is what it says on the can.

Chris

LVHR

I don't know if the first coat would be completely dry after 6 hours. Despite the claim on the can that the paint is top coat and primer, try a pure primer first. Maybe don't use paint designed for plastics, but regular paint which will grab the plastic better.

Are they resin? 6 hours is not enough. That resin is awful for getting paint to stick. I'm not sure if soap is not strong enough to get the mold release to come off or what the deal is (some other resin kits ive got suggest soaking them in Mineral Spirits first), but paint does not stick to those resin walls worth a darn.  I had a pickle factory that I had to leave for like a month before I had any confidence the paint had dried. I dont think I even tried to tape and paint another color, I just painted the rest of it by hand from that point.  Korber resin kits have become my least favorite thing to build, not just because of painting issues, but thats a lot of it.

I suggest that all unpainted surfaces be lightly primed with a Krylon or Rust-oleum primer gray primer. In my opinion the white primers have too much pigment so I don't recommend using them. If you need a fine primer (so as not to have the pigment fill detail linework), get an automotive gray. We are painting laser cut acrylic plastic. All flat surfaces are lightly sanded to help the primer grip. I find that, to avoid disappointment, laser cut window openings that are going to have sills masked for a cast stone color also have to be lightly sanded as the laser cutting leaves a polished surface and it is very likely that, even with primer, the paint may peal when the masking is removed. We use 120 grit sandpaper mounted on small sanding sticks. I do not typically work with painting/masking/painting cast resin parts, but I agree with the suggestion above that they have to be thoroughly cleaned and dried first. Ours get dunked in lacquer thinner, dried and then thoroughly washed in a Dawn detergent bath, rinsed and left to dry for several days.

As for Krylon and Rost-olem "2 in 1" colors, don't believe it. Any product that is labeled "PAINT + PRIMER" does not understand the concept that priming actually comes first.

As for masking, Nichiban tape is our masking tape of choice. For true clean work, over mask and cut your line line with a sharp Excel or Exacto hobby blade. All tapes are slitted from larger rolls and the edges are never as clean as your hand with a fresh hobby blade.

And as I always say, practice technique and paints on something that does not count first.

@Will posted:

I don't know if the first coat would be completely dry after 6 hours. Despite the claim on the can that the paint is top coat and primer, try a pure primer first. Maybe don't use paint designed for plastics, but regular paint which will grab the plastic better.

All of that - yes.  I am generally waiting for several days before doing anything afterwards with the surface.

Agree with a couple of points above...  Need to lay down a thin primer coat before color coats (cannot trust paints that say 'primer and paint in one', or some such allusions), and that should be allowed to dry for a couple days, 48 hours,  Then, apply your first paint, let dry for a couple days  (no-to-minimal residual odor).

BTW, always keep spray coats minimal (but adequate to your satisfaction).  This is especially important on resin castings with lots of surface details...brick mortar, wood grain effects, cut stone, et al.  Too much paint will fill and 'wash out' those special details making it harder to appreciate them and accept subsequent weathering steps to celebrate them.

If you're going to then mask areas, I suggest YELLOW Frog Tape...the low tack stuff.  It will have the least chance of pulling paint when removed.  And when you remove tape, never pull 90° to the surface...ALWAYS pull tape back along itself.  Be advised, though, that the low tack tape will be more difficult to seal along irregular surfaces.  Low tack taped is a 'double-edged sword' in the painter's arsenal.   And, if you're concerned about bleeding when using low tack tape, a tip is to apply a first coat of the base color (the color you masked to retain) along the edge of the tape.  You could even do this with just a fine tipped brush rather than a re-spray.  It will provide a seal to minimize/eliminate bleeding of the second color beneath the tape.  If there will be no further taping and additional color layers, you should carefully pull tape after the paint coat has lost its wet appearance.  DO NOT let taped paint dry as thoroughly as with the primer and first coats, or there may be tearing of the paint along the taped edge...the 'dry' analogy of wet bleeding.

Just some thoughts from a continuing student at the School of Hard Knocks that work for me...FWIW.

KD

First, thanks for the replies. I did some searching and found some tapes labeled for "Delicate Surface". I suspect these are a bit less tacky than the regular blue tape. I've used the blue tape successfully in the past, albeit not with these buildings, so I thought it should work. Clearly not with these. I do know about not relying on the tape edge as received. BTDT!

BTW, the walls are indeed resin castings. The window frames, which I will glue in near the end, appear to be styrene. They should hold paint well.

I'll pick up some gray primer. I'm not crazed about the idea of a non-plastic compatible paint, as I've seen what happens with some plastics. (Not pretty!) And since this kit is a mix of plastics, I have to watch out for what solvent they use in the paint. I'm not certain what will attack this resin. I know with styrene, keep acetone far away!

I'll probably remove the paint I have on already, as I don't want to obliterate all the details with multiple coats of paint. Since I'm dealing with freshly applied paint,  I hope hot water, soap and a toothbrush will suffice. Then I'll give things a good amount of drying time before I try again.

Chris

LVHR

Chris,

It is hard to paint with rattle cans. I only use them for the base coat.

I will use the cheapest rattle can for the base coat.  1-2 light coats.  Waiting 6 hours seems crazy to me.  Most paints flash within 10-15 minutes.  I have a Reznor heater in my shop that I use to force dry in the winter.  lol   Yes, you can tape that soon.  (Watch heating Korber stuff.  It moves around quite a bit)

Some tips on taping:

• Stick the tape on your shirt before applying to the model.  This will get rid of some of the tackiness. 
• Don't press the tape on with a great amount of force.
• Spray another coat of base over the tape edge.  If there is bleed through, it will be the same color.  This will also seal the edge.

Spraying the second color:

• Do not spray into the edge of the tape.
• Use light coats.

USE AN AIRBRUSH IF YOU CAN.  You cannot control the flow or the amount of product with a can.

Remove the tape IMMEDIATELY!

Those are resin kits. I have used blue painter's tape for masking on resin kits without any paint peeling issues. The issue is probably related to not completely removing the mold-release from the resin castings.First, gently scrub with a toothbrush using  mineral spirits or Goo-Gone. Then, repeat the step with liquid dish soap and warm water. Soap and water alone will not remove most resin mold-release agents. After that, use a spray primer as others have said. And, apply a light coat and allow to dry completely before repainting. Do read and follow all the instructions on the spray can--they're provided  for a very good reason!

I've gotten good results using automotive painting tape, such as from 3M - available from a variety of on-line sources. Seems to release very well.

Chris:

I use rattle cans all the time. I usually let the paint cure overnight before applying tape. I use the blue painters tape. However I remove the tape about 10-15 minutes after spraying being careful not to touch the just painted surface.

If you have a large area to mask it is better to use the brown paper you buy for HD or Lowes. Tape at the edges where the new paint is going then tape the brown paper to the existing tape.
Joe

I'd like to see a photo of the the two toned buildings'... I'd follow Tod's script. and wait at least 24 hours after priming.  1st color.  Another 24 hours. Tape up'.. second coat and another 24 hours.  You really can't rush when using Sprays.  Regardless of what brand you use, they require time to soak in and dry correctly.   And weather conditions also effect drying times... If it is humid, it will take extra time for a nice finial dry'...

Well, I'm back to square one. I stripped off the paint with Oderless Mineral Spirits , a toothbrush and some elbow grease. It actually worked pretty well. I'd say about 99.9% of the paint is off. I do have some mortar lines to clean out. At this point, not only is the paint gone, but any remaining mold release agent should be gone as well. I'm letting everything dry over the house furnace. Not terribly hot, but definitely the warmest place in the basement! Not enough heat to worry about warping anything. I did buy some gray primer and some yellow frog tape. So I'll let things dry a day or so, prime everything, and let that dry a day or 2 as well.

Chris

LVHR

Use "Frog Tape".   It is green, and available at Lowe's and Home Depot.  The tape is thinner, has less adhesive, and gives super crisp lines.   I use it extensively.  I also use the blue tape extensively, but not on any delicate surface.  The Frog tape costs significantly more, but since it is thin, one roll goes a long long way.

Next time, you may want to buy Kryon.  It dries extremely well in about 8 hours.  The first coat dries hard in about 4 hours.

Testors and Rustoleum are good, but can take up to 3 days to dry, in a warm, low humidity room.

If you have forced air heat,  (not a heat pump), then try putting your model on a piece of cardboard, about two feet from the vent.   That hot dry air is really great for curing the paint.

Mannyrock

Talk to Dr.John Sherwood about buildings. He’s given me a ton of great advice.

Several thoughts.  Been there and done that.  Use either top end model paints to prime so as not to obscure details.  One suggestion it a light coat of Tamiya or Testors gray or white.  This is the Lexus of paints.  Pigment is fine ground so as not to obscure details.  I could not live without these paints.

Another avenue I learned from courses at Bar Mills Models in Maine was to purchase the cheap crappy one dollar a can spray paint at Walmart.  The beauty of it is ... it is so crappy it works great as a primer and does not obscure details and primes well.

So there you have it Chris.  Try either the low end or high end paints but IMHO forget the regular store bought sprays.  Pigments are ground too course for detail work.