Cracking when doing the paint

[Rivera88]

Hey wondering if u ever had problems with the paint... am on my white and when I do the clear is ether the white paint goes bad or the when I put the clear... meaning as starts cracking but the crazy thing is only on some parts..

 

Any help got a con by tomorrow!!!

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Really depends on the paint, also what pieces we are talking about, it isn't meant to flex and will crack with movement. Do you have some photos of the issue so we can best be of help.

 

I have an 8 year old FOTK painted and no paint cracking (apart from 2 from air transport)

[FN1313[TK]]

Paint of this caliber and process is a lot of fine details to be aware of. Honestly I can’t guarantee that there’s anything that will get things painted and ready before a con tomorrow. Most high end paints and clear coats require days of curing properly between steps so the chemicals don’t react negatively.

First as gmrhodes13 indicated, pictures of what you are dealing with will help.

Second, most of the time your color coat needs to have upwards of 72 hours to cure properly. In my experience, that’s generous, some rattle can color coats require a week so to be sure all the chemicals that are mixed in so they can work in a rattle can format before those chemicals have completely cured out. Then you can start working with clear coats. It also depends on the type of base coat vs. clear coat you are using. Many can be very reactive to one another, or in some cases clear coats as they cure actually contract the molecules together and can pull the color coat away from the base object depending on the adherence properties. So knowing what paints you are using and your process is valuable too.

Finally, external factors. Humidity, temperature, wind, etc all have an impact on paint too. You definitely want to be aware of the manufacturers recommendations when using paints as well.

For a perfect automotive style finish like most troopers want it’s almost an art to learn and get right. That being said it’s not too hard to do, just takes some proper planning and step by step procedures to get there.

If you are looking for a quick win, then just a color coat layer will give you the paint you want before your con tomorrow, but don’t be surprised if it wears away during your trooping and you then have to go back and rework the paint.


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