Paint Tips Using Flip-Flop Model Paint

Surface Preparation

• Prepping the surfaces of the model for paint are undoubtedly the most important part of painting. Clean the model's surfaces thoroughly with automotive wax and grease remover, and then scuff the plastic with 800-grit sandpaper. This will remove any shine from the plastic, which will allow the paint to adhere to the model more easily. Once the model is scuffed, avoid touching it with your fingers to prevent the oils from your hands from contaminating the surface.

Applying the Paint

• When painting with flip-flop paint, it's important to be patient. If you attempt to apply too much paint to the surface at once, you will invariably cause runs and sags in the paint. It is far better to apply three or four relatively thin coats to obtain the right coverage as opposed to one heavy coat. Allow the paint to dry for approximately five minutes between coats to allow it to set. Once the final coat is applied, spray a "dust" coat over the vehicle. This simply means holding the paint can further away from the model and dusting the surface. It allows the tiny metal particles in the flip-flop paint to stand up, giving you a much more vibrant paint job.

Clear Coat

• While clear coat isn't technically necessary when spraying model paint, it's a good idea when you are applying flip-flop paint. This is because the paint has tiny metal particles embedded inside that stick up above the surface of the paint after it is sprayed. Clear coat encases these particles in a protective skin, preventing them from falling off or laying flat on the surface of the vehicle. If you choose to use clear coat, spray it on after the paint has completely dried, and then allow the clear coat to dry for at least 24 hours before handling the model.

Drying Time

• One often-overlooked component to painting a model car is allowing it enough drying time to let the paint set up. This is particularly important because even when the paint instructions say that the paint can dry to the touch in just a few minutes, this doesn't mean that the part can be handled that quickly. Allow the paint to dry overnight and you'll be far less likely to leave fingerprints in the flip-flop paint or on the clear coat if you choose to use it to protect the paint.

Finishing the Paint Job

• If you used a clear coat finish on your model, you may notice that there is a small amount of what is called orange peel on the model's flat surfaces. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, you can smooth out the orange peel to give the vehicle a mirror-flat surface shine using 2,000-grit sandpaper and water, followed by polishing the surface with automotive wax. This will give the model a realistic luster, but you have to be careful when you apply it. You can break through the clear coat and damage the paint, particularly if you sand or apply wax on edges or sharp corners of the model. Confine your polishing to the flat surfaces, though, and you should have no problems at all.