Paint cracking

[bossy122]

I don’t clear TS36, but I won’t use again

The combination I have seen is over Tamiya primer on resin white metal and PE

My plastics with 36 are all fine

But my MFH 4/4, 4/5b, 4/8 are all cracked, used Testors flouro on 4/7

That rear wing I pictured is plastic and it's the worst. Oddly, the rear wings have much more cracking than body pieces.....because they sit flat? It's all rather perplexing.

[Icon_Modeler]

This thread comes at a good time for me. I'm in the process of creating a 1/1 tribute helmet for Niki Lauda 1976 era. I started with hardware store primer. Applied one coat and then used filler on the small defects. Wets sanded with 400 grit paper wet. Let dry and recoated again with hardware store primer. Dry time between 1st and 2nd coats of primer was 24-48 hours. After the second coat of hardware store primer I let dry for another 2-3-4 days kind of lost track. Wet sanded with used 400 grit paper again, force dried after sanding with blown air. Then applied two wet coats of Tamiya white primer surfacer out of the spray can. Let dry one full week. Wet sanded again with 400 used paper wet. Force dried after sanding with blown air. Top coated today with TS26 pure white 2 full wet coats waiting 15-20 minutes between coats. Was planning to top coat with TS36 next weekend but now I have my doubts as to if this is a good idea or not. Considering alternative flo top coats. I know MR. Color makes flo red in spray can maybe I'll try that. Any other suggestions???

[bossy122]

What would they paint an actual helmet with? And can you get any of that?

[Icon_Modeler]

What would they paint an actual helmet with? And can you get any of that?

Automotive paint more than likely but that would be completely cost prohibitive due to the quantity the paint is sold in just for 1 helmet or for use on models.

At my rate of production the paint would go bad before I used even half of it.

[PeteJ]

This thread comes at a good time for me. I'm in the process of creating a 1/1 tribute helmet for Niki Lauda 1976 era. I started with hardware store primer. Applied one coat and then used filler on the small defects. Wets sanded with 400 grit paper wet. Let dry and recoated again with hardware store primer. Dry time between 1st and 2nd coats of primer was 24-48 hours. After the second coat of hardware store primer I let dry for another 2-3-4 days kind of lost track. Wet sanded with used 400 grit paper again, force dried after sanding with blown air. Then applied two wet coats of Tamiya white primer surfacer out of the spray can. Let dry one full week. Wet sanded again with 400 used paper wet. Force dried after sanding with blown air. Top coated today with TS26 pure white 2 full wet coats waiting 15-20 minutes between coats. Was planning to top coat with TS36 next weekend but now I have my doubts as to if this is a good idea or not. Considering alternative flo top coats. I know MR. Color makes flo red in spray can maybe I'll try that. Any other suggestions???

Check with Mark. He had a recommendation for a catalyzed paint that I can't remember the name of. I never found a local place to buy it so I just dropped the idea. You know how good his finishes are.

[bestbalsakits]

What would they paint an actual helmet with? And can you get any of that?

Automotive paint more than likely but that would be completely cost prohibitive due to the quantity the paint is sold in just for 1 helmet or for use on models.

At my rate of production the paint would go bad before I used even half of it.

you can get 1/4 liter of all colours in automotive paint, at some Euro15/USD20 per 1/4 liter
I don't think this is expensive. 1st investment is little more expensive, because you also need to get thinner & hardener.

For 1:1 helmet, i'd steer away from fragile 1 component paint, and use pro 2 component. Makes it more durable to say the least. And... less to worry about when you want to give it yet another colour. As base, i'd use 2 component filler/ground too.
If i was to go buy helmet/car/bike, and i'd know it was painted with rattle can paint, i'd walk.

Wim

[Icon_Modeler]

For 1:1 helmet, i'd steer away from fragile 1 component paint, and use pro 2 component. Makes it more durable to say the least. And... less to worry about when you want to give it yet another colour. As base, i'd use 2 component filler/ground too.
If i was to go buy helmet/car/bike, and i'd know it was painted with rattle can paint, i'd walk.

Wim

Well, I painted cars, real cars, for four and a half years but that was a lifetime ago and the paints we used were not 2 stage paints. Single stage paints with 2 stage clear coat was how we did it and that is how my helmet will be finished. I think one thing you don't understand is that the helmet I'm using is period correct from 1975. No way in hell I'm putting a 46 year old helmet on my head and trusting it to save my life. I won't even put straps back in it when reassembled because I don't want someone to try and use it when finished. It is intended purely as a display piece so keep on walking!!!

[Icon_Modeler]

Check with Mark. He had a recommendation for a catalyzed paint that I can't remember the name of. I never found a local place to buy it so I just dropped the idea. You know how good his finishes are.

Thanks Pete I'll ask him about it. Been working with him on some masks for it and for some other helmets I have in the works.

[bossy122]

I have decided that trying to rough up the red and put a gloss coat over that would be better than stripping the MP4/9 unnecessarily and wasting hard to find 91% . I will let you know how it goes. Good luck to us all.

[bigood]

hello guys
everyone, my job as well as that of my son is to paint helmets for original or replica pilot.
the paint used is auto paint and auto varnish.
the finishing and two-component varnish but not the paint for the colors.
in the middle of helmets we do not use paint with hardener it must dry very quickly and in addition we must not put a lot of weight (70 to 90gr max)
here it is
helmets are sanded and painted directly
go see our facebook page
aerobigood design helmet racer
BIGOOD