David’s “painting the SWM Sierra-2” video question

[Timothy L]

David -
in this video on the Sierra:
1) after you’ve applied the red 2K coat, you state that you wanted to do a little touchup sanding because of overspray. What grit / type sandpaper will you be using to do that sanding please? after sanding can you make it look I identical to the surrounding area or will you then clear coat it? I did look for part two of the video but I could not find it.
2) you also say that you prepped it with 600 grit. Is that the normal final grit you use prior to any painting or just for 2K
3) Are you wet sanding or dry sanding?
4) Not in the video but: What is a good starting percentage of flattening agent to use?
Thank you (again!)
Tim

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

David -
in this video on the Sierra:
1) after you’ve applied the red 2K coat, you state that you wanted to do a little touchup sanding because of overspray. What grit / type sandpaper will you be using to do that sanding please? after sanding can you make it look I identical to the surrounding area or will you then clear coat it? I did look for part two of the video but I could not find it.
2) you also say that you prepped it with 600 grit. Is that the normal final grit you use prior to any painting or just for 2K
3) Are you wet sanding or dry sanding?
4) Not in the video but: What is a good starting percentage of flattening agent to use?
Thank you (again!)
Tim

1) The red was the first of the two base colors. Red and black. I touch-up sanded some of the black that got under the masking tape that formed the demarcation line between black and red. As the 2K paint I use goes on thick and is very tough I'm able to touch-up sand over-spray with #400 used wet, without digging away too much of the adjacent red.

2) Yes. #600 is my go to abrasive before primer or paint -- to knock off dust, hand-oil, and to produce 'tooth' for the soon to be laid down primer/paint in order to achieve maximum adhesion of the coating.

3) ALWAYS wet sand coatings. Almost always back the sanding paper/cloth with some form of semi-hard or hard block.

4) I never measure the quantity of flattening agent added to paint or clear-coat. Sorry. I use a lot of flattening medium, if that's an answer. Maybe two-ounce of 2K mix gets a half spoon of flattening goo?? More art than science here, Tim. Sorry.

I've provided an array of different grits and types of abrasives. Note that all of them are not simple sheets hand-held and rubber helter-skelter over the work. No! The abrasive is either double-backed (folded over for rigidity) or mounted on some type of 'block'. Control is the name of the game with abrasives!

[Timothy L]

Got it - once again thank you David. Everything you have shared is extremely helpful. I will of course experiment on other materials with application, sanding, and finishing using 2K before hitting either sub. Weather is pretty much here for it!
Tim

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Got it - once again thank you David. Everything you have shared is extremely helpful. I will of course experiment on other materials with application, sanding, and finishing using 2K before hitting either sub. Weather is pretty much here for it!
Tim

Anytime, pal. You're a good student; attentive, smart, practical, and avoid dumb-ass questions.

[DrSchmidt]

Did I mention that I hate filling and sanding.....seems to be an endlees job on my U1

[Das Boot]

Nice work, David.

[Das Boot]

Did I mention that I hate filling and sanding.....seems to be an endlees job on my U1

I can’t wait until you get to the guts of the little Russian boat you’re building.

[DrSchmidt]

Russian boat? I'm currenly not working an a Russian boat

[Das Boot]

Russian boat? I'm currenly not working an a Russian boat

Excuse me. I was thinking of MFR’s Kilo. I’m losing it.

[Timothy L]

Anytime, pal. You're a good student; attentive, smart, practical, and avoid dumb-ass questions.

Well, actually I have a whole collection of dumb-ass questions LOL. Here’s one of them, just to demonstrate: There seems to be some varied opinions about 2K clear coating over waterslide and/or vinyl decals. I’m assuming you, yourself, clear coat over decals, but I’m curious about your own experience. Have you had any mishaps spraying 2K over decals? If so, it I would help me avoid the same mishaps.Thank you.

Now to sit back and wait to be called a dumb-ass LOL,

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Well, actually I have a whole collection of dumb-ass questions LOL. Here’s one of them, just to demonstrate: There seems to be some varied opinions about 2K clear coating over waterslide and/or vinyl decals. I’m assuming you, yourself, clear coat over decals, but I’m curious about your own experience. Have you had any mishaps spraying 2K over decals? If so, it I would help me avoid the same mishaps.Thank you.

Now to sit back and wait to be called a dumb-ass LOL,

Not at all, a good question; something deserved of a straightforward answer (I will allow it).

As the two-part polyurethane clear-coat is a very active (volatile) mix of lacquer thinner and the activated resin, one would expect the applied clear-coat to react negatively over enamel based paint or marking achieved with that paint. I don't use any paint with that chemistry, so I don't know if it would hold up against a heavy spray coating of properly cut polyurethane clear-coat or not. Nor do I have any practical experience with vinal markings overcoated with such a clear-coat. So, sorry, can't give you a go/no go on those two materials. When in doubt, experiment off-model (see: 'test-mule' below).

The following pictures show markings achieved with decals, ruling pen, and careful masking -- all employing water soluble acrylic paint. The 2K polyurethane clear-coat has no negative effects over those type markings. I've also had good results with dry-transfer markings and self-adhesive metallic foils -- again, no negative effects when overcoated with this type of clear-coat.

Keep in mind I make my own decals (though the pre-glued decal paper is a commercial product). I paint a specific color to the decal paper and cut that for strips, squares and circles; or use a mask(s) to render specific images -- the UN logo against a blue background pictures below -- to suit a specific job. I almost always paint the markings with the very benign acrylic type paint. The cheap-ass Walmart paints works just fine.

Before you commit any painting/masking/marking/weathering technique new to you, first test your proposed action on a 'test-mule'. If things go terrible wrong, you want to find that out off-model and change your strategy. Once things work on the test-mule, start in on the model itself with some modicum of confidence.

[Timothy L]

Painting decal paper - now that is something I’ve never heard of and is a very valuable idea - which I will explore. (I would’ve thought the acrylic paint would wash when the decal is applied). Thank you David.
In this picture what is the application tip in the tool holder and are you applying acrylic paint or another material? Thank you.


In this picture appears to be a second approach to line spacing. What is the benefit of each particular approach please? (yes, running at high risk level for dumb-ass un-researched questions!!!).
Thank you David.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Painting decal paper - now that is something I’ve never heard of and is a very valuable idea - which I will explore. (I would’ve thought the acrylic paint would wash when the decal is applied). Thank you David.
In this picture what is the application tip in the tool holder and are you applying acrylic paint or another material? Thank you.


In this picture appears to be a second approach to line spacing. What is the benefit of each particular approach please? (yes, running at high risk level for dumb-ass un-researched questions!!!).
Thank you David.

Keep in mind that though the 'solvent' of water soluble acrylic paint and its 'clear-coat' (often described as 'Artist Medium) is water, once the water has evaporated away and the acrylic binder has polymerized, the resulting hard film is insoluble in water.





You're doing fine, Tim. No dumbassery yet, pal.

As you observed I illustrated two methods of applying the 'bar' type draft markings: one using the ruling pen. The other using white decals.

The work goes very fast with the acrylic paint loaded ruling pen, but goofs are inevitable -- that's why you always protect the base coats and any detailing previously applied with a protective clear-coat, permitting you to successfully scrap or abrade away the goofs without harming previous work.





Decals tend to be fidely and will try your patience! The work goes slowely, and they don't have the robustness of painted on markings -- though that shortcoming is short lived and not an issue once a clear-coat goes over that work.

[Timothy L]

Got it. Thank you David!