Brush Painting Aluminum/Chrome Details inside Lexan - First Attempt

[GreenBar0n]

I'm getting an RC body started for my shelf, the body is a Bolink BL2254 63 Corvette Coupe, and it will be a tribute to the movie The Dead Pool, 1988, with Clint Eastwood. The actual movie car body is a Parma #10218, but this will be a tribute, not a replica build.

The actual movie RC car:






It looks like the window frames are painted on the inside, along with the front grill, and the lower side trim on the doors. The bumper's are probably painted silver under the tin foil, I would guess. The gas cap and rear tail lights appear to be decals, from what I can tell.

Going to try to use Tamiya X-11 Acrylic silver to paint the aluminum details inside. Will also try Tamiya Paint Retarder at 1:10, in an attempt to avoid brush strokes in the aluminum frames/trim/grill.




If anyone knows of a better way to do this, please let me know.

[juicedcoupe]

I used the same paint for the bumper on this one.

[GreenBar0n]

I used the same paint for the bumper on this one.

Screenshot_20240201_171732_Gallery.jpg

Nice General Lee! What make and year is your Charger body? Is that the MCIracing, General Lee decal set?

Did you spray over the X-11 with Tamiya PS orange? Did you back it with any other color?

Thanks as always @juicedcoupe!

[juicedcoupe]

Nice General Lee! What make and year is your Charger body? Is that the MCIracing, General Lee decal set?

Did you spray over the X-11 with Tamiya PS orange? Did you back it with any other color?

Thanks as always @juicedcoupe!

It is a 1/12 Bolink 69 Charger "Little Rebel" body, on a Digger chassis.

I applied several coats of the silver, until it had full coverage. The orange Duratrax paint is sprayed over it.

Yes, the decals are from MCI, in 1/12 sizing.

[GreenBar0n]

That's what I was hoping to hear, regarding the silver. I'll give it a go. Thanks!

[radioactivity]

Have you looked at Alclad Chrome For Lexan?

Barbatos Rex has done a video on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdXsvr2atrg


The wheels on my TOMSE are painted in Alclad chrome but they are done with Alclad's lacquer.



Chuck

[GreenBar0n]

Have you looked at Alclad Chrome For Lexan?

Barbatos Rex has done a video on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdXsvr2atrg
The wheels on my TOMSE are painted in Alclad chrome but they are done with Alclad's lacquer.



Chuck

His videos and painting tips are the best I've seen on YT. I bought a spray can of Alclad to test after watching this. Thanks!


But for the vette model, I have to brush the fine details, like the window frames, bumpers and grills.

[Coelacanth]

SpazStix Mirror Chrome is supposed to be the best Lexan paint for realistic chrome finishes. Can you still buy it? I have a few cans of it awaiting future projects.

[GreenBar0n]

SpazStix Mirror Chrome is supposed to be the best Lexan paint for realistic chrome finishes. Can you still buy it? I have a few cans of it awaiting future projects.

Spas Stix Ultimate Mirror Chrome aerosol is still available here, but I'm trying to paint the window frames, and small details like the door handles and gas cap. I have to brush paint those, as far as I'm aware.

[GreenBar0n]

The X-11 and Retarder are working well. It's my technique that still needs improvement.


The X-11 is easy to go back and wipe off, to get clean lines, taking me forever to get through this though. This is the toughest paint job I've done yet.

Will get the bumpers and grill paint solid and clean, and then try the window frames. Hoping to be better at this by the time I get there.

[GreenBar0n]

Will get the aluminum brush work done on this body today and tomorrow. Got some special Tamiya cotton swabs with pointed tips that will make clean up, and tight lines overall, much easier.




I'm trying to not rush things and ruin it, like every other paint project I did in my younger years.

[GreenBar0n]

Learned a hard lesson about leaving scotch tape on lexan for too long, it begins to dry out and becomes hard to remove as it shreds in strips, then leaves all sorts of residue behind that has to be carefully removed. Wasted a lot of time learning the hard way on this one.





Still have to do front windshield frame, back window frames, and tighten and finish the bumpers


Going to get some thin Tamiya masking tape, so I can finish this correctly, without all the cleanup work.

[juicedcoupe]

Lighter fluid is good for removing tape residue without damaging paint.

[Coelacanth]

I always use WD-40 to remove tape residue. Try it on an inconspicuous paint area first, but I don't think WD-40 will have any effect on paint, and washes away with some dish soap and warm water.

[GreenBar0n]

I have a bottle of naptha, which I did use and it worked really well, but it just took so much longer to have to cleanup that scotch tape mess. The thin Tamiya masking tape should let me get the tight lines but with quick and clean removal.

This brush painting has been a chore, looking forward to being done with this.