How many coats of paint do i pass on the body of a car?
I learned that a far distance from the surface gives an eggshell finish while a closer one gives a glossy finish.
How many of both do I apply to get a good shiny and stable finish?
I say "stable" because my last model's paint was too thick that even after weeks have passed when i touch the body my fingers leave a mark on the paint as if it's still wet.
Well then, use less paint... :-) For me, it isn't exact science. Every model and every type of paint is different. I don't have a formula - just do it until it looks good.
I also do heavy wet coats on my models. Saves time as you don't have to polish them out.
If the finish looks good (and thin enough), it should naturally be "stable". And I use food dehydrator (set to 105 deg F) to dry my models (for few days).
Peteski
just testing if this works.
Enamel can take two weeks to dry completely in humid weather. You can actually get a glossy finish in one coat with enough practice, but two makes it easier. The first coat is just to get the color complete, to completely cover the primer or base plastic. The second coat is to get your gloss.
The secret to glossy finish is brinksmanship. You need to make the coat thick until about 2 seconds before it runs :-) How do you know that point? Experience. So you need to bring the coat up to the point it is wet, but not to let it run.
Lacquer is easier- you do not need as much skill, but you do need to rub and polish the final coat. An experienced enamel painter gets the result without rubbing or polishing. If it does run, wait till thoroughly dry, and out run, and do it again.
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