Repairing chipped/ flaked paint ? (1 Viewer)

[Rudi Starnberg]

Any tips appreciated gents. If touching up spots of chipped or flaking paint on a metal figure, is it always best to dab on primer first or just paint it onto metal , then varnish it afterwards ? Can varnish be used as the primer ( I read that somewhere )? I will be using brushes and acrylic paint, I don't have an airbrush. I have not painted figures since childhood, so will practice on old Airfix plastics first I think ( to work out thinning the paint before applying )
Thanks in advance.

 

[Rudi Starnberg]

( oh, and just to add , it is bare metal showing through )
Cheers

 

[theBaron]

On metal, it's a good idea to prime, especially with acrylics. Use a primer for metal, whether you buy one made for hobbyists, or if you buy something like an automotive primer.

I have never heard of using varnish as a primer, though depending on the product, it may have properties like a primer-it adheres to the surface and presents a surface to improve the paint's adhesion. Testor's DullCote, for example, might work that way. Certainly a matte varnish, like DullCote, presents a surface that paint can adhere to. The matte finish comes from all the tiny little pits in the surface of the varnish, that scatter light. Those pits could provide something for the paint to bite into. But I'd still just use a primer for priming, and save the varnish for sealing.

Hope that helps, prosit!
Brad

 

[Al Fisher]

If t were my figure, I'd give it a wash using soap, water, and Q-tip both to clean off dirt and loosen any additional flakes. Then spray with Dulcoat to fix the remaining paint . . . this both acts as a primer and allows you to wipe off later paint if your unhappy with the result. Think out how you want to proceed carefully. Then mix your paint and test on an index card to ensure that you have a color match . . . use at least two coats. When the color is right, use a small brush or toothpick (depending on the size of the bare spot) and paint the spot only. Add a second coat, but cover a bit of the surrounding area to blend in everything. When satisfied, spray with either Dulcoat or Glosscoat depending on the present finish on the figure. Should you have trouble matching paint, you might want to overpaint everything of that color.

Hope this helps . . .

Bosun Al

 

[Rudi Starnberg]

Yes that is very helpful, thanks gentlemen !

 

[Rudi Starnberg]

Since posting this, I have searched through previous threads and note this query has been raised quite a few times before - apologies for my impatience !
I have just been reading, way back on page 21 , and of some years ago, Pat's very detailed "phoenix from the ashes tale" of his Delhi Durbar landau ( no longer a Victorian dragster ! ) . Some excellent information on this forum. Thanks to all.

 

[theBaron]

An issue to consider if you choose to use DullCote or any other varnish over the figure as a primer, is that a clear coat can have a filtering effect on the color underneath, subtly changing the way the color looks. Future as a gloss coat, for example, imparts a richness to the colors underneath. I use Dullcote on models, and it's pretty unnoticeable over painted colors, and over decals, but it does have an effect of dulling the colors of any powdered chalk that I might use for weathering. I compensate for that effect by making those colors-engine exhaust, for example-too bright or too strong, knowing that the matte sealer will knock the depth of the color back a little. So, I recommend testing out your combinations on some scrap plastic or on a "glue bomb" model, before trying them out on a figure.

Prost!
Brad

 

[mikemiller1955]

I use Dullcote on models, and it's pretty unnoticeable over painted colors, and over decals, but it does have an effect of dulling the colors of any powdered chalk that I might use for weathering. I compensate for that effect by making those colors-engine exhaust, for example-too bright or too strong, knowing that the matte sealer will knock the depth of the color back a little.

Prost!
Brad

Brad...

this is true...the clear matte sprays I have used have this effect to some degree...

there is also a clear satin spray...but it seems a little too shiny to me...

even though the dullcoats or matte sprays dull the brilliance of the paint a tad...
I still think it's the right move as a final touch on a flaking repair...
maybe not on a minor touch up...but for sure on a flaking issue.....