First Fett, MS3 #23 Underway!

[CMAnavy]

First Fett, MS3 #23, Updated 10-20-06

I picked up this wonderful helmet yesterday at the post office and I could not ignore it so I had to start it. MS# #23, with the cold cast parts, I cut out the visor, sanded, filled and primed yesterday and today I wet sanded and Sprayed down some very nice silver paint. I have most of the paints to start the but the rest of them are on the slow boat to Alaska. I am using Rouge Studios tutorial and paint list.

I really like this color silver (Krylon Silver metal) it has a great finish, but will need a good clear coat on it as well.

 

[TK3130]

How perfect did you wet sand it? That is a nice paint job right there. Would be perfect for Jango. No need for rub and buff. Looking good so far.

 

[Spideyfett]

Pretty.....I like.

 

[superjedi]

Bright and shiny!

 

[xaoslord]

That's an impressive start! I can't wait to see your progress!

 

[Buckeye 01]

Holy jesus man! That's out of a rattle can? Superb start!

 

[CMAnavy]

Thanks for the complement!

On the sanding I started with 150 grit to start, then I did the hot water & soap wash followed by a little bit more 150 and then finished with 220. Krylon Black (wetsandable) primer, then i wet sanded it with a medium grit sponge (3m) pad followed by the fine grit. After drying, I touched up the spots I missed with 220 and then I did a final pass of 400 grit, rubbed it down with a tack cloth and sprayed away.

The paint is Krylon Premium Silver Foil Metallic, SKU 1060. It comes in a tall skinny can and the nozle in stead of just a regular spay patters comes out in a flat horizontal patern that makes it real easy to get a good coat on with. I did a few passes to get it down and then built it up a bit.

Now the bad news, the paint is touchy and can rub off with yoru fingers (great for weathering) and requries a clear coat. I was about to try the Kylon Accrilic clear coat and the two paints reacted badly on my test strip so I have to find a better clear/gloss coat.

On the good side the Panzer Olive Green sticks well and does work as does the liquid mask.

I forgot here is a shot in the sunlight, put on your sunglasses.

 

[evan4218]

Fantastic start man! Look forward to seeing your progress. Keep it up!

 

[CMAnavy]

Crap! The paint is a lauquer based paint and it does not like the clear coats. I spoke with Krylon and hte only clear coat I can throw on it is the Low odor clear coat, but when I tried that it realy dulls the paint and gets a little milky (possibly a paint cure problem too). :confused

I am going to wait a week before touching it again and I will see what happens, plus I have to head back to work for a week anyway and won't be home.

If anyone knows of a clear coat that works well with laquer's please let me know!

 

[evan4218]

Try modelmasters clear coat Laquer that comes in spray cans! Thats what I use and it works with everything!!!!

 

[Desert Beagle]

If he gets that paint to work out he will have the Bling Bling Fett helmet. Real shiny clean chrome scratches.

 

[evan4218]

One danger in some crome paints from cans... if they havnt cured completely they can still be "soft" meaning you can easily dent the paint or leave fingerprint impressions on your helmet. Its always good to do light coats and let each coat dry completely so that this wont happen.

Just for example, I airbrused the silver on my stuff, I just took 3 days to paint the silver on my armor peices... this is becase I wanted to do light coats and let them sit for 24 hours each... now I can handle the armor, and draw on it with out leaving marks, or indentions in it, goes the same with helmets.

 

[imperialissue]

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Icedevil]

Looking great so far, making me feel bad for not even starting my MS3 #2 yet

 

[CMAnavy]

We will see how it does after the 8 day cure time I am forced to give it. I hope it will be fine then. I just hope the masking goes well.

 

[patiam69]

ah lacquer, you gotta hate it as much as you love it.
Just remember that stuff is air drying, basially drys like mud. so when you throw down the clear the top of the silver is gonna do the same as spraying water on some dried mud, the clear also wont dry nice and shiny like an enamal, you will have to buff it out, on a better note though is that there isnt any other paint that will shine up like lacquer, you just have to buff it.
as far as curing, it shoulf be fully cured in a few days if you have some air flow around it, enamal on the other hand literally takes months to fully cure.

with a good clear on there you shouldnt have the peeling silver problem when tape is removed

 

[cal196]

One danger in some crome paints from cans... if they havnt cured completely they can still be "soft" meaning you can easily dent the paint or leave fingerprint impressions on your helmet. Its always good to do light coats and let each coat dry completely so that this wont happen.

Just for example, I airbrused the silver on my stuff, I just took 3 days to paint the silver on my armor peices... this is becase I wanted to do light coats and let them sit for 24 hours each... now I can handle the armor, and draw on it with out leaving marks, or indentions in it, goes the same with helmets.

I know that is so annoying...... After I chromed my helmet 5 days later I put a huge thumbprint in it still, I wasnt very happy but I realized it was Laquer based, and I redid it in Enamel and it didnt do that. I dont know why Laquer did not dry on that sandable primer.

 

[propsculptor]

Alclad II works great for any kind of Metallic paint and doesn't take weeks to dry,
you can also Polish it like real Metal and Clear Coat it without problems!

 

[patiam69]

i remember there was a paint that the r/c car racers were using that was shiny like a mirror finish, that name sounds familiar. would be awesome on a 3PO suit.

 

[evan4218]

I know that is so annoying...... After I chromed my helmet 5 days later I put a huge thumbprint in it still, I wasnt very happy but I realized it was Laquer based, and I redid it in Enamel and it didnt do that. I dont know why Laquer did not dry on that sandable primer.

It happens, I find just light coats with the laquer dose the trick... and I mean light... its good to do that will all the paints becase they have to breath to cure correctly. You throw on a heavy coat and you end up with something that will take a year to dry... and that seems to go with anything.