Hot Wheels paint

[deaconque]

Anybody know what kind of paint they use on Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars?  The cars my little boy has have a nearly indestructible finish and it stays very glossy.  I'm assuming it's some sort of enamel.  It could end up finding it's way onto one of my pedals.

[Ripthorn]

It's probably automotive paint.  You can get it done at local autobody shops.  Or you could by the finish and do it yourself.  The one used for guitars at times is called something like the 2k system or something similar.

[ACS]

Something I've used in the past to get that 'depth' and 'sheen' effect is a silver metallic base coat, with a colored CLEAR top coat - this gives the most amazing depth to a finish...

Aidan

[deaconque]

Something I've used in the past to get that 'depth' and 'sheen' effect is a silver metallic base coat, with a colored CLEAR top coat - this gives the most amazing depth to a finish...

Aidan

good thinking.  i'll have to try that

[ScottB]

If you go to an auto body supply you should be able to find spray cans of automotive paint designed to match factory colors. This is really good paint, but you will have to prep the surface, it isn't krylon.

For something similar to silver basecoat but a little different you might want to try a white pearl base. Follow that with your color of choice and then a clearcoat.  It will add a certain creaminess and luster to the finish.

[bobp1339]

I have been thinking about ordering something like this http://www.kustomrides.com/kustom/killer-paints/

I went to our local PPG automotive paint store and the prices there were just a bit more.

However, I still can't bring myself to spend $37 on a can of spray paint. 

BobP

[m-theory]

The small cars are most likely powder coated enamel. 

Don't be fooled into thinking that higher buck paint is necessarily more durable.  We're not spraying catalyzed products here, so that means we're either spraying lacquers, synthetic enamles, or acrylic enamels.  Period.  Regardless of the cost or the label, all use the exact same pigments.  The difference is in the resin that's used as a building block and the reducer that's used to thin it, and one company's lacquer or enamel isn't that much different than the next, believe it or not. 

You'll definitely pay more for fancy colors, but at the end of the day, the acrylic enamel that costs you $37/12 oz can is no more durable than the one that costs you $3.99. 

The key isn't to eliminate chips, because that's an impossible goal.  Semi trucks have the most durable paint finishes known to man, yet they will show countless chips after a year or so on the road.  The key is in adhesion, so that those inevitable chips don't become sheets of delaminated paint film.  You get adhesion by incorporating proper metal and substrate preparation techniques, as well as proper application techniques. 

[Ripthorn]

I have looked at those paints and they are on my to-use list one day when I can afford a can...

[markm]

Surface prep is the absolute key to a good finish.

[deaconque]

I have been thinking about ordering something like this http://www.kustomrides.com/kustom/killer-paints/

I went to our local PPG automotive paint store and the prices there were just a bit more.

However, I still can't bring myself to spend $37 on a can of spray paint. 

BobP

I've been drooling over that alsacorp paint for years but like you i could never bring myself to pay that much for it.  one day 

[bobp1339]

I agree that surface prep is the key, I see much better results when I take the time to prep.

However, when I can't get a coat of rustoleum to harden, it's very irritating. Especially when I am building a pedal for someone else.

I still want to try a higher quality paint...

[juse]

You can use fingernail polish with an airbrush too - this is one of my all-time favs. The colors and effects you can get with nail polish is amazing.... sparkles, glitters, pearls, etc., any far out color imaginable.

And you can get them on sale for cheap too, my last batch I got 3 for a dollar and it doesn't take much to do an enclosure.

My wife will buy them too, and try 'em and not like them, so I score those too.

Hey, it's paint.... and I don't even get embarrassed handing it to the cashier anymore 

[ScottB]

I think Barris actually did a corvette or something with just that. Story goes he couldn't satisfy the customer with a color. The customer finally brought his girlfreind in, pointed to her toenails and said "See that color? That is the color I want!". So George ordered a whole case from revlon and used it.

The advantage of the automotive paint is the available colors without any premixing, durability is definitely not anything special (or overly bad either). $30-$40 bucks a can may sound high, but if you are fixing a 97 tangerine orange Toyota in the garage and need to match the color so people won't notice the repair to the fender from across the street, it is a lifesaver. Plus I imagine it would last you for years. Just turn it upside down to clear it when finished.

[m-theory]

However, when I can't get a coat of rustoleum to harden, it's very irritating.

Rustoleum is synthetic (alkyd) enamel, which incorporates a VERY sticky, VERY slow-drying resin.  This is 1950's paint technology that's most commonly used on farm implement machinery these days.  Sticks extremely well, lays down really flat, and dries to a very impressive gloss, but it takes FOREVER to dry. 

If you're looking for something faster drying, you want acrylic enamel or lacquer (fastest drying, but lowest durability).  Dry time and durability really don't have anything to do with brand name or price tag, and in the case of spray bombs, all reducers are the fastest available for that given paint product, so that's not a variable factor, either.  It's all about the resins that are used to build a particular paint.

For those who're interested in interesting color options that aren't $37/can, you could try the anodized line and the mirage line from duplicolor.  They're not CHEAP, but they're not ghastly in price, either.  The mirage colors are a three stage system that includes a flat black base, an irridescent (color shifting) mica mid-coat, and a clearcoat, for about $28. 

The anodized colors are 2 stage, requiring a metallic silver base and a transparent color over that.  Each can is about $8.00, so you're looking at $16 or so per color, but the results are fairly stunning and well worth the price, imo. 

[deaconque]

You can use fingernail polish with an airbrush too - this is one of my all-time favs. The colors and effects you can get with nail polish is amazing.... sparkles, glitters, pearls, etc., any far out color imaginable.

And you can get them on sale for cheap too, my last batch I got 3 for a dollar and it doesn't take much to do an enclosure.

My wife will buy them too, and try 'em and not like them, so I score those too.

Hey, it's paint.... and I don't even get embarrassed handing it to the cashier anymore 

do you have to thin the polish at all?  it seems kind of thick.

[juse]

You can use fingernail polish with an airbrush too - this is one of my all-time favs. The colors and effects you can get with nail polish is amazing.... sparkles, glitters, pearls, etc., any far out color imaginable.

And you can get them on sale for cheap too, my last batch I got 3 for a dollar and it doesn't take much to do an enclosure.

My wife will buy them too, and try 'em and not like them, so I score those too.

Hey, it's paint.... and I don't even get embarrassed handing it to the cashier anymore 

do you have to thin the polish at all?  it seems kind of thick.

Yes, you will need to thin the polish to shoot it through an airbrush. There are a couple of ways to do this...

First, you can use a 50/50 or so mixture with lacquer thinner - experiment to find the right ratio for the brand of polish you are using. The one bad thing about using lacquer thinner though, is that it can possibly react with your primer or base coat (acrylic or enamel) and cause cracking/grazing while drying, which is normally undesirable.

I prefer to use a 50/50 or so mix of acetone & nail polish (again experiment to find the right proportions). Acetone does not react adversely with primers & base coats, & will not cause any cracking that I am aware of. You can then use straight acetone to clean your airbrush when you are through.

This stuff drys fast, so shoot any extra coats soon, before it starts to set up and harden.

Try different base coat colors, white, black etc., and you will extend your range even more.

It's also a good idea to buy several of the same color at the same time (same manufactured batch) to match the color if you run out halfway through a shoot.

A good clearcoat afterwards really helps bring the finish to life too.

And of course, prep work is the key to getting a durable, smooth finish. Spending a bit more time in the beginning getting the enclosure ready will pay off big time.

[ScottB]

I bet some of those pearlescent nail polishes would make a killer base coat. Then throw on a thin color coat for tint.

[SteveB]

I bet some of those pearlescent nail polishes would make a killer base coat. Then throw on a thin color coat for tint.

Thin with a good quality lacquer thinner. Acetone will work, but drys a little too quickly, causing "blushing" which means the end result will be a very dull or "powdery" looking finish.

This model car was done with a Revlon flip-flop nail polish with lots of clear on top.



This one was some some cheap dark blue pearl nail polish with another Revlon flip-flop polish for hte flames.

[bobp1339]

I think I know how I am going to finish my next enclosure!

Nice work on the models!  The paint jobs look great!

[deaconque]

I think I know how I am going to finish my next enclosure!

Nice work on the models!  The paint jobs look great!

ditto.  i'm gonna try it out this weekend.