Spraying Craftmaster paints

Has anyone any tips to share on spraying Craftmaster coach enamels? I'm no brush painter but can do a fair job with spray. I've been in touch with Adam and I know what paints I need now, hopefully it won't be long before I can get the chassis of my engine painted.

Cheers

Craftmaster Paint website I believe has a nice QA section which covers spraying with their paints. If I remember you MUST use the correct proportion of their thinners to get the best out of it. Otherwise will work pretty much like any duel application paints.

Spaying Craftmaster paints works very well, definately only use their thinners, the amount you add is up to 5%. The amount depends on the ambient temperature as the warmer it is the less thinners you need to add. If it gives an orange peel finish it's still too thick, if it runs like water it's too thin! I run a HVLP spray gun at about 20psi. I always put at least three top coats on to give a long term shine. The first coat half soaks into the undrecoat, the second coat gives a good shine and the third coat makes it look wet all the time. Also steam engines are dirty machines at the best of times and need constant wiping down, two coats will soon rub through. (12 - 18 months).

I'm thinking of getting a goo few top coats on, sort of thinking of working split shifts for a week and going home dinnertime to get a coat on, which could give me 5 consequtive days to paint, and no need to rub down between (according to the CM Q&A page anyway).

Does anyone apply the varnish too?

I mix the last coat 50/50 with varnish to give a deep shine (as recommended in the book 'How not to paint a locomotive'). Varnish can look wondeful until it fails and then you have a layer effect on the surface. In theory you should re-varnish before that happens. I only varnish over the lining itself to protect it from cleaning.

Tim

You can also use an air brush, but it has to be much thinner to avoid clogging. More like a milk consistency, very good for the small parts

Simon

Thanks chaps, hadn't thought of mixing the varnish with the top coat. I'd noted the remark on the website about the need to reapply..something which realistically isn't going to happen! My 3½" Hunslet isn't varnishe and thats now 25 years old, starting to get a bit worn on the motion but certainly not the panel work.

Not many small parts on this engine, not at a third scale, but I'll bear that in mind, I've got an airbrush somewhere.