How to remove raised paint edges?

[Safire6]

How to I level the painted surface to remove the raised edge where I masked? Polishing it out I assume, but with what? Or? TIA.

[Snake45]

I'd go with #800 or #1000 wetordry sandpaper, wet, on a straight, flat small sanding block. 

And THEN polish.  

[John Pol]

Do you have clear on it if so lite water sand with sandpaper

[Pete J.]

The best choice is to clear coat it and then sand the clear coat down.  Otherwise you run the risk of sanding through the edge.  Here is a video about painting and masking that may help you avoid this issue in the future. 

 

[Casey]

3 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I'd go with #800 or #1000 wetordry sandpaper, wet, on a straight, flat small sanding block. 

Way too coarse.

http://italianhorses.net/Tutorials/PerfectPaint/paint.htm

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Casey said:

Way too coarse.

http://italianhorses.net/Tutorials/PerfectPaint/paint.htm

Funny. It works for me. 

I said that's to knock down the raised edge. Still needs to be polished after that. 

[Force]

You do as they do on real cars.
You can't get the edge completely flat just by sanding directly on the paint, the edge is only paint buildup and if you do you will sand the overlaying paint away before it gets flat.
So lay several coats of clear on top of the paint, sand it down with fine wet paper and then polish.

[Safire6]

Thanks everyone for the tips and links! I'll lay down a few coats of Tamiya clear and wet sand. I'll post results later.

 

 

[Safire6]

I did as everyone suggested and the results turned out great! I sprayed 3 coats of Model Master clear lacquer over the Tamiya paint, then wet sanded with 4000 grit and then polished with Meguiar's swirl remover that I had in the garage.  I don't feel even the slightest edge now. Thanks for everyone's help,...my builds wouldn't be half as good as they are without this forum!

 

[Force]

Looks nice.
You learn something every day and this forum helps a lot.

[Casey]

On 3/21/2020 at 12:29 PM, Safire6 said:

How to I level the painted surface to remove the raised edge where I masked? Polishing it out I assume, but with what? Or? TIA.

 

If you would have used a polishing kit at this point, you could have not only removed the sag visible at the lower edge of the panel on the right, but all the panels would be flat and even. Plus, the black overspray (I'm assuming you painted the inside surface of the panels with black paint to simulate fire retardant paint?) which snuck through the fuel filler opening would have been removed, too.

Adding coats of clear on a model isn't usually necessary unless you are using a two stage paint. There's no need for protection from the elements, and the additional layers become very noticeable, rendering the model less realistic, which is the opposite of what most of us are aiming for. With a polishing kit, you are essentially making the surface smoother and shinier, without adding layers and unrealistic "miles deep" clear coat.

While your panels do look glossier, the flaws which were present when you first asked your question are still there, and unfortunately, still visible, and a few coats of clear and some swirl removed aren't going to remove them.

Sorry if that sounds harsh, but if you truly want to learn the skills necessary to improve the finished look of your models, you have to use the proper tools, then take the time to learn how to apply them through practice. The end results will speak for themselves.

[Safire6]

Thanks for the tips Casey. That sag is very visible in that pic but it is hardly noticeable on the real thing thankfully. The black at the fuel filler opening is from painting the inside surface black. I painted the inside surfaces first and then the outside surfaces. Apparently the Tamiya tape I used to mask off the hole was not burnished down well enough and the black bled through. My builds are definitely getting better since the 2 or so years that I've been back at this hobby, and the tips from this forum are the reason why.

 

 

[Force]

A polishing kit can save lots of flaws in paint jobs...believe me, I have saved lots over the years since I got mine...but it can't knock down a sharp paint edge and get it level without sanding off the overlaying paint at the edge completely, that's why you need to use clear coats so you will have more paint to work with, after that sand it down to a flat surface.
If you sand with a sanding block before the clear coats and get the paint level and get out "orange peel" dust specks and other imperfections the result will be even better and you can use the polishing kit for that, the grit on the abrasive cloths in the kit goes from 1800 grit in 8 stages up to 12000 grit...at least they do in my LMG Enterprises kit...1800 is quite coarse and the 12000 feels almost like the paper newspapers are printed on to the touch.
 If the paint is decent I usually start somewhere in the middle and go up the grit stages and finish with 12000...and you use them wet.

Edited March 31, 2020 by Force