Painting both sides of a models hood

[Darren B]

This problem has perplexed me for 25 years. How do you all paint the hood then the inside or vice versa. I always paint the outside, then carefully brush paint the inside. However I do not get a good coating that best replicates the look that it should like. Just curious.

[Harry P.]

Spray the inside, let it dry, spray the outside.

[Eshaver]

As Gomer Pyle would say , "Well................. goooooooooollllllllllieeeeee, uh I used to do that too ! Uh, I still do Harry ! Ed Shaver

[Darren B]

Spray the inside, let it dry, spray the outside.

How do you hold the hood? Im working on the new 442 old hurst convert and its the first hood that I have had that has a hole for the tie down and I just put a tooth pick thru the hole, but is there something easier to hold the hood? or just use tape, I guess im trying to over engineer this part of model building.

[Harry P.]

Use a stick or a scrap piece of sprue or whatever and tape the hood to it on the outside. Spray the inside, let it dry, tape the stick or sprue to the inside and spray the outside.

[bigmikevee]

Hey Darren,

As simple as Harry's reply sounds, it is what you need to do. I just tried the same thing, worked great! Sprayed flat black for underneath, no masking, when it dried, sprayed the edges at low air pressure, then sprayed the top, key is where you start from, and spraying toward the outside when doing the topcoat. I was doing what you did with the brush until I tried this, very satisfied with results, answered an age old question for me too. Oh, I tried the first attempts with cheap paint on cardboard just to check out overspray, if you aim right, nothing to worry about.

Mike

[Steve Keck]

I HAVE to be different!

I color coat and clear the outside first; then polish it. Next I will mask off the outside with Parafilm and paint the inside. I like Parafilm for masking as I can get a sharp line with it and it will not harm the paint nor lift the paint on removal. If I get overspray on the outside it is an easy fix to just polish off the overspray.

To mask a sharp edge with Parafilm use a sharp blade at about 45 degrees and lightly scrape off the unwanted Parafilm. Use a light touch.

Note that Parafilm sticks best to glossy surfaces. I also use it to protect color coats and polished paints while handling and assembly.

Edited July 28, 2010 by Steve Keck

[bigmikevee]

Hey Steve,

Another great idea, different is good, when it is all said and done did it work or not? Have to try your idea too, I like as many tools in the toolchest as I can get.

Thanks for the input!

Mike

[Darren B]

Cool, thanks for all the quick replies, I have always finished the outside first, then after that dried did the inside but always would get some kind of blemish on the outside. Parafilm sounds good, probably will just paint inside first that way if something goes wrong wont show as bad on the outside.

[Darren B]

Hey Steve,

Another great idea, different is good, when it is all said and done did it work or not? Have to try your idea too, I like as many tools in the toolchest as I can get.

Thanks for the input!

Mike

I agree never hurts to have a full toolchest of techniques in this hobby. More than one way to skin a cat as they say!!!

[Harry P.]

probably will just paint inside first that way if something goes wrong wont show as bad on the outside.

That's exactly the point of painting the inside first.

[highway]

Steve, you aren't the only one to do this differently. My technique has always been either put the hood in the up position and use a small piece of sprue just large enough to hold the hood open tightly or use a coat hanger and tape for hoods that won't stay in the up position.

The first technique may sound like a disaster waiting to happen, and a few times it has been, but for hoods that have tight fitting hinges, it works quite well. I cut the sprue "prop rod" just a hair longer than the opening, that way it stays in place while I'm painting. I will also position the "prop rod" so that where it contacts the hood will be a place that would be underhood insulation. This way both the top and bottom of the hood is painted at the same time. After the paint dries, I will then take the hood off and put it on a coat hanger and clear coat the top of the hood. Finally, I brush paint the areas where the hood insulation would be, and touch up any areas that possibly did not get painted, but usually the only unpainted surfaces are the tips of the hinges themselves.

The second technique is much simplier to explain, and also works nicely painting the top and bottom of the hood at the same time. I take my painting coat hanger and place the hood to where I will be taping the hood to it, and tape the hood down. This works the best on hoods that are mostly covered with insulation on the bottom, but will work on hoods with body colored structure as well. You just have to be careful where your tape is placed with the structures, I usually find the rearmost area of insulation to be the best to tape to, because it's sometime the largest area.

These have both worked for me, and both get the top and bottom of the hood painted at the same time.

Edited July 28, 2010 by highway

[Guest Johnny]

I just tape it bottom side up on my trusty coat hanger and shoot the bottom then hang it out to dry!

Then remove from hanger, wipe it down to remove any overspray tape it top sid up to the hanger tack it off and shoot! I only clear the top side as you may notice most cars under hood paint is duller than the outer surface!

[crazyjim]

I usually paint the bottom first and then the top. I've also glued on the kit hood hinges and then clamped onto the hinge and painted both sides at the same time.

[John Goschke]

What Harry said.

[Karmodeler2]

Okay,

To be COMPLETELY different here is what I do.

I find where the hinges or some other thing will be glued to the hood. I find the area outline of said part. I cut a piece of masking tape the shape of the outline and put it on the hood where eventually the parts will be glued, then superglue a piece of sprue to the tape.(maybe even two {one on each outline of the hinge area} and connect the two with a cross brace to give it strength). I spray both sides of the hood, then hang it up to dry. After it's dry, I then snap off the sprue from the tape, remove the tape, polish the hood, and then glue the hinges where there is no paint. If the hinges are molded on, GREAT. Superglue sprue to the edge of the hinge (farthest point from hood) and when done, snap it off, clean up the area and paint flat black.

This is a delicate process, but one I use every time. You must exercise caution as the mounting tabs (surface area) is normally not sufficient enough for you to be whipping around the hood. It will come off if you are rough with it. Knowing this, I always spray it last, have a special stand set up to hold it before and after I paint it and to keep it from getting bumped while it dries. I go through a dry run to make sure that the movement while I'm spraying is sufficient to paint it and that the mounts will hold. I have a double action so I test that the air pressure I have will not blow the hood from it's mounting points. I have had a few come off after a painted them, but since doing the dry run now, I am able to test the glue holds and see if it will withstand the movement before I put paint on it.

David