Continuing work on the RX-7 in half scale. When trying out new techniques, it’s nice to have spare parts to use so you don’t risk ruining the final parts. It doesn’t guarantee that you won’t mess up the final parts, unfortunately. But, it gives you practice that is invaluable.
Many cars have black edge detailing around the windows, and to paint those, you need to make a mask of the area. I use the process detailed in this video (starting at 1:10). I’m using Frog tape and painted with flat black spray paint instead of hand painting with bottled paint. Bottled paint goes on heavier and can wick under the tape whereas spray paint can be put on in light coats that stay put.
You have to get a good mask on the outside to prevent overspray on the “good” side.
The small exposed area is where I sprayed the paint.
The trial worked well. Let’s hope I can replicate the results on the final piece.
I wanted to try tinting the windows as well. I used Tamiya Smoke.
This paint needs to put on sparingly and from a distance on the underside of the window (again you mask the outside to protect the surface). You build up the layers to get the level of tint you want while the outside stays glossy like glass. While the effect is nice, I think it will block too much of the interior detailing. You can’t easily discern the tweezers through the tint in the photo below.
This will be a great resource for dirty windows on other projects, though. :] I usually just use overspray, but this was easier to control.
The side mirrors are molded separately from the body, which makes it easier to get a good finish, but there are mold lines and sprue connections that need to be cleaned before painting.
That also makes it difficult to paint since you have to hold the parts somehow while painting. Here is one mirror after removing the lines and nubs.
I put tape on the end of a bamboo skewer to hold each mirror. Since there will be a simulated mirror in each one, it’s okay to not paint the interiors.
The spoiler top was also problematic in finishing since there is no way to hold it while painting. Well, you can hold it, but putting it down while it dries is the main issue. I masked a clamp and held the part by the ends where it will be glued to the spoiler base already on the car. It was the easiest way to hold the part without ruining the clamp in the process.
Bits and pieces get the job done….
