CadillacPat
01-30-2009, 10:18 PM
"Painting Plastic Interiors - CadillacPat Style"
For the most part 1/64 diecast Coupes and Hardtops allow so little light to enter the passenger compartment you can't tell what color the interior is, or if it is detailed or two-toned.
With the exception of castings having an abundance of window area as in this '59 Cadillac.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/CadillacPat/HOK%2050th%20Anni%20Cars/46.jpg
I sure wish all Hotwheels came with white interiors as the majority of its First Editions do.
Convertibles on the other hand give you the opportunity to showcase your skills with matching or contrasting interior color/colors to accent that paintjob you put so much time into.
The plastic used for interiors on most Diecast, unless properly primered, will absorb enamel paints like a sponge.
Water based acrylics will just bead up on them.
Here's a tip I came up with that will make painting any color interior a cinch.
Brush off the interior nice and clean and use a small Testors paintbrush to paint on a thin coating of Duplicolor Adhesion Promoter.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/CadillacPat/Customizing%20Tools/PICT0014.jpg
Available at any WalMart Auto Dept. or AutoZone Parts store.
This product is about 5 bucks and it's rival Bulldog Adhesion Promoter is nearly $10.
Buy the Duplicolor.
You don't have to paint it onto the interior of your Custom using any careful technique.
Just mop it on, it will dry superthin and clear.
Sure you can spray it on but if you will just spray a couple of drops into a bottlecap there will be a lot less waste.
It just takes a little to coat an interior.
For spraying Aerosol Paints into a bottlecap see my "Transferring Paint from an Aerosol Can to use in your AirBrush" post.
Now you may use any Acrylic or Enamel paint to color or trim your interior.
Painting interiors is a lot easier than you may think.
Most interiors are so well defined that you can simply drag a bead around the inside or outside of them using a small Testors paintbrush with a medium amount of paint loaded in its bristles.
You don't really paint with the brush but rather pull or push a bead of paint along the raised or recessed edges of the interior.
I use Acrylic (water based) paints on all my interior jobs.
They dry quickly and are easy to fix if you make a mistake.
You can get these 2oz. bottles in a million colors at HobbyLobby or Johanna Fabric Stores.
Also purchase a bottle of Clear Acrylic Varnish to seal and protect your job.
Think about mixing in some Pearl Powder into that Clear topcoat for a dazzling effect.
The Pearl will reflect light making your efforts more readily seen in Hardtops or Convertibles.
I'm writing this after taking a second look at the interiors of my Boattail Auburn 852's.
What you can't really see from the pictures is that they have multicolored interiors of various contrasting colors.
Floorboards and inside of doors are painted.
I'm looking for some more of these in storage right now and as I paint a few more I'll show the steps of personalizing their interiors.
--CadillacPat the UnCustomizer--
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/CadillacPat/BulletProofWebcopy.jpg
For the most part 1/64 diecast Coupes and Hardtops allow so little light to enter the passenger compartment you can't tell what color the interior is, or if it is detailed or two-toned.
With the exception of castings having an abundance of window area as in this '59 Cadillac.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/CadillacPat/HOK%2050th%20Anni%20Cars/46.jpg
I sure wish all Hotwheels came with white interiors as the majority of its First Editions do.
Convertibles on the other hand give you the opportunity to showcase your skills with matching or contrasting interior color/colors to accent that paintjob you put so much time into.
The plastic used for interiors on most Diecast, unless properly primered, will absorb enamel paints like a sponge.
Water based acrylics will just bead up on them.
Here's a tip I came up with that will make painting any color interior a cinch.
Brush off the interior nice and clean and use a small Testors paintbrush to paint on a thin coating of Duplicolor Adhesion Promoter.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/CadillacPat/Customizing%20Tools/PICT0014.jpg
Available at any WalMart Auto Dept. or AutoZone Parts store.
This product is about 5 bucks and it's rival Bulldog Adhesion Promoter is nearly $10.
Buy the Duplicolor.
You don't have to paint it onto the interior of your Custom using any careful technique.
Just mop it on, it will dry superthin and clear.
Sure you can spray it on but if you will just spray a couple of drops into a bottlecap there will be a lot less waste.
It just takes a little to coat an interior.
For spraying Aerosol Paints into a bottlecap see my "Transferring Paint from an Aerosol Can to use in your AirBrush" post.
Now you may use any Acrylic or Enamel paint to color or trim your interior.
Painting interiors is a lot easier than you may think.
Most interiors are so well defined that you can simply drag a bead around the inside or outside of them using a small Testors paintbrush with a medium amount of paint loaded in its bristles.
You don't really paint with the brush but rather pull or push a bead of paint along the raised or recessed edges of the interior.
I use Acrylic (water based) paints on all my interior jobs.
They dry quickly and are easy to fix if you make a mistake.
You can get these 2oz. bottles in a million colors at HobbyLobby or Johanna Fabric Stores.
Also purchase a bottle of Clear Acrylic Varnish to seal and protect your job.
Think about mixing in some Pearl Powder into that Clear topcoat for a dazzling effect.
The Pearl will reflect light making your efforts more readily seen in Hardtops or Convertibles.
I'm writing this after taking a second look at the interiors of my Boattail Auburn 852's.
What you can't really see from the pictures is that they have multicolored interiors of various contrasting colors.
Floorboards and inside of doors are painted.
I'm looking for some more of these in storage right now and as I paint a few more I'll show the steps of personalizing their interiors.
--CadillacPat the UnCustomizer--
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/CadillacPat/BulletProofWebcopy.jpg