I just recently ordered my Voyager (Fantastic voyage) and
thea Flying sub. I was curious how any of you applied the hull colors. I'm not sure if I should just apply a coat of dull coat the the plastic or apply a gloss coat of paint followed by dullcoat or flat paint with semi-gloss clear.

How did you finish off the main hull colors?

Thanks

Personally, I ALWAYS paint the outer hull, whether the plastic is the correct shade or not, because I putty and sand most visible seams.
For the Voyager I sprayed Testor's "Classic White", followed by a coat of clear glosscoat to make it look more "sterile".
For the large Flying Sub, I sprayed Tamiya Camel Yellow and sealed it with semi-matt clearcoat to give it a "clean yet weathered" appearance.
Enjoy your builds! :wave:

In my experience unpainted plastic yellows considerably over time so I would definitely not just spray a clear coat over plastic.

The Voyager is easy; just prime the plastic with white primer, then spray on a coat or two (or three) of gloss white paint. I prefer the Tamiya stuff myself; heat up the can for a few moments in hot water and the stuff goes on like a dream. Apply in several light mist coats and you shouldn't have any trouble at all.

I personally never seal a gloss white surface in clear coat because I don't see the point. And clear coat WILL yellow on you over time.

The process for the Flying Sub is a bit trickier, but not by much: prime the hull with white primer then apply several coats of Tamiya Chrome Yellow spraypaint. Yellow is perhaps the hardest color with which to achieve full coverage, but if you keep at it the results are worth the effort.

Thanks for those painting tips guys.

Yes, thanks for the tips. I'm heading to my local Hobby Lobby to see what paints they have.

I've read many times of sealing the paint jobs with a floor finish acrylic. How does this hold up on gloss coats and yellowing?

Unless decals are involved, you shouldn't need to seal a glossy Tamiya color finish with anything.

The thing that has held up progress on my Voyager is the clear parts.


Install them before or after painting the hull?
Do you mask them?
How do you get a nice transition between the white on the hull and the Voyager's windshield?
How do you get a nice sharp edge around the curved edges of the windshield?
Huzz

I've read many times of sealing the paint jobs with a floor finish acrylic. How does this hold up on gloss coats and yellowing?
Future Floor Polish is what you're refering to, or as it's now called "Pledge with Future". If you apply it, this will be your gloss coat. Simply put, Future will not yellow. Put it on before & after your decals if you have them. Run it through an airbrush right out of the bottle. It sprays wonderfully & is self-leveling. I've used it for years & have never had a problem with it.

hanks for the tip on Future polish. I'll give it a try.