[006]

I read a thread in these forums about Folk Art paints. I can't post the URL to the topic because this is my first post as a new member.

I plan to use it on some plastic chess pieces. I also may use it on some model kits. In either event, I'll thin with Future and airbrush. However, I haven't seen anyone discuss buffing or polishing this paint.

Anyone do it? What have you used as a polishing agent? I want to keep whatever gloss or shine that I get from painting.

Thanks!

 

[Tim Casey]

1) You'll need to prime the pieces. The craft paint won't stick to them. Any primer from the hardware store will do - use grey and spray lightly - a fine mist will do.

2) The craft paints will come out flat, no gloss.

3) When you're done painting them to your liking, spray them with some Testor's glosscote to make them shiny. You can probably find some at the same craft store where you bought the paints. Again, spray lightly, maybe two coats.

4) You really can't buff them. You run the risk of scraping some paint off pre-glosscote, and the glosscote is so shiny that you won't need to buff them post-glosscote.

 

[djnick66]

These paints are not very durable. They will give a flat finish when applied. I would dip the pieces in Future/Pledge With Future Shine when done. You can set the wet pieces on some paper towels, and let the stuff level and settle on its own. Any excess build up around the bottoms can be wicked off with a paper towel. Future gives a very nice, deep, gloss, and will help protect the paint from rubbing off.

 

[irishtrek]

If you 'thin with Future' about the only thing you'll end up doing is maybe give the paints a glossy finish, it's best to use water to thin these type of craft store paints. And it takes more than just a few drops of water, in fact I went and thined a craft store paint this past winter and the mix ratio was about 50/50.
But you're using your head by asking about the paints instead of going ahead and risking any costly mistakes.

 

[006]

I always prime. I'll be using a lacquer primer via airbrush today. I'll use the Folk Art thinned 50/50 with Future next. I believe that will provide, at minimum, a matte or semi-gloss finish, which is exactly what I want. I'll let them stand for up to two weeks to get hard.

I am more experienced with model car kits and airbrushing automotive urithanes or lacquers. But I thought the Folk Art paints could be buffed with a toothpaste water mix. Yes, I understand that will make the finish flatter, but I want it smooth. I'm paining chess pieces so the matte look is actually preferable.

The Testors clear starts to yellow over time. Dipping in Future is tempting but I imagine I can just airbrush that on too.

Thoughts?

 

[djnick66]

Buffing does not make things flat it makes it glossy or at least satin.

Yes you can airbrush Future although for this application, dipping would be easy enough. But if you want a matte/flat look you don't want to add Future.

 

[006]

I'm not sure I follow you dj. I know that if you buff a glossy finish, you can take away some of the luster or shine unless you're buffing with a cloth or a very high grit such as 9000 to 12000. I buffed auto paints with grits as high as 6000 and dulled down the coat easily. It must follow that doing the same with an acrylic will have the same impact, at minimum where it's a softer paint. Sometimes dulling a gloss is intentional to make a finish look aged or sun worn, which I do often. I have no experience with acrylics. Are you saying that an acrylic will not lose any gloss look when buffing with say, a scratch removing polish or a very high grit sandpaper such as 9000 or higher?

 

[djnick66]

Well the craft paints are dead flat. If you buff them they aren't going to get glossy.

You can buff a glossy finish to make it smoother and glossier. I have polished some plastic car bodies with tooth paste and got them as slick and glossy as if they were clear coated.

The craft paints are not durable they will not stand up to a lot of buffing or wear.

 

[006]

Have you buffed out the folk art with toothpaste? or anything else to get it smoother? What worked best?

 

[irishtrek]

Using a 50/50 mix of an flat based acrilyc paint and Future will most likley give a semi flat finish. Also there are other craft store paints other than Folkart.

 

[rkoenn]

Unless those paints are on extremely thick I think buffing an acrylic raw is going to go through the paint very quickly. As DJ said, I've used toothpaste on Testors and Tamiya spray on lacquers and got a really smooth glossy finish but acrylics are a different beast and any attempt to buff the raw finish is likely to go through the paint very quickly.

 

[djnick66]

These paints are not meant to be buffed and polished or really to be used on hard, smooth surfaces. They are pretty basic craft paints best suited for porous surfaces like wood, ceramic, paper. They are probably the last paints I would consider for this project; not saying you can't use them... but they are probably not the best for being handled (chess pieces) being buffed, etc.

 

[006]

Well; that's something to think about. I love some of the colors with the Folk Art. I will need something that can stand up to constant handling. The pieces will likely be bagged together too when not in use. An auto paint may seem impractical due to the cost. Any suggestions? A matt or semi gloss result is OK. Must be durable and in case I have a little texture after airbrushing, I want an option to smooth it out through polish or otherwise.

 

[djnick66]

Cheezing and cheaping out on paint or finishing products is a bad idea. Buying something because it is cheap usually results in failure. I suppose nothing is going to beat $2 for two bottles of Plaid or Folk Art paint, but you can get a couple cans of Duplicolor spray paint and some primer for $20. That stuff goes on very smoothly, thinly and out of the can has a semi gloss but smooth finish. Myself, I would not worry about buffing the pieces out, but would make them smoother or shiner by applying a clear coat. That will also help protect the pieces.

 

[006]

I decided to roll with the Testors enamels. I want to airbrush the pieces and don't want to decant. Plus, I can custom mix my colors. They'll buff smooth with toothpaste in the event I get any texture. I can always clear over them. The last time I airbushed that paint, it did go on very smoothly and required no buffing. That's the goal.

Dupli-Color rattle cans don't come in the solid (non metalic) colors I'm looking for. If they did, I wouldn't mind decanting those.

I appreciate the input. Once I read the response about Folk Art being for suited mostly for paper and general crafts, that about did it for me.

 

[djnick66]

The Testors stuff will be fine. Be sure to let it dry a long time (it can take a while) but in the end you will get a good result. Duplicolor does come in solid colors. I suppose it depends exactly what shades you want.

Recently I got some Valspar spray paint at Lowes. It goes on Very smoothly and has a deep, rich gloss. It takes four or five days to totally dry though. Probably not something I will use a lot but they made a particualr shade of dark red I needed for a large project...

 

[006]

I looked around for the Dupli-Color swatches; found some but not a ton on their website. I'm looking for a matte burgandy and a khaki sand color. Must be solid; no metalics. Anything like that out there in enamel? Got any links?

 

[djnick66]

Burgundy is a color that is almost exclusively a metallic; at least as far as model paints go. Testors had a nice light non-metallic Burgundy/wine colored spray paint in their Model Master car series but it was discontinued over 10 years ago. The sand color is easy - Testors makes a gloss sand in their MM car enamels and several flat sands in their military series. Humbrol may have a dark glossy burgundy enamel that is not metallic. Gunze most likely has one too in either their Mr. Color lacquer paints or their Aqueous Hobby Color acrylics.