The Little World

As a kid modeller i never washed the parts for a plastic model kit  before assembly. It was open the box, play with it for a week with hot sticky finger, and then on with the cement. When I got to the painting age it was on with the painting. Then on with the decals. Oddly enough, i do not recall any paint ever refusing to stay on, nor any decal coming off, either. Nor was I dissatisfied with any of the results, save an AMT Model T coupe that I tried to brush paint.

No more. Now we are instructed to wash everything and then to handle the resultant parts with grease-free fingers. I have seen YouTube modellers working in surgical gloves to prevent contamination. I admire that, but remember 40 years spent in them and have no desire to go back to it.

But is it necessary – this obsession with the surfaces? I’ve had several current opinions:

a. No. Just cut, sand, undercoat and paint.

b. Yes. Do all the washing and build your model with gloved fingertips. In a NASA clean room. Holding your breath.

I think reality, like sanity, is somewhere in the middle of the field. Given the amount of cutting, sanding, fettling, and scribing – plus filling and all – you cannot avoid handling the model. If you wanted one that you did not handle you could do as some collectors do and purchase a die-cast and never take it out of the box. And you would learn nothing from the model.

The paints used in my youth were all lacquers or enamels, and I think they had enough chemical oomph to adhere to most hard plastics. Nowadays I am using acrylics and they seem to need a better undercoat plus softer handling whilst drying. I’m prepared to do this as the undercoating sprays are so good. I’m also looking forward to something of a switchover to lacquers and they dry tough and hard quite quickly.

Have I experienced any sloughing paint ? Only if no washing was done on the original parts – and then only with some second-line makers. Once a Tamiya undercoat goes on most top coats cover with no problem at all.

My only concession to contamination is done just before the spraying  – I run over the models with a tack rag. I use one of the house’s terrycloth face washers fresh from the linen press and dampen it so slightly that you might not even think there is water on it. A careful wipe from nose to tail and on all flying surfaces and 5 minutes drying means the aircraft or vehicle is ready for the spray.