Thursday, October 12, 2006
What the...??? My Custom Model is Sticky!
If you're the owner of a sticky custom model, it can be really frustrating to deal with. If you wrap it to take to shows, you risk leaving parts of the wrapping materials in your model's finish. A collector-friend of mine was cursed with a sticky custom model that she wrapped in bubble wrap with the bubbles facing the model... she ended up with a model that looked like it had been attacked by an octopus. With a slightly sticky model I owned, I had to pick toilet paper fuzz out of the model's finish at shows.
For artists, the question is, "How do I avoid creating a sticky model?" For the model collector, the question is, "What do I do with a sticky model?" The first question is a little easier to answer. First, if you're painting a plastic model, let the model "cure" for a few weeks to a month on a shelf before you paint it. If you'd like to speed up the process a bit, you can still prep it and let it sit on a shelf, then prime and paint it as soon as those weeks have gone by.
Why bother to cure the model first? Because Breyers and Stones are made of plastic, they're painted with paints that are made from the same plastic as the body, and then they're shoved in a plastic box or wrapped in bubble wrap that allows very little ventilation. Plastic has to cure to become stable, and the best way to do that is to let the model sit on a shelf. How do you know when a model is cured? It will have little or no "new Breyer smell."
We all know that new Breyer smell. I remember relishing it when I was a kid. That's actually the smell of brand new plastic that hasn't fully cured, and to be honest, it's not the safest thing to inhale. No, it won't kill you, but it's not exactly good for you either. But like a good cigar, it's hard not to take a whiff of a good Breyer. ;-)
Another key to avoiding stickiness is to give the model time to cure between each step of its finishing. After priming the model, let it sit at least 24 hours before you paint it. Then, after you've painted the model, let it sit another 24 hours before you seal the paint. And last but definitely not least, don't prime or seal the model on high humidity days.
Some artists believe you can avoid stickiness if you strip a plastic model's OF paint job before you prime and paint it. If that works for you, go for it. But my personal opinion is that stripping the original paint is an unnecessary step. Like I mentioned above, the paint on Breyers and Stones is made of the exact same plastic as the model's body, except it has color to it. So if you simply strip the OF paint, you're only removing a very thin layer of plastic from the top of the model -- you're not curing the model's plastic or changing the model in a way that would prevent stickiness.
Now you might argue that a Breyer body could sit at the factory for a while, mostly curing before it's painted, then it's painted and shoved in a box right away. The body may be cured but the OF paint isn't. If you feel the model would be cured as long as the OF paint were removed, and you'd rather not let the model sit on a shelf curing for a few weeks, then you can certainly strip the OF paint to speed up the process.
As for collectors who want to know what to do with a sticky model, that's a more complicated issue. One technique I've used with success (and others have told me the same) is spraying the model with Testors Dull Cote. You'll need to mask any shiny areas like eyes because Dull Cote will give the model a matte finish. A coat or two of Dull Cote can stop or reduce stickiness with some models. But if a model is REALLY sticky, there may not be much you can do about it. :-( Just avoid wrapping sticky models in fabrics or toilet paper that will leave lint on the model. A friend of mine wraps all her customs in spandex fabric because it doesn't release any lint on models.
If you become the unlucky owner of a sticky model, you can try the tips I recommended above or, worst case scenario, strip the model and have it painted again. The good news is that if the artist follows my suggestions of letting the model, primer, and paint cure before moving on to the next step, the model probably won't be sticky next time.
Would you like to see an article on something specific? Email Kristin!
(c) Copyright 2006 Kristin Berkery, www.ilovehorses.net
For artists, the question is, "How do I avoid creating a sticky model?" For the model collector, the question is, "What do I do with a sticky model?" The first question is a little easier to answer. First, if you're painting a plastic model, let the model "cure" for a few weeks to a month on a shelf before you paint it. If you'd like to speed up the process a bit, you can still prep it and let it sit on a shelf, then prime and paint it as soon as those weeks have gone by.
Why bother to cure the model first? Because Breyers and Stones are made of plastic, they're painted with paints that are made from the same plastic as the body, and then they're shoved in a plastic box or wrapped in bubble wrap that allows very little ventilation. Plastic has to cure to become stable, and the best way to do that is to let the model sit on a shelf. How do you know when a model is cured? It will have little or no "new Breyer smell."
We all know that new Breyer smell. I remember relishing it when I was a kid. That's actually the smell of brand new plastic that hasn't fully cured, and to be honest, it's not the safest thing to inhale. No, it won't kill you, but it's not exactly good for you either. But like a good cigar, it's hard not to take a whiff of a good Breyer. ;-)
Another key to avoiding stickiness is to give the model time to cure between each step of its finishing. After priming the model, let it sit at least 24 hours before you paint it. Then, after you've painted the model, let it sit another 24 hours before you seal the paint. And last but definitely not least, don't prime or seal the model on high humidity days.
Some artists believe you can avoid stickiness if you strip a plastic model's OF paint job before you prime and paint it. If that works for you, go for it. But my personal opinion is that stripping the original paint is an unnecessary step. Like I mentioned above, the paint on Breyers and Stones is made of the exact same plastic as the model's body, except it has color to it. So if you simply strip the OF paint, you're only removing a very thin layer of plastic from the top of the model -- you're not curing the model's plastic or changing the model in a way that would prevent stickiness.
Now you might argue that a Breyer body could sit at the factory for a while, mostly curing before it's painted, then it's painted and shoved in a box right away. The body may be cured but the OF paint isn't. If you feel the model would be cured as long as the OF paint were removed, and you'd rather not let the model sit on a shelf curing for a few weeks, then you can certainly strip the OF paint to speed up the process.
As for collectors who want to know what to do with a sticky model, that's a more complicated issue. One technique I've used with success (and others have told me the same) is spraying the model with Testors Dull Cote. You'll need to mask any shiny areas like eyes because Dull Cote will give the model a matte finish. A coat or two of Dull Cote can stop or reduce stickiness with some models. But if a model is REALLY sticky, there may not be much you can do about it. :-( Just avoid wrapping sticky models in fabrics or toilet paper that will leave lint on the model. A friend of mine wraps all her customs in spandex fabric because it doesn't release any lint on models.
If you become the unlucky owner of a sticky model, you can try the tips I recommended above or, worst case scenario, strip the model and have it painted again. The good news is that if the artist follows my suggestions of letting the model, primer, and paint cure before moving on to the next step, the model probably won't be sticky next time.
Would you like to see an article on something specific? Email Kristin!
(c) Copyright 2006 Kristin Berkery, www.ilovehorses.net
# posted by Kristin @ 11:42 AM 
