paint brands on nerf guns

Hi, there's already a thread on this, but it's a little old and locked as well. To share a little experience:

I've used the plasti-kote top-coat, and it's really thick. Comes out of the nozzle poorly, and has very average coverage. $18 a can from Bunnings. I'm yet to try their primer, but it is enamel-based...

Rustoleum Spray-all is quite good. I'm using it as a primer, has good coverage, sticks well with a light sand, fairly hard to get runs, and using the supplied tip, you can spray upside-down (the can, not your body!!) It does show-up any imperfections in the sanding though. It is also enamel-based. About $16 from Bunnings.
Rustoleum Sandable Primer is also very good. Same again, I'm using it as a primer, but am using custom grafitti caps, as the factory cap has quite high pressure, and a large fan. Also requires a light sand, but also works as a mild spray-putty. I have had one instance where the paint didn't stick to the blaster in a couple spots, but I think this was due to insufficient cleaning of the blaster after prepping - yes, I am a little impatient. It's also enamel-based, but is only $4.50 a can from Mitre 10.

Tamiya Spray Primer is probably the best that I've used so far. Really good nozzle, fantastic misty spray, covers well. Also requires a light sand, but is acrylic-based, and is ideal if you're using Ironlak or Kolor as your top-coat. Only down-side is I'm paying $18 for a very small can (enough for 1 Longshot, and half a Maverick, even used very sparingly. No problems with spraying enamel top-coats.

IronLak and Kolor Acrylic top-coats are very impressive. Comes with 2 different caps, very vibrant colours, and a large range also. Acrylic-based, so you need to match it up with an Acrylic primer. Good coverage, sticks well. Stays sticky for about a week, even through the clear-coat. I'd suggest an extended curing time, and it should be fine. $6.50 a can from ozgraffiti or the Butcher Shop WA. Postage is an absolute killer though.

White Knights enamel sprays come in a multitude of colours, including some nice metallic's. Good coverage, average pressure, fairly simple to use. I've heard the same brand primer is also quite good, but I've been unable to locate any to trial. $7.50 from Mitre 10 per can.

Export Paint enamel sprays are also quite good - I've had no issues with this brand so far, and I've used it as top-coat on 6 blaster's so far. The pressure can be a little high at times, and the caps aren't all that great. I use an adapter to change the can from male to female cap, and use an adjustable pressure cap, and that works well. Also, I leave them in the fridge for a few hours, which lowers the pressure to a decent output. $2.50 from most discount stores per can.

Septone Spray Primer/Filler is also not a bad prep spray. It can be a little thick, and does generally need a light sand between coats. Does fill minor sanding imperfections, which is quite handy. Even though it is enamel-based, I've had issues using enamel top-coats with it (ie: orange peel and spider-web cracking). Works well with Acrylic top-coats. $17 per can from Mitre 10, and is double the size of a normal paint aerosol. EDIT - I've just completed testing of this primer with enamel paint. If you give it 48 hrs to cure, you can successfully use enamel top-coat without any bonding issues.

That's all I have thus far. I'll update if I find anything new - or if I can ever get my hands on some Krylon Fusion (without the 8 week wait to import it into the country!!)

Some excellent info here. Should be stickied.

I actually own a paint company here in Brisbane (www.shieldcoat.com.au) and while our focus is boring old Roof Coatings and other exterior products we did actually develop a water based air brushing paint for automotive use for a guy in Sydney a couple of years ago which I feel should work very well in this application. The only problem is we don't have any means of putting the stuff in an aerosol to try.
If you, or anyone else wants to try it out of an air brushing gun then I'm happy to give some away in whatever colour they want.

I also have an acrylic water based primer I think would work well (no build properties though, so sanding would need to be good) as well as a clear acrylic top coat we use as a driveway coating (so very very hard when dry) that I think I could adapt to this use quite easily.

oxymoron wrote:Some excellent info here. Should be stickied.

I actually own a paint company here in Brisbane (www.shieldcoat.com.au) and while our focus is boring old Roof Coatings and other exterior products we did actually develop a water based air brushing paint for automotive use for a guy in Sydney a couple of years ago which I feel should work very well in this application. The only problem is we don't have any means of putting the stuff in an aerosol to try.
If you, or anyone else wants to try it out of an air brushing gun then I'm happy to give some away in whatever colour they want.

I also have an acrylic water based primer I think would work well (no build properties though, so sanding would need to be good) as well as a clear acrylic top coat we use as a driveway coating (so very very hard when dry) that I think I could adapt to this use quite easily.

LOL I didn't know your company produce paint product. Should have guessed it by the name. I do paint my Nerf with airbrush. So far I have only used Tamiya primer, Tamiya acrylic paint and Microscale clear coat. They produce very good result but they are expensive. Guess they are more for painting small model kits, not for big guns like Longshot or Stampede. Wouldn't mind trying out your primer and paint to see how they turn out though.

Hey thanks, I'll keep that in mind if I ever get another air-brush. I sold mine about 6 months ago, as my eye-sight was getting a bit ordinary for doing scale models - then I discovered Nerf... Life can be ironic!!

Hi.
On my Recon and Longshot I used a brand called "Sun Spots" from Mitre 10. It was about $7 a can. You can get it in enamel, satin, and gloss, all colours I think are in enamel and satin.
Napolean

Napolean wrote:Hi.
On my Recon and Longshot I used a brand called "Sun Spots" from Mitre 10. It was about $7 a can. You can get it in enamel, satin, and gloss, all colours I think are in enamel and satin.
Napolean

I haven't seen that brand in Mitre 10, but I will keep my eye out.
Also, satin is a type of finish, same as gloss, matte etc.
Enamel is the chemical make-up. Generally you only deal with acrylic, alkyld and enamel in aerosols.

I have also started using tamiya and I cant go back.

The primer is awesome but I get it at 12 dollars a can wich is pretty expensive.

The only problem is I i can't find a sealer. Do tamiya make sealers aswell I did'nt check lastime I was at Toyworld.

matt.chopper wrote:I have also started using tamiya and I cant go back.

The primer is awesome but I get it at 12 dollars a can wich is pretty expensive.

The only problem is I i can't find a sealer. Do tamiya make sealers aswell I did'nt check lastime I was at Toyworld.

Tamiya's definitely good - but I'd be overjoyed if I could get it for $12 a can. I'm currently paying around $18 a can, plus dangerous goods postage.

As for sealers, I'm pretty sure Tamiya does make them, but imho they're not worth the money. You have multiple choices for lacquers at most hobby/hardware stores. Because I don't war, I use clear gloss on my blasters, and pay around $9 a can, which lasts a fairly long time. I've used 3M and Septone lacquer's as well, which are a bit more expensive, but are a lower pressue, and are also gloss.

I have noticed some graffiti/art stores that sell matte finish lacquer's suitable for acrylic and enamel, for around $14 a can online. Other people in your area could probably suggest better options. I live in a small rural town, and have to make do with a small hardware store, or whatever I can find on the net.

Yes, Tamiya does produce a clear acrylic paint to coat and protect your underlying paint, but I'm not sure how good it is. Got a bottle sitting at home but not yet trying it. It comes in a puny 10ml, might just be enough for one small blaster like Maverick or NiteFinder.

So far I have been using Microscale Micro Flat and Micro Satin for my Nerf painting, and it does turn out good. Needs to dilute it with about 1:1 distilled water so it comes out of my airbrush thin enough. Also needs to avoid spraying on one spot for too long or else frosting will start to appear. One bottle has 1oz (about 30ml) and that one Micro Flat was enough to cover both my Longshot and Stampede. You can order from Frontline Hobbies at Newcastle to send these clear coat paints to you. Oversea Ebay sellers also have them but I'm guessing they will take a long time to be posted to Australia.

In terms of sealer, I use humbrol matt varnish (no. 49 on the lid). The other humbrol paints are excellent for nerf as they're designed for the same type of plastic and leave a really nice finish. Most good hobby stores will sell 14 mL pots of the paint for $3-4 each. I find that one pot will easily do a longshot with some spare. Only problem with them is they require turps to clean the brushes.

Akimbo Assassin wrote:Yes, Tamiya does produce a clear acrylic paint to coat and protect your underlying paint, but I'm not sure how good it is. Got a bottle sitting at home but not yet trying it. It comes in a puny 10ml, might just be enough for one small blaster like Maverick or NiteFinder.

So far I have been using Microscale Micro Flat and Micro Satin for my Nerf painting, and it does turn out good. Needs to dilute it with about 1:1 distilled water so it comes out of my airbrush thin enough. Also needs to avoid spraying on one spot for too long or else frosting will start to appear. One bottle has 1oz (about 30ml) and that one Micro Flat was enough to cover both my Longshot and Stampede. You can order from Frontline Hobbies at Newcastle to send these clear coat paints to you. Oversea Ebay sellers also have them but I'm guessing they will take a long time to be posted to Australia.

I've bought heaps from Frontline Hobbies, and Hobbyco is another good store.

I have found that enamel is poor quality for nerf plastics. The paint I have used is pressure packed laquer which has worked well but taken a few days to dry.

But what i have found works best is airbrushed paint jobs I recently painted a Longstrike camo with 4 colours it came out brillantly (works best if you now how to airbrush) then because I used matte colours I sprayed a clear final coat on it to prevent scratches works perfect not a scratch.

JWatt7 wrote:I have found that enamel is poor quality for nerf plastics. The paint I have used is pressure packed laquer which has worked well but taken a few days to dry.

But what i have found works best is airbrushed paint jobs I recently painted a Longstrike camo with 4 colours it came out brillantly (works best if you now how to airbrush) then because I used matte colours I sprayed a clear final coat on it to prevent scratches works perfect not a scratch.

Airbrush is fine, and by comparison, a lot more professional than aerosol, if done correctly. Although, I've done some aerosol jobs that look better than most people's airbrush work. Given the fact that you can get different style caps for aerosol, and can dramatically reduce fan and pressure, aerosol's are slowly matching up with airbrushes. Obviously they'll never provide detail work like an airbrush can, but that's easily substituted with brush and marker. People will always use what they have access to, and airbrush/compressor set-ups can be quite expensive.

I'm assuming you've used enamel paint without using a suitable primer first. Having used numerous acrylic and enamel aerosol's, I'd rather enamel over plastic primer any day. Cheaper, easily purchased, alot better colour range, thinnner, better coverage and quicker drying time. Each to their own, but with proper prep, enamel wins hands down.

Regardless of whether you use matte or gloss, you still need to seal the topcoat with clear. You can even spray matte clear over gloss topcoat, to tone down the shine. I'd probably advise using more than one coat of clear, regardless of using aerosol or airbrush. One coat just won't stand up to the test of time.

On the topic of lacquer paint, it will definitely give a deeper shine than enamel, but isn't as versatile or durable. The thinners used with lacquer paint, will soften any paint it is applied over, whereas enamel won't. Enamel is generally thicker and dries slower than lacquer, so if your jobs are taking such a long time to dry, I'd guess that you're spraying too thick, or re-coating too soon. Humidity, temperature etc are also contributing factors, for obvious reasons. Lacquer is also more hazardous than enamel, and requires more prep work.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to personal preference, and access of materials. Thanks for your input though, it gives people more options and information, which is pretty much what a forum is all about...

clunk07 wrote:Having used numerous acrylic and enamel aerosol's, I'd rather enamel over plastic primer any day. Cheaper, easily purchased, alot better colour range, thinnner, better coverage and quicker drying time. Each to their own, but with proper prep, enamel wins hands down.

Interesting. I have to disagree with you based on my experience. I have tried Humbrol enamel paint and Tamiya acrylic paint, from what I have observed as well as what's available from various shops:

- Cheaper? No. The price of various enamel and acrylic paints are comparable and about the same.
- Easily purchased? Again no. Both are readily available from various shops.
- Better colour range? No. This tends to be brand based. Certain brands have better colour range than others. Tamiya has extensive colour range in both their enamel and acrylic paint.
- Thinner? Do you mean the paint comes out thinner? In that case, no. I find enamel paint thicker than acrylic pain.
- Better coverage? Yes. Enamel paint covers surfaces better with fewer layers while acrylic paint requires more layers to get similar rich colour.
- Quicker to dry? Definitely no. Enamel takes longer to dry. As you know Enamel paint is oil-based while acrylic paint is water-based, that's why acrylic dries faster.
- Also someone used to say enamel is more toxic than acrylic if you breath in the paint vapour while airbrushing or by spray can (not a problem when hand painting), because acrylic is water-based it is easier to be excreted by kidneys from your body.

Very interesting. Perhaps I need to elaborate, as well as re-consider.

The acrylic I was comparing enamel to, was certain grafitti brand aerosols. Which are a thick pigment, hence why I believe enamel to be thinner. IronLak, Kolour etc are very thick, and you can't drop the pressure too much, otherwise they spot, rather than spray. This results in thick coats, that may dry quickly, but can't be handled for quite some time. I've had to wait up to 10 days before being able to use a blaster while the topcoat cures. I have extensively used Tamiya acrylic's, and you are 100% correct with your observations. They have a fantastic range of colours, althoughI've gone away from using Tamiya acrylic's on blasters, as the cans are too expensive. But yes, the Tamiya is far superior to enamels. I should have been more specific.

As for availability, I have taken in to account geographic locations. Most towns have a hardware store where enamels can be purchased. Hobby stores are usually located in larger populated areas. I have to drive 400km round trip to my nearest hobby store, and dangerous goods postage is that expensive, that I only use it when I have to.

Most enamels can be purchased from between $2 and $8 for a 300mL to 400mL can, from almost any hardware/auto/cheap shop. Whilst IronLak and Kolour are $7 for a similar can, but are only sold in select locations. Tamiya is generally around $10 for a 100mL can, which is way too expensive for myself.

Also, I was referring to Lacquer paint being more toxic than enamel. Obviously, Acrylic is the safest of the lot.

Cheers

UPDATE:

As mentioned in my first post, I will update this as I get access to different products.

Today I was able to score a can of VHT branded Vinyl dye. It was a little pricey (due to location), and only had a choice of grey or grey, or another grey. I know alot of people use this product for a one-stop paint system, and I don't blame them. But I wanted to try it as a primer, more so than a topcoat. Results are as follows:

Minor prep work needed (which is a big bonus in my books), good coverage and fan, and dried quickly as well. Very stress-free and simple to use, although I wasn't happy with the high pressure, so I swapped the stock nozzle with a low-pressure cap and chilled the can in the fridge for half an hour before-hand.

6 hours after applying an enamel topcoat over the dye, it still hasn't cured properly. I'm fairly sure the topcoat won't bond succesfully, but I'll leave it for a few days and see what happens. I believe it may be chemical make-up differences causing this slow curing time, but I'm not finding a great deal of info through my research. If anyone's managed to coat enamel over vinyl dye succesfully, please let me know your process.

1 hour after applying an acrylic topcoat, the paint work looks perfect. The paint has cured, doesn't appear to have any bonding issues at all. After 6 hours, it still looks the same. The topcoat seems quite durable, and I'm happy with the result. Once again, I'll post my results after applying another coat or two, and a couple of thin layers of clear.

Has Anyone Tried Hand Painting As I'm Looking For Some Tips On Which Brands To Use (I'm Thinking Testors,But I Don't Think We Have That In Australia) Where Find These Paints, Do's And Don'ts And Basically Everything You Need To Know About Using Them.
PLEASE PM IMMEDATELY, IF ANYBODY KNOWS!!
Thank You

lolnerf wrote:Has Anyone Tried Hand Painting As I'm Looking For Some Tips On Which Brands To Use (I'm Thinking Testors,But I Don't Think We Have That In Australia) Where Find These Paints, Do's And Don'ts And Basically Everything You Need To Know About Using Them.
PLEASE PM IMMEDATELY, IF ANYBODY KNOWS!!
Thank You

Testors/Model Master enamel paints are widely available in Australia. You can purchase them from most hobby stores online (including hobbyco, frontline hobbies etc etc).

I've used them in scale models, and found them to be quite reliable. You'll need to prime the blaster with a sealant designed to be used with enamel paints. My suggestion would be to use Tamiya plastic primer (also available from above stores).

As for tips, use good quality brushes, and put some effort in to your prepping of the shell prior to priming. You'll need thinners for clean-up of brushes etc.

As for what to do/what not to do - try google. There's really alot more information than I can provide in a post/PM.

THANKS!!

Does anyone know what clear coat I should use for
the ironlak acrylic topcoat?

NachoTaco wrote:Does anyone know what clear coat I should use for
the ironlak acrylic topcoat?

I've gotten away using enamel clear, but it's not advisable. It actually shrinks the paint here and there. You want an acrylic matte lacquer. I don't know what your chances are of getting this, but it's what I would suggest, as I haven't been able to find anything else:

http://www.thebutchershop.com.au/view/Specialty+Aerosols/2502/

Look at the RAS lacquer

clunk07 wrote:

NachoTaco wrote:Does anyone know what clear coat I should use for
the ironlak acrylic topcoat?

I've gotten away using enamel clear, but it's not advisable. It actually shrinks the paint here and there. You want an acrylic matte lacquer. I don't know what your chances are of getting this, but it's what I would suggest, as I haven't been able to find anything else:

http://www.thebutchershop.com.au/view/Specialty+Aerosols/2502/

Look at the RAS lacquer

Thanks for the info, really helpful.

NachoTaco wrote:
Thanks for the info, really helpful.

Pretty much any rattle can lacquer that's acrylic-based will work. You can get Krylon from specialist art stores, but it's fairly expensive.

How are you finding the ironlak paints? They certainly have some nice colours

I haven't actually got my hands on the ironlak paint but it's like a 15min drive from were I live so I should be able to get some soon. But here's how
I'm planing to do my paint job;
Sand my blaster, use 3M vinyl dye as a primer, apply ironlak acrylic paint as
a topcoat and finish it off with a couple of coats of the RAL clear matte.
Hope it turns out good.

NachoTaco wrote:I haven't actually got my hands on the ironlak paint but it's like a 15min drive from were I live so I should be able to get some soon. But here's how
I'm planing to do my paint job;
Sand my blaster, use 3M vinyl dye as a primer, apply ironlak acrylic paint as
a topcoat and finish it off with a couple of coats of the RAL clear matte.
Hope it turns out good.

Ah, I see you're in Perth. You'd have "the butchershop" fairly close then. I've got some Ironlak from them, but dangerous goods postage to the other side of the country hurts!!

I've used Ironlak over Septone Vinyl Dye with good results. Just remember to give it the lightest sand possible, as the vinyl dye won't fill in deep scratches, nor will the Ironlak. Good Luck - hope it turns out awesome!! Post some pics when you're done.

Cheers,

This is an example of Vinyl dye as primer, Ironlak acrylic for topcoat, Molotow marker's for the stencilling, and Krylon gloss lacquer to finish.

Looks like it turned out pretty well. But I think I would be better off
going with the matte lacquer over the gloss like you advised. Just personal preference.
Can't wait to get the paint!

NachoTaco wrote:Looks like it turned out pretty well. But I think I would be better off
going with the matte lacquer over the gloss like you advised. Just personal preference.
Can't wait to get the paint!

Yeh, I doesn't phase me either way with gloss or matte finish. As you can see, I used both gloss and matte on the barrel, just so that you could compare the difference.

Just a quick update guys, I've pretty much settled on just using Rustoleum painter's touch primer, when I can find it, with various brands of enamel rattle cans for topcoats. Results have been quite good to date, with no issues of the paint not bonding well.

Also, I've found that some light sanding with 600 grit paper, and Rustoleum Universal paint, works quite well on clips and drums.

Cheers,

Would sanding a blaster with 120 grit sandpaper okay? I've been using that for a while and it does leave scratches paint can't fill.

I have even used 80 grain sandpaper before. I really try to sand all surfaces to be painted well, especially those surfaces already covered with stock paint. Damn I hate sanding, it's the most boring and time consuming part of paint job.

I get lazy, and use 40 grit on handles etc, just like Akimbo said. But, I go over those areas with 320 grit, and sometimes even 600 grit, to remove any deep scratches/grooves.

Evo, do yourself a favour, and get some finer grit paper, and go over the entire blaster after sanding with the really coarse paper. It will make your paint jobs look 1000% better.

AA - I know the feeling mate. Try sanding a LS for 5 hrs, and only getting $3/hr in labour charges, as I do with all my commissions. Maybe it's time for a price hike... lol

Cheers,

I've been using the green kitchen scourer pads, the things you clean saucepans with. I don't sandpaper as such, just rub down with the scourer until the surface is rough so that the paint has a chance to stick.

cheers,

Lately I've been using these double-sided Medium grit sanding sponges. They're ideal for sanding blaster's, as they contour to the shape of the shell very easily. Reasonably priced as well.

http://www.thesandpaperman.com.au/sanding-sponges/

I generally get a full Stampede/Longshot prepped with just the one sponge. There's still the requirement of using small pieces of sandpaper to get in to the tight spots etc, but this is probably the best product I've found so far.

Cheers,

clunk07 wrote:Lately I've been using these double-sided Medium grit sanding sponges. They're ideal for sanding blaster's, as they contour to the shape of the shell very easily. Reasonably priced as well.

Hey, they look alright. Do you buy them in a store, or online?