Kit Assembly and Item Painting
Tips & Guidance
I've had some questions about kit assembly, including what I recommend for glues, paints, sandpaper, primers, and other things. I'm planning on expanding this page with photos of me working on some of my kits or finishing parts. This is no way all-inclusive, and can be considered one of many guides on how to finish prints. If there's anything I've learned, it is that you will never stop learning new tips, techniques, and tricks to finishing prints! Even doing this more than half a decade, there are techniques and new things that I learn, experiment with, and try out. It'll likely be the same for you!
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Hopefully you learn something! As always, if there are any questions at all, even if you're working on finishing something you didn't purchase from me, let me know! I will absolutely do my best to help you out to the best of my ability.
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The things I recommend are not expensive, not in the slightest. I started the print shop with little more than a dream and a spare paycheck stowed away, so I get doing things on a budget. Are there more expensive solutions for what I recommend? Sure. These are the things I've used, have found works well, don't hurt my wallet, and can personally recommend for others to use. I don't have any deeply ingrained brand loyalty, just my honest experiences. That being said, the links below are Amazon affiliate links, which means if you click on them to buy something, you don't pay more money, but a small fraction of the profits of the sale goes towards the shop. It's a little thing, but every little thing helps out, and it's definitely appreciated!
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Glues
When it comes to glues, there are few things that impress me more than E6000! While it has a set time to be expected of glues (about two days, to give it time to cure), it is super strong. However, any "spillover" is extremely easy to literally just peel off like you're peeling a banana! Any little stubborn bits can be removed with a pair of tweezers if need be, or worst cast, any remnants can be sanded down as well. ​
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While E6000 is great, there is still the issue of the parts sliding around while the glue cures. In that case, I use a CA glue (superglue) with a spray accelerant that cures the superglue in a matter of seconds! Really, about 10-15 seconds, it is set. There are some warnings, of course, like avoid contact with your skin, furniture, pets, and food. It's a bit more difficult to sand though, so any excess I usually end up clipping off with flush cutters, then sanding the area with 320 until it's smooth. But, just a small amount (as in, just a small part of the seam in a very thin application) with the spray helps to hold things solid enough to let the E6000 cure. Once it cures, you can clean any superglue off from the exterior since the glue on the parts that are touching on the inside is set.
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I also recommend scoring the prints where they're going to get glued together with 80 grit sandpaper until it's a bit rough first. This will give the E6000 something to 'grab' onto and hold.
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Sandpaper
When it comes to sandpaper, everyone's got a brand favorite. For smoothing prints, I don't like getting sandpaper that is too rough, since we're looking to smooth the print out, not chew it up like we do with adhering parts together. I always start with 150 grit sandpaper. Specifically, the purple stuff from 3M! After that, I move on up to 320 grit. You can go finer grit if you want after that, but I've found that applying less pressure (barely resting my hand on the paper) helps it be less 'gritty' against the print. And really, the less stuff you have to buy, the better. Also, with the use of sandable filler/primer, it might not be necessary to get too deep on sanding!
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3M 320 Grit Professional Grade Sandpaper
3M 150 Grit Professional Grade Sandpaper
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Overall smoothing tougher parts
For rough prints that you're having trouble with, maybe you sanded it down too much and there's a weird indentation in it, or you're having a harder time smoothing it out, I've always relied on DAP Plastic Wood-X. It goes on purple, dries tan (which is nice, since it'll also let you know if your tub has gone dry!), and smooths out extremely well with 320 grit sandpaper. Put on some nitrile or latex gloves, and just dip a couple of fingers into it and start smearing! Don't apply it in too thick of a layer, since there may be air pockets and you'll have to go at it again. Also, when sanding it, it is highly recommended that you wear a mask, and do it in front of an active air filter (the kind that sucks in air and passes it through a charcoal filter). The dust will get everywhere in the room, so this will help keep things in check! After this, I use the sandable primer.
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Priming
I absolutely love using filler primer (as opposed to just a normal primer). It will definitely help resolve any issues you have sanding parts perfectly smooth. A downside is that it is thicker, so be careful not to go crazy with it, since you can empty the can in a few minutes! For most projects, 1 can is just fine. For larger things like my Imperial Guard helmet, I sometimes go through 2 or 3, depending on how many coats I need to do. When priming or painting, it's best to do it in a ventilated area (you don't want to be breathing it in!). You don't need to spend hundreds on an expensive system to pull the air, either. I made my paint box out of some cheap thinner plywood to make a top/bottom/sides 3'x3', some spare 2x3 boards to connect them all, and an in-line fan, but passing through a filter first. The filter will need replacing eventually, of course. Without a filter, the in-line fan blades are sure to get gummed up with paint, which isn't good for the motor. Also in my paint box, I put a Lazy Susan turntable. Just put some newspaper down on the turntable and use some thumb tacks to pin the paper against the floor and walls of the paint box (this will help avoid gunking anything up with paint or primer). I can put my parts on the turntable and rotate as needed without putting my hands on the wet paint!​
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In-line 8" fan for my paint box
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Painting
For the majority of prints, spray paint works great! I personally recommend Krylon Fusion paints, or Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X paint. Both of them adhere great to plastic if you're going right to painting the prints as-is, and also adhere great to the primer or DAP Plastic Wood-X. However, if you're painting fine details, nothing beats a good paint brush. I use Soucolor Acrylic Paint Brushes and acrylic paints (Mont Marte Signature Acrylic Paint Set, 48 color set). You can get the set with less colors, sure, but the 48 set is more likely to have just the right shade you need. They work great for brushes, or when thinned out, air brushing as well. I'm not the best air brush artist, so I recommend watching some videos on that to get tips from more seasoned professionals.
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Clear Coating
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The clear coat that I use for prints that I want to give a nice glassy shine on and protect the paint is Rust-Oleum high gloss durable clear coat. This stuff is awesome! Just be warned, that if you let it sit for more than a few days, there may be some of the clear coat that clogs the nozzle. As with any time you use spray paint, give a quick spray on the wall just to make sure it's coming out in a mist. If it isn't, use some rubbing alcohol or other solvent on a Q-tip to clean the nozzle, let that dry, then try again. When applying this clear coat, I do very light coats at a distance of a good 1' away. Your first coat may look like a bunch of little droplets, and that's fine. Give them about 10 minutes to start to dry, then do it again. Wait 10 minutes, do it again. Repeat until the first coat is even and smooth. This will help avoid getting drips from putting too much on at once. After the first coat, give it about 5 hours to dry, then do a second coat, same as the first. You'll see little droplets, wait 10 minutes, repeat, repeat. You'll soon have a print that is glassy smooth with the paint protected from bumps & scratches!
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