Subject says it all, really!
Yes but be careful as the laquer if applied in a heavy coat or applying a second coat before the first dries may result in the plastic warping. It may just warp regardless. If it does walk away and let it dry and it should find it’s shape when you attach the under body. This happened to me when applied clear coat (Heavy VOC content) to my Accurail Boxcars.
Fergie
One thing that might work - not tried it but may be worth a go. If you undercoat with an acrylic primer it should theoretically act as a barrier coat and protect the plastic. My last experiment in using lacquer paint (which I assume is the stuff you buy from the car parts place to deal with dents and scratches?) was something of a disaster as the model ended up looking mouldy, with splodges of varying shades all over it!
If you don’t use a primer first, the lacquer will “craze” the plastic. That is, the “hot” lacquer (as opposed to “cool” acrylics and enamels) will actually eat into and damage the raw plastic. To avoid the problem, use a primer first. One I like is Duplicolor’s grey primer. It dries quickly and will fill in small scratches. Wait a few days and then spray on the color coats.
EMD’s right on the money.
Yes, you can apply lacquer but it’s preferable ony when necessary. In my case I’m paint metalizing with Alclad II, which to me gives the most realistic stainless steel appearance I’ve ever seen on models.
However, a barrier must be applied to surface. The lacquer itself is then sprayed in very thin coats. This is where a good quality airbrush is appreciated!
Same for a rattlecan, however, make sure that the nozzle is not clogged. Gobby lacquer does not look pretty!
Can I paint a plastic loco with lacquer paint? " Subject says it all, really! " - wakaiti
NO. - Answer says it all - really.
Exception: A protective ‘safe’ coating applied to prevent lacquer from ‘melting’ your plastic - as duly noted above.
Better to buy a bottle of ‘Poly Scale’ plastic safe paint ($2.50)