Hi-ya, I just got home from the hobby store. I tried to put rust streaks on my new yellow box car using enamel paints and 70% alcohol. instead of rust, i got big white chalky spots. I think the yellow paint came off. It would have looked like Faded paint but wrong color. [:'(] Should I have applied some sort of clear coat on first? Thanks for the help.
Generally, 70% alcohol is used with acrylic paints and something like mineral spirits is used with enamels. Probably what you have is the result of incompatible materials. Are you sure it was 70% alcohol, not 91%? The 91% is commonly used as a paint stripper.
Can you post photos?
Sounds like you used an acrylic paint, but it would help if you gave us some details:
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Paint Brand?
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How much did you thin the paint?
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Are you using an airbrush, or paint brush?
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Did you thin it with a mix of distilled water and 70% alcohol? Or just straight alcohol? (you’re taking a chance if you thin with alcohol only).
Would be helpful if you provide some details.
Is it at all possible the car was treated with Testor’s Dullcote or some other type of lacquer prior to your purchasing it. Applying alcohol to Dullcote will result in a chalky-white film that you described. If that’s the case, simply applying more Dullcote should rectify the problem.
I’ve had that happen with factory paint jobs with 70% alcohol. Seems like the paint lacked something to make it set right and the alcohol took it off in patches. It happens (with me) most commonly with Athearn, Accurail and MDC cars.