What is the best technique for painting wood structures? What is the best type of paint to use? I have a laser kit I want to try, but I don’t want it to be a disaster, so any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Todd
Todd, there are many techniques that can be used. Which is best for you will depend on your circumstance and what is practical in your situation. Also, what finish you want to have when completed.
The most important issue you want to overcome is warping of the wood. To accomplish this, make sure that the wall bracing is installed. Solvent based paints will reduce warping as it is the water in acrylics that causes the problem. I don’t like to use solvent based paints as I don’t have a good ventilation system in my painting area, so I use acrylic and manage the warping in other ways.
-
I paint both sides of the wall.
-
After it is dry I place warped walls under piles of telephone books to flatten them out.
You can see images of several kit builds by following the link in my signature.
What kit do you have?
I’ve scratchbuilt many of my layout’s structures and will add some further advice to Simon’s.
You can not over-brace a thin-walled structure. So, use more bracing than you think really necessary. Brace not only the ends, top and bottom of the walls, but the field as well.
When all your bracing is in place and the glue dry, go outside and spray paint both sides and all edges with a light coat of light grey automobile primer from a rattle-can. After that has dried fully, you can paint your walls with just about any sort of hobby paint you wish with minimal warping. Even so, avoid flooding the walls with paint.
If any warping should appear, as Simon suggests, place the wall between two solid surfaces and weigh down the top overnight.
(example of a large-walled, scratchbuilt, structure that needed a lot of bracing)
CNJ831
The previous replies give excellent advice. I would just add one more thought. You might want to spend a few bucks on some scale lumber similar to what your kit contains and practice on a simple scratchbuilt structure before you tear into that high priced craftsman kit. It might save you some grief.
I scratch built an entire western town out of Northeastern Scale Lumber’s clapboard, board and batten, and other siding sheets and stripwood. Bracing the insides of the walls is very necessary regardless of the type of paint or stain you’re going to use. I used 1/8 inch square stripwood glued to the insides of the walls everywhere it would be out of view through windows and doors. I used yellow wood glue and clamped the bracing in place with spring clothes pins.
I painted the insides of the walls black or gray using cheap acrylic craft paints from Wal-mart. The outsides were painted according to what I was wanting to depict, such as a very run-down, abandoned blacksmith shop that hadn’t seen a drop of paint for 100 years and was mostly rotten, bare wood. For this effect, I used stain rather than paint, but on those that I did paint I used the same cheap acrylic craft paint from Wally World.