The Energon Pub

It won't 'chip' per se, since its so thin unlike paint on diecast parts, but it will smear and stick on your hand. Thats why its a good idea to seal it with clear coat in general, if that is an issue. But depends on the paint(base type and color choices), some stay on pretty good without that problem. But paint with metalic flakes/powder like gold, silver tends to smear very easy.

Yeah. The paint will keep on rubbing off into your fingers. And you'd have to touch up again and again.

Yet another question!

Does it matter if I use enamel or acrylics for this project

Kingplay wrote:Yet another question!

Does it matter if I use enamel or acrylics for this project

Enamel is better for dirt wash and panel lines. As it cleans off easy with enamel thinner. Very forgiving if you want to redo or fix any spot without paint got stuck on a surface for good. Acrylic is more for permanent application. Even though acrylic thinner will clean them off to an extend, but not as easy and usually more messy.

Hi mpchi~
Got some bad news....
I purchased Testors Enamel paint: flat black and thinner...
I used 2 part thinner with 1 part flat black...
I started to cover my leader prime with this solution...
Then the legs...etc...start falling off...

Did...I buy the wrong paint?...
Are there different enamels or thinners...?

Why is my toy falling apart...

-ed

Kingplay wrote:Hi mpchi~
Got some bad news....
I purchased Testors Enamel paint: flat black and thinner...
I used 2 part thinner with 1 part flat black...
I started to cover my leader prime with this solution...
Then the legs...etc...start falling off...

Did...I buy the wrong paint?...
Are there different enamels or thinners...?

Why is my toy falling apart...

-ed

Sorry to hear that.

Testor enamel is fine. I am positive that its not the paint nor thinner doing that. Maybe you got a lemon toy with some loose joints or broken parts. And maybe you can be more specific on which part of Leader Prime falling off, with pics even better. See if its something fixable, before you need to clean off the paint and do an exchange. I'll try to give you some advice.

The paint can't be that strong.

WOW! Nice work!

mpchi wrote:

Kingplay wrote:Hi mpchi~
Got some bad news....
I purchased Testors Enamel paint: flat black and thinner...
I used 2 part thinner with 1 part flat black...
I started to cover my leader prime with this solution...
Then the legs...etc...start falling off...

Did...I buy the wrong paint?...
Are there different enamels or thinners...?

Why is my toy falling apart...

-ed

Sorry to hear that.

Testor enamel is fine. I am positive that its not the paint nor thinner doing that. Maybe you got a lemon toy with some loose joints or broken parts. And maybe you can be more specific on which part of Leader Prime falling off, with pics even better. See if its something fixable, before you need to clean off the paint and do an exchange. I'll try to give you some advice.

The paint can't be that strong.

Well... I am sure 100% the enamel/thinner caused everything to crack...

I came back home after 2 days, and the following areas cracked off:

1) Both legs cracked off
2) Both arms cracked off
3) The mid section itself cracked halfway...

Is there different types of enamels???

I just used the Testors, is there one made specifically for plastic, or are all the enamels the same?

-ed

I like that Brawl especially. A simple wash makes a world of differnce with him. Mine is still underway. Totally repainted and war scarred. Going to be sweet!

Kingplay wrote:Well... I am sure 100% the enamel/thinner caused everything to crack...

I came back home after 2 days, and the following areas cracked off:

1) Both legs cracked off
2) Both arms cracked off
3) The mid section itself cracked halfway...

Is there different types of enamels???

I just used the Testors, is there one made specifically for plastic, or are all the enamels the same?

-ed

Dude. Really sorry to hear what happened, especially knowing that you are very excited about this custom. Sorry man.

In terms of enamel paint, I am pretty sure its not the Testor enamel paint causing it, as long as its the Testor paint for models. Enamel and Acrylics are both very common plastic model paint medium. As its made for plastic model, and the TF toys has some pretty common toy plastic, especially when its stronger than normal plastic model kit. For the enamel thinner, mine is Tamiya brand. But again, it really doesn't matter which brand. If it cracks your toy like that, how would they be used for model paint? Did you happen to grab a wrong kind of thinner to use thats not meant to be used on plastic? If its enamel thinner from the model section, it can't mess up the toy like that. All my Movie TFs would have been in pieces by now. But not really questioning on what you told me. Just hard to believe some paint/thinner for toys actually shattered your Prime into pieces. Never seen or heard of that. Regardless, I feel bad that that happened. Really...

Grabbed an Testor's Enamel Flat Black, and a Testor's Thinner... I will look more closely at the thinner's packaging tomorrow, but it was with the other Testors...

Pretty sure the thinner was made for enamel...

NO Worries though! COSTCO actually took the toy back for a refund!

I am just afraid of using enamels now...

Kingplay wrote:Grabbed an Testor's Enamel Flat Black, and a Testor's Thinner... I will look more closely at the thinner's packaging tomorrow, but it was with the other Testors...

Pretty sure the thinner was made for enamel...

NO Worries though! COSTCO actually took the toy back for a refund!

I am just afraid of using enamels now...

Awesome! Didn't expect a refund either, but awesome! Glad you don' have to swallow it up with a cracked up Prime. That would be horrible. I am more relieved now.

Still a mystery how the paint can eat up the toy like that, while I use the same stuff. My paint is Testors flat black as well. LOL

I dunno..when I painted it I did let a lot drip..like iI wanted it well covered so I washed it big time..
Maybe you didn't excessively wash it?
My wash, a lot of it , went into the joint areas...
It cracked 10 minutes later...

You don't need to let it drip much. Does sound like you did put too much, but I feel like its not because it has too much on it and cause the crack. People use the thinner to thin out the paint for airbrush as well. So once painted, these stuff are all over a painted model. It'll bring it down in no time, if it only took 10 minutes to crack Prime, who's plastic are pretty tough and kind of thick.

Unless Tamiya enamel thinner is really different from Testors. But that would be weird too, as Testor enamel paint bottles has just the same kind of thinner inside as the solvent. So would have cracked mind too by now. As well as a lot of plastic models around the world LOL. Its just a weird mystery that I don't have the answer really...

Anyhow. Good that things sort of worked out for you. Just need to find another Prime. Oh, and I posted a Rescue Ratchet with similar paint up as well. You should be able to see the thread, if you have not already.

So the only difference between the material you used and mine is the thinner? You didn't use Testor's?

Testor paint, but Tamiya thinner. Both enamel base. This one to be exact.

Kingplay wrote:

mpchi wrote:

Kingplay wrote:Hi mpchi~
Got some bad news....
I purchased Testors Enamel paint: flat black and thinner...
I used 2 part thinner with 1 part flat black...
I started to cover my leader prime with this solution...
Then the legs...etc...start falling off...

Did...I buy the wrong paint?...
Are there different enamels or thinners...?

Why is my toy falling apart...

-ed

Sorry to hear that.

Testor enamel is fine. I am positive that its not the paint nor thinner doing that. Maybe you got a lemon toy with some loose joints or broken parts. And maybe you can be more specific on which part of Leader Prime falling off, with pics even better. See if its something fixable, before you need to clean off the paint and do an exchange. I'll try to give you some advice.

The paint can't be that strong.

Well... I am sure 100% the enamel/thinner caused everything to crack...

I came back home after 2 days, and the following areas cracked off:

1) Both legs cracked off
2) Both arms cracked off
3) The mid section itself cracked halfway...

Is there different types of enamels???

I just used the Testors, is there one made specifically for plastic, or are all the enamels the same?

-ed

Cracked off by itself? No application of force?
Did it cause any damage to the plastic underneath?

Sick work, dude.

Rice please.