I'm trying my hand at my first repaint (Alt Swindle to Trailbreaker) using black Krylon Fusion spraypaint. I cleaned it well with soapy water, but when I spray the hood, the paint doesn't 'stick' to the ridges in the middle of the hood or the raised hood latches on the sides. Do I just need to wait and apply a second coat, or is there some other trick?

 

I beleive that this is supposed to be un-neccesary with Krylon Fusion paint, but did you try scuffing the surface of the plastic with a sos pad or some fine grit sandpaper? That might help out a bit.

 

Don't think you need to scuff.

Put on a primer coat first. Either gray or silver. Then the black should cover much more evenly.

 

Let us know how it comes out . Swindle to Trailbreaker sounds like a sweet idea.

There's also a Krylon fusion Primer. Could probably just shoot the whole chassis with that first then throw on the black

 

All right, I'll give the primer a try. Thanks all.

Yeah, it's not original or anything, but it seemed the the easiest first repaint attempt out there. I'll definitely post it when it's done, though.

 

You could use sandpaper a 150 or 200 grain. (if you wish not to use a primer.) I think primers give the paints a thick clumpy look. I am not much of Krylon guy, I use the testors Air brush, but I do sand all parts when applying paint, just for the reason that TF's are designed to transform with one coat of paint and not to chip. That is what I did with my Scourge Alt.




---there is something that might be of help to you over at trastopia about Krylon fusion, or at TFans.

 

How long did you let the parts dry after you washed them? Any moisture around the edges of raised details will cause the paint not to stick. You really want to hit those areas well with a dry cloth after washing. You can also use a can of air on them.

For Fusion, I find it's not 100% necessary to sand the surface prior to the first coat. Fusion will bond to the plastic regardless. You just want to make sure you get all the mold release off first.


The "correct" way to paint anything is to sand before every coat. That is a pain though. IMHO, the best way to avoid paint chipping is to give the painted parts plenty of time to cure before you reassemble the bot. Just be patient.  

Also, paint generally chips where plastic rubs together, usually at joints. So you have to compensate somehow for the extra paint. You can either sand out the joint or tape them off prior to paint. Because you never know just how thick the paint will be, I suggest taping them off. Another trick is to paint the part and then scrap off the paint with an Exacto knife. This works well for pegs.

In your case with Swindles hood, if you removed it for painting, it's most likely going to chip at the hood hinges. I would suggest taping them off so the paint doesn't chip. If any yellow shows through, just use a black permanent marker to cover up the yellow.