Acrylic Based Paint. Call Us 800-222-3876. Some ship modelers like to let the colors and textures of the wood speak without hindrance, and shun paint. Should you use a spray primer or brush-on primer? I now know how to do the job. Once the preliminary sanding is complete, apply wood stain or dark paint as a coloring agent to low spots and areas where wood has been exposed. Allow the coat to dry for a week. If you are unsure whether you need to seal your paint, or what sealers work with which paints, ask a representative at a local paint or hardware supply store. For best results, make sure your model pieces are free of dust, oil, or other debris. Let the primer dry before apply your first coat of paint. In this case, 91% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Before you start painting wood, sand the wood and clean off any dust for a smooth finish. Acrylic based paint is the most common and popular form of paint used on miniatures and plastic models and will achieve the best results in most cases. Unless the existing surface is an oil based stain or finish, do not use chemical strippers. That is not always the case now. Another approach compromises with literal authenticity a bit for the sake of aesthetics. Use the sandpaper to sand the balsa wood model until it is smooth on all surfaces. When selecting paint for your next miniature , consider these points before you begin your project: Object handling: If the model will be touched often, it should be painted with enamel/oil paint. If you want to leave parts of the wood unpainted, you'll want to tape off at this stage of the prep. Model Expo Wooden Model Paint, Stains and Finishes. ", Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. You can use either an airbrush or a regular brush. Last Updated: April 29, 2020 Next, tape off any sections that you want to remain unpainted or paint in a different color. Gently dab the roller into the paint. Wipe excess paint on the inner lip of the can. Sanding tools:Random orbital sander: Powerful but expensive, requires sanding disks.Sheet sander: Less effective, but cheap and uses regular sandpaper. MegaHobby.com offers many Balsa wood Aircraft Models by Guillows and Dumas. Paint the balsa wood model from the darkest colors to the lightest colors. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Roll the paint up and down the slope of the tray a few times to distribute the paint on the roller pad. With over 30 years of construction experience, Mark specializes in constructing interiors, project management, and project estimation. It's mostly a matter of preference. Allow each coat of paint to dry before adding another. However, balsa wood is not easy to paint because it is a spongy material and absorbs the paint. Mark Spelman is a General Contractor based in Austin, Texas. Did you know you can read expert answers for this article? Not all resin model kits come with good instructions or detailed painting guidelines, which can end with you stripping and re-painting the model, or even disassembling it. Usually shortcuts will impact the quality of your finish. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Not recommended except on small projects or for finishing touches. Of all the ways to paint a model, the most effective and precise means is the airbrush. Allow time for the sealer to dry. Dries slowly, leaving fewer brush marks. This article has been viewed 596,366 times. You might think aside from walking and maybe riding a bike, painting wood would be a close third in the "things that are really easy to do" category. “Nap” refers to the fuzziness of the roller. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. This will help keep the paint from being absorbed by the balsa wood. [4] Scrape as much off as possible and then use a trisodium phosphate (TSP) solution to clean off the rest of the loose paint and grime. Then, apply a primer to help the paint achieve an even, rich look. Mark Spelman is a General Contractor based in Austin, Texas. See more ideas about painting on wood, painting, pallet art. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/3f\/Paint-Wood-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Paint-Wood-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/3f\/Paint-Wood-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1147820-v4-728px-Paint-Wood-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"485","licensing":"