Mclaren MP4/9 Brazil 1994

bossy122
Step one is to paint the red. I tried Testors jar by airbrush. After about 10 coats, it didn't appear to be getting any darker. This lead me to try something chancy:I remasked the thing and went over the Testors with TS36 (that I had been trying to find an alternative to in the first place). Thankfully the 2 didn't react to one another.

bossy122
I dunno.....may have to strip and try again.....

bossy122
....stripped, i'll try again...

Bozzer
Mate, I always do light colours first. On this, I would do white, then clear coat, allow to dry for a few days, then mask carefully, a quick shoot of clear, then about 30 minutes later, shoot the red. I'm not telling you how to suck eggs, that's just what I would do. I hate seeing a fellow modeller struggle

bossy122
Yeah, the problem was spraying Tamiya TS36 over Testors Fluo red. The 2 reacted with one another and the TS cracked.

bossy122
Okay! Project is back on track! 2nd try came out sweet! Back to good ol TS36 (five bloody coats!). But for a change, no little leaks in the corners of the masking. Hurrah!

bossy122
I only bothered to look at the metal pretzel parts.....this should be fun.

bossy122
Project 4/9 went off the rails again. Come to find out TS 36 likes to crack. Attempt #3 will be with Gaia paints.

Mark D
I believe that Gravity GC110 could be a good Fluor red paint for this, but that's only from a modeller on YouTube if I remember it well, that made an MP4/6.
Don't know if you're able to get this paint and I have no personal experience with this brand, but it turned out very well.

Kyle DeHart
TS 36 is a hateful paint. Good color but a complete pile of junk to use. I've fought it before. Sorry that happened to you. Looking good though!

bossy122
I have a rear panel piece still covered in 36 and was staggered by how much darker and more actual red it is. When you don't have anything for comparison, it looks fine, but now......yuck. The Gaia is nice in that it was quicker to build up to the proper shade in fewer coats. Now, as long as it doesn't crack over time.....

Kyle DeHart
I only paint with rattle cans and hairy stick so I've always used ts 36. The other issue with it is no two cans are even the same color! I still have a couple Marlboro cars in stash and a couple STP turbine Indycars and I have no idea what I'm going to use on them because Ts 36 is not it.

bossy122
I used to use rattle cans for the most part because I HATE cleaning my airbrush but with the airbrush, I control the flow better and I don't have nearly as much paint finding its way under the masking tape. You take the good with the bad.

Greg Baker
Sign me up for this one!

Robin (WhiteGlint)
👀

Kyle DeHart
Indeed, the list of compromises is long…less color choice, no control, less color accuracy, the list goes on. But it's a compromise I'm happy with. I have zero desire to pick up an airbrush.

Bozzer
If I do a colour change, with my airbrush, I just flush it through with thinner. This can be expensive, but I've learned a few tricks. Enamel, I flush with white spirit, acrylic, I use car washer fluid. Anything else, I use cellulose thinner. I also start by painting all my light colours first, then ending in black. Once I'm done, I empty the nozzle and needle into a glass jar, then add some cellulose thinner. Give those a good soak, then run some twisted kitchen roll through the nozzle. Remove them from the thinner, and allow them to air dry, while you clean your airbrush body in the thinner. It's amazing how much crap comes out! 15 minutes and you're ready for the next session, in the morning 👍

Brendan
I'm currently building an MP4/6 and used Mr Color Fluorescent Red. Same shade as TS-36 but a hell of a lot easier to airbrush and cleanup (thin/clean with regular hardware store lacquer thinner). Sprayed it over Tamiya white with zero adhesion/cracking/color issues. Only real problem I've had with it is that spot touchups come out darker and won't blend with any amount of thinner or sanding. This looks great though, excited to see the rest of it!

bossy122
Yup, the problem with those colors you have to build up: they don't get built the same way twice.

bossy122
I was so excited to start the decals......until I looked at them. Early Studio 27 quality wasn't quite as sharp as it is now.....literally. The letters are fatter than should be and the edges just aren't as sharp. The name plates can't be read at all. Museum Collection makes a sheet so I get to wait for those to show up......yippee.

Kyle DeHart
Ah. Shame. I have had that wait on museum collection decals to show up.

bossy122
Time to work on my MP4/11

Kyle DeHart
Awesome! 95/96ish was when I started first watching F1 so the mp4/11 holds a spot in my heart.