Beemax 1/20 1984 McLaren MP4/2 Part 4 - Paint!
Beemax/Aoshima 1/20 Plastic Kit
Visible progress has been slow lately due to the repetitive nature of the priming, filling, sanding cycle.
The engine cover is a little bit wider than the sidepod body panels so I tried to mitigate the issue.
I decided to switch from Tamiya Liquid Surface Primer to Mr Surfacer 1200. I always found that Tamiya LSP gives too rough of a finish that requires sanding after application, but combining Mr Surfacer with with Mr Color Leveling Thinner through an airbrush gives me the closest results to Tamiya Fine Surface Primer spray cans (without having to use spray cans). I did have issues getting even coverage with the white version though, it took almost 3-4 layers over grey primer to get the proper white finish.
I primed the floor and some internal parts, and finished the body with Zero Paints Pure Brilliant White.
Then began the masking process for the dayglo stripes. I cut thin strips of Tamiya masking tape to mark the centre of the body, and draw the lines.
I covered the rest of the body with a combination of tape and cling wrap, before getting to the fun stuff. Zero Paints McLaren MP4 Red Paint.
The paint is actually a little difficult to tell if you’re getting good coverage or not. The light eggshell sheen finish mixed with the fluorescent colour affects your ability to discern what how “pure” the colour is. After removing the masking materials, it seems to me that the red on the nose is very slightly lighter than the red on the body. I’ll probably re-mask and touch up later.
I might put a hold on this build eventually, since I need to order fill-in decals, but haven’t found any reasonably priced ones to buy online yet. I’ll continue working on the internals in the meantime.