Babydoll's M1911A1

[TRisely]

I've finally got round to creating a thread for this. Mainly because i'm running into some very annoying problems. I was happily painting it, and was advised on doing a few more coats, so I proceeded to do so...

Until this happened:


It seems the paint just refuses to lay flat now. It does the total opposite of bubbling, in which I get tiny little 'craters' as it were. More pictures Below.




How can I get a nice clean and even coat? I've sanded it down too many times to count now. I'm using Plasti-Kote Metallic Silver spray paint. I've Tried everything from a rough surface to a smooth one. Any suggestions? All help and advice is appreciated.

 

[TallDarkandDisfigured]

Looks like you've got some oils in the paint, once it's in a layer it'll keep pushing through.

Now that you've sanded it down it could be spread across a larger area. Try an alcohol wipedown before the next light coat..

 

[Mike J.]

That's informally known as orange peeling / orange peel.

The humidity of your painting environment may also be a factor.

Good luck.


-Mike J.

 

[TRisely]

Thanks TallDarkandDisfigured, I can't count how many times I've painted it, then sanded it down, painted it etc. It's getting mightily annoying now. I don't think I have any alcohol wipes around the house. What else can I use to get the oils/grease off to give a superior painting finish? Thanks.

 

[dj nme]

You could try washing it in dishwashing liquid, that should remove oils used as mould-release and fingerprints.

 

[AmazonChitlin]

Acetone should work as well....just be sure to use it in a really well ventilated area!

If used too much though it will dry out the wood...

 

[TRisely]

Apologies, I should have said it's ABS plastic. I think the only thing i've got is Surgical Spirit

 

[TallDarkandDisfigured]

Just run down to the dollar store and grab a bottle of nail polish remover. It should do the trick, just go lightly so you don't take off too much paint. It should clean it up.

Then reprime (light dust coat) and repaint.

 

[TRisely]

Thanks TallDarkandDisfigured, I'll try that I'll post how it goes

 

[TRisely]

I followed what you said, worked like a charm! Just gotta do the other side tomorrow, it's started raining now.



I did overcoat the stock though. Now it's a right mess. Had to wipe the paint off. Now it's going to be a right pain in the arse to sand smooth

 

[TRisely]

I've finally got it the paint perfectly Unfortunately it's no nickel plated finish. Maybe I can paint it chrome in the future. But for now, it's perfect metallic silver. Just need some clear coat.

Here's a nice shot of the slide:



And close up:



And a shot of the stock and magazine:



Also the bit that protects the shell ejection hole in the slide:

 

[epilepticsquirl]

Looks like after all that sanding you finally achieved a near perfect finish. Bet that accomplishment feels awesome. Looks great, now let's see the rest!

 

[TRisely]

I'll let it cure for a couple of days to make sure it doesn't get damaged when I put it back together. Then I'll snap a couple more pics I'm thinking about painting it with chrome paint in the future. To match her gun in the movie more. But this silver will do for now

 

[TRisely]

Signature Test

 

[TallDarkandDisfigured]

Looks like the work paid off! Nice save.

And yes give it a good few days to cure. The longer you can wait (I know.. :lol) the better

It's too bad cheap airsoft is so hard to find in Canada.. This prop is right up at the top of my list..

 

[TRisely]

This gun was only, if I remember correctly £19. So it would be cheaper over where you are. I know it would be cheaper in America, I'm unsure about Canada though. Even so, you could still get one off the Internet and it'd definitely be cheap. In the real world this gun is a M1911A1. In the airsoft world it's a M21. Search for that and I'm sure you can get one cheap

Anyway, is there any way lol) to harden the paint more? Cheers for all the advice guys

 

[TallDarkandDisfigured]

No way to harden it other than letting it cure, it gets tougher as the days go by..

Yeah we can't order airsoft from outside the country in Canada, and prices are getting better but usually are about 3 times the US standard price..

 

[TRisely]

Here we are, the finished and assembled pictures! Now waiting on my bank details to come so I can purchase the decals and trinckets, can't wait 'till it's finished. Anyways, ladies and gentlemen, I give you, the finished product:

Right Hand Side:



Left Hand Side:



Magazine:



Grip:

 

[Fawbish]

Hi, looks lovely

Can I ask about the build before the painting or did you buy it like that and paint? I'd really like to have a go at a pistol in the near future but cannot for the life of me figure out whether I'd like to pepakura it, foam it, wood it etc you get the picture! Too many possibilities!

 

[TRisely]

The pistol is a ready made ABS plastic with a bright orange slide. The model is a M21 Airsoft Pistol, which is a replica of the M1911A1, besides the horrific orange slide. I bought it for around £19 from a local pound store which sells BB guns. I previously painted it black, then decided I wanted to replica Babydolls pistol, so I painted it silver.