Paint scratches... how can I avoid them?

[undertaker]

I've a problem, after some layers of glue and filler primer I try to paint the armor but the day after I've got this...
How can I avoid that? Can I add another layer of paint or what?
Thanks :cry

 

[Darth Lars]

Your picture is not showing up, so I can't see what the problem is.

 

[undertaker]

Your picture is not showing up, so I can't see what the problem is.

Sorry i put it now...

 

[toomanyclowns]

What glue and what filler primer are you using? PVA? How thick is the foam?

 

[undertaker]

What glue and what filler primer are you using? PVA? How thick is the foam?

Yes, is like PVA glue... Vinavil is white glue here on Italy...
The primer is Boston filler primer.
The Foam is 6mm thick.

 

[toomanyclowns]

Hmm, this is all guesswork but I'm also wondering what the paint is since it looks like it has cracked along the curves of the foam. Some paints like plasticote will do this. They are great for hiding the foam, wood whatever and making it look like metal or plastic but don't deal with bending easily. Is it automative paint, if not that could be the reason. Equally how much flex is in the chest piece? Enough to make the paint crack?

 

[undertaker]

Equally how much flex is in the chest piece? Enough to make the paint crack?

I think yes because on shoulder and arms it doesn't crack...

 

[toomanyclowns]

Maybe strengthen the chest piece from behind?

 

[doc]

You sprayed your paint to thick.

 

[undertaker]

I put two layers of paint because with one it was pink...

 

[undertaker]

what about painting again adding some transparent layer?

 

[Smitty77]

Ya know ladies and gentlemen, I personally, can not paint, hell I can't even colour and stay between the lines. But for all of you who can and do paint some of the most amazing and movie accurate pieces I've ever seen I truly admire you and only wish I had the gift from god and talent you do. Congrats!!

As for this little problem here, I will only guess from my life experiences of painting a few school projects an what not with the kiddos is you've painted to thick or it's the clear coat finish you've chosen over the style of paint.
Again, this is only a guess. Lol sorry can't be more help.

 

[undertaker]

Thanks Smitty, all help is appreciated, this is my first try and i'm not so good like others here

 

[penwiper]

Is it looking like that after you flex/bend the armor? Or do you just spray, walk away, and come back to find that? Because if it's the latter, a possible alternate cause is that your under-layers of glue might not have been fully dried before you painted it. As the glue dries further, it contracts and shrinks, and since the paint layer can't stretch it has to split open. This is how they do those fancy "crackle" finishes on furniture and such.

 

[Laika]

I used some primer filler on one of my foam pieces and it cracked as well.
I think its because the filler in the primmer is very very brittle and and even a slight flex in the foam cracks its. I'm not going to use filler primer again, regular grey car body primer worked a lot better, pieces I used that on didn't crack.

I had to sand my cracked pieces down heavily and repaint, but that didn't fix every crack, ones left I've decided to incorporate into the general weathering/battle damage effect I'm working on, if you can't fix it, feature it.

 

[Capt TJ]

If its foam, have you thought about plastic coating it first? You can add your layers of PVA, then use some Smooth On plastic coating (what you would use for rotocasting). You can then sand, fill and paint. The foam won't flex and you paint shouldn't crack.

 

[undertaker]

Ok thanks to all for your help...
I have 2 weeks to finish it and I think I'll not able...
So I think I'll try to fix it to use and then I have all time to do the right thing on this or start a new one

 

[boshuda]

I've never painted foam, so take this for what it's worth, but you might try speaking with an automotive body shop and finding out what products/process they use to paint the flexible plastic parts (like bumpers). The primer and paint used for these parts usually has additives that allow it to flex like the plastic underneath.

 

[undertaker]

I try to paint again cracks and left one day the armor inside the house (out is very cold) but this morning there was new cracks, without touching or flexing it...

 

[Capt TJ]

I try to paint again cracks and left one day the armor inside the house (out is very cold) but this morning there was new cracks, without touching or flexing it...

Perhaps it's because the layer you are painting on (the old paint) reacted to the new, wet, paint. Probably caused it to swell, loosen and then shrink as it dried.

May want to try and remove the old layer first, or prime it before trying another layer.