I was wandering what other modelers do after you paint it and do you put the decals on before you add the chrome or what? I am trying to improve my models.

Hey Jim, been a while!
Me, I paint the body, add any decals, then paint up window trim and door line washes. After they're dry I coat the trim and washes with a brush coat of acrylic clear to seal them because I usually use a thin tipped permanent marker for that and follow up with a few coats of lacquer clear because the lacquer can and will make the permanent marker run or bleed. If you use the permanenet marker in silver for trim work it's the same deal...can run or bleed with a lacquer coat so a coat of clear acrylic keeps that from happening. Polish and your ready for the chrome pieces.
If your modeling a dirty or worn truck simply use a lacquer flat coat instead to seal everything......

I usually paint, decal, clear coat, detail paint (window gaskets, etc.), then chrome. I also paint the running & marker lights before I mount them to the cab.

Jim

Jim that is what i was wandering about the clear coat after decals. What do you use as clear coat? Future or some thing else?

I try to use the clear from the same company that the paint was from. So if I painted with Dupli-Color automotive paint, if I use Duplii-Color Clear Gloss. If I painted with Tamiya, I'll use Tamiya's clear. Some people will use wax or Future after the clear, but I think it gives an unrealistic (out of scale) shine.

Jim

Bob what kind of paint did you use on this so i can get right kind of clear coat for it after i put decals on it.

Hmmm, that was ahwile ago...I'd have to guess it to be Testors bright green pearl - enamel. You can coat lacquer over enamel, not enamel over lacquer, so the testors clear coat lacquer will do you fine.

You ever build up that K100 aero?

Here she is and forgive me on the KW. I have been in the hospital twice a year for the past 2 years and a 3 month stay in a nursing home on top of that. I have finally felt well enough in getting back building models again.

Jim,
The K100 looks really nice. I like it.

Jim

Thanks Jim but old-dragon deserves part of the credit because he painted the cab and decaled it for me awhile back.

Well, it looks really nice. Bob did a good job on it for you. Might have to send him some of my cabs! I just need to get them done, as it's too cold to paint in the garage here in New York. Probably in Illinois, too.

Jim

...dont' sell yourself short there bud, there's far more there than just the cab that looks good!

Bob i was wandering if there is any prep work between the primer coat and before you start applying the color coat?

Primer coat is good for two things;
1- as a barrier between the plastic and the paint especially if your going to use lacquer which can eat plastic.
2- as a finish hider...ever put on some filler and note that after you painted it the filler area was still flat looking while the untouched areas were shiney..you can still get this situation with a primer coat, but the primer, with some wet sanding between coats, will blend everything together as one finish...usually 2-3 sprays with little wet sanding in between each does the trick to make everything smooth for the final color coat.

Hmmm, I might be in the need for some extra cash in a little while...this weekend I get a new toy...anyone know if there's a model of a '40 plymouth 4 door sedan, I'd like to find a lil one like to match big one!

Bob i was wandering what the purpose of the wet sanding and what grit of sand paper do i use? After i get a good final coat do i apply a clear coat before i apply the decals? How long do i wait after i apply final coat of enamel before i apply the clear coat? Is there any time facture after apply clear coat to put decals on? Sorry for the dumb questions but this is new territory for me and i just want to get it right.