Secrets from the paint booth

Radio Control Car Action, Oct 2003 by Thiel, Josh

* As with the chrome, an initial thin, "sticking" layer should be sprayed on first.

* This is followed by a heavier second coat that should be thick enough to "gloss out" and form a transparent layer of color.

* If you want to get really wild, sprinkle silver glitter (see last month's "Body Shop" article "Painting with glitter") on a coat of transparent color that is still drying; that way, you won't need Parma's Faskoat to make the glitter stick. When the candy layer has dried completely (at least 15 minutes), back it up with chrome.

* Candy colors can also be faded with a chrome background. The lighter you spray an application, the lighter the tone. After you've sprayed on the fade layer, make sure that the paint is dry before you lay down the chrome backing. Apply only thin coats of chrome paint, and be sure that each coat dries completely before you add the next. If you don't let the paint dry, the chrome will "eat" (dissolve) the first faded transparent layer, and that causes fogging and color loss.

Alclad's transparent colors aren't the only ones available. On the trunk lid of the Enzo, I used Pactra's Candy Purple to create the anodized look. In this same shot, you can also see the chrome trim area that I repaired earlier and a little of the glittered engine hatch.

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Although applying chrome paint can be tricky, the effects it can add are just so cool that it's worth the extra time and care it takes to use it. Another point to remember (as the editors of RC Car Action like to remind me): don't paint your wing endplates chrome because double-sided tape just falls right off the stuff. The paint also isn't very wear resistant, so if you use chrome paint on an area that you grab a lot (or that rubs on a chassis part), protect the finish with Shoe-Goo or a piece of tape.