Have you ever opened your model truck and caught yourself thinking about whether or not you truly wanted to just apply the decals that came with it or just paint it and be done? Maybe you wondered whether or not you wanted to just apply the decals and be done with it. Yes, decals can make your model truck look pretty good but a good paint job can make the difference between good and great. The only thing that might hold you back a bit is your being ready and willing to learn the necessary techniques for a great paint job.
When modeling started to involve painting it was originally limited to hand painting techniques. The paints and tools that were available were very limited in number and could also be very expensive. The ones that were less costly could tend to be very low in quality as well. Now leaders in the market have gotten better control of the manufacturing costs and can now offer affordable paints and tools. Along with availability going up the quality of the paints and tools has risen as well. Now another tool is available that once relegated to body shops and automakers. Small scale air brush painting kits have come on the market at an affordable price and are easy for the beginner to use as well. If you are thinking of taking this route then you should examine the different number of resources out there that can help you choose what type of air brush you might like to use as well as what sort of techniques might be possible with them.
Something else you will have to think about when you decide to paint your model is exactly where you are going to assemble it. When you paint your model truck you are going to have to allow enough time for the parts to dry which will mean that you will have parts spread out a bit. If this is not going to be possible due to a lack of space then decals may be something you will have to consider. If there are children in the house you will also have to think about using only decals. Little parts can be tempting to little hands. If you do find that painting is what you want to do then you will have to know a few things. The first thing is whether or not you wish to use primer.
While primer is not necessary for painting your model it can be extremely useful. If you want to know whether or not your paint will adhere. You can apply a bit to the sprue and see how it does when it dries. If it flakes off then you will definitely need to use primer first. Primer will help show you any flaws that may be present in the truck's construction as well. One thing you need to make sure of before you prime your truck is that it is clean. If not then the foreign materials will end up showing through your paint job.
If you would not mind going through these steps and want to make your truck look as good as possible then painting might be the choice for you. If you do not want this much trouble then you should stick to using the stock decals that came with your model.
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