Getting ready to start my first brass kit and have some questions What is the best way to paint photo etched brass? How should I clean the brass before painting? Any special cleaning solutions I should be using? Do I need to laydown a Base coat or Primer? What paint is best? --Manufacture ? --Acrylic, Enamel, Latex --Solvent or Water based
with my sw1 kit, I have cleaned the shell using dishwasher soap and a toothbrush. Afterwards, I did repeat this with using cleaning vinagar. When clean and dry, the shell was spayed with Tamiya primer (spray can). I have used humbrol emamel to finish. Best is to try on a piece of scrap brass, what paint works best for you.
Myself I used a primer from a spray can, then Humbrol enamel paints for my two Micronart bridges. I'm happy with the result. Dom
I clean with dishwasher detergent, after that a spray with an air eraser and than painting with solvent based Floquil paint, no primer required.
It's been a while since I painted brass, but... I always cleaned brass with lacquer thinner. I have used Accu Paint primer, and I have used Scalecoat I, which is said by the manufacturer to not need a primer, and my experience is they are right. And di know I'm a bad boy, but I prefer so-called solvent paint (although water is a solvent for the appropriate paint, I don't like water thinned paints.)
For me the biggest issue is getting the brass clean and that will depend on how you assemble it. If you're soldering, you really want to use a solvent-based flux cleaner. I use a flux-off product that comes in a spray can. Note that this sort of cleaner will adversly affect many glues and should be avoided if you don't solder. Then clean in a dishwasher soap solution. I like using it in a jewelry ultrasonic bath. Follow this with a rinse in distilled/deionized water. I've used both water and solevnt-based paints and have no real preference except that the water-based really applies better with a primer undercoast. Mark
