the Flat Black Myth

[Silent]

Is it true that you can do flat black from the INSIDE of a lexan body?
Or is like flat black bumper paint on the outside?
I want to try an do one of these like the HBZ sponsor truck

 

[NCNitro]

I have always done it from the outside. I use Krylon Ultra Flat black. I mask both sides of the windows and shoot the entire body. This way if the outside scratches the inside is black and you don't see the scratch, or at least it is not very noticable. Or you can paint the inside silver, that way a scratch looks like it is scratched in to raw metal. You will be amazed though how well the Krylon ultra flat black adheres to lexan, and does not flake off like other spray paint does. I have done no less than 5 bodies like this, and it holds up as good or better than lexan paint. Slowngreen will verify this as well. He has painted quite a few bodies using this method, with one being a slash lid most recently.

I have also used Krylon ultra flat olive drab on my CJ8 crawler body, and it worked great as well.

One nice thing about using this method, when it starts looking a little beat up you just remask the windows and throw a fresh coat on, and it will look new again.

 

[k5ranger]

not sure if this helps, but i used "goop" paint remover. this stuff is supposed to remove paint, gum, tar etc. from various surfaces. I put the goop on a scotch brite pad and was actually removing the paint scheme from an original T-Maxx body. When i was finished I bought some outlaw black at the LHS. Sprayed the inside and it's as flat as you can get. My son loves the murdered look of the truck with the black body and wheels. I can try to get some pics tomorrow when I get some time.

 

[Silent]

Whoa this is interesting. I'd like to see those pics. Do you think the paint remover "fogged" the lexan making it look flat?

I was about to join Team Krylon <G>

 

[NCNitro]

I know you are asking K5ranger for pics, but here's two flat paint jobs I did using Krylon on the outside.

For my crawler I used Krylon camo flat olive drab.

For my tuber I used regular Krylon ultra flat black, but the camo flat black will also work fine.

[/QUOTE]

 

[Silent]

Your custom Rubicon looks awesome NC. Thats the look I was going for. Just curious if the inside flat black is even possible.

 

[Lessen]

An inside flat black IS possible but you will need to do something to take away the gloss on the outside of the body. I know for a fact that acetone will take the gloss right off but I don't know how you would apply it without creating streaks. If you were to simply wipe it with a clotch you would see all the wipe marks which would be very tacky. One tool I've been wanting to purchase for quite some time now is a mini bead blaster. Basically an airbrush that shoots bead for etching glass and whatnot. If you can etch glass you could certainly etch lexan. Just something I've been wanting to try for some time now but havn't bought one yet.

I think this particular kit comes with a "fast" abrasive but they make other degrees of the stuff. It's probably not something you'd want to purchase just to try out and maybe only use once but it's just a theory.
http://www.bearair.com/prodinfo.asp?number=100072

 

[k5ranger]

the look i endud up wiht actually looks more like a flat primed truck. It's not a smooth looking paint job. the truck looks like it's primed black than beat the shetz out of ove a period of a few weeks, but I like it. It is by no means show quality.

 

[k5ranger]

hey silent..........i can't seem to get my pics to load on the forum right now, but if you look at the black truck under sponsors on the forum main page that will give you a good idea. pay close attention to pics 2 and 4 of the black truck. notice how the paint looks scuffed up and dirty on the hood and roof?