09/08/2012
Painting Tips
Looking for that "cool", "show-room" quality paint job for your Pinewood Derby® car?
Relax. It's a whole lot easier to achieve than you think!
A quick checklist of items needed:
SANDPAPER. It's best to get at least three different grits; 80,120 & 220 Item
FAVORITE COLOR OF PAINT. Spray paint gives the best finish!
DROP CLOTH. Always paint in a well ventilated area.
One of the most important keys to a great paint job is PREPARATION! After you have your Pinewood Derby® car cut to the shape you want, start sanding. Always start with your lowest grit paper, then gradually move to a higher & higher grit.
The idea behind the sanding is simply to smooth out the surface that you are painting. The higher grit paper you can use will produce the smoothest finish, ultimately producing the "shiniest" paint job! Unfortunately you can't just begin with a "220" grit paper! You need to start low and gradually use higher grits. This is a great job for your scout.
Now, once you're finished with your sanding, you may want to use a "sanding sealer". Although a sealer is not a necessity, it's a great way to help smooth out any imperfections in your sanding.
Now we're almost ready to paint.
Before you begin painting you will want to put a small piece of masking tape over each of the four axle slots/ holes. This is a great speed tip. By doing this small step now, when your paint is dry you can peal off this tape revealing bare wood. Using your finger, coat this area with graphite and you have created an area that will allow your wheel to not slow itself while inevitably rubbing against the car body during the race. Your scout won't mind this painting "trick" because it's almost invisible when your wheels are installed.
OK, lets paint!
I always prefer spray paint. You can use an air brush if you have one, but with the quality of spray paints on the market today you can achieve similar results with an inexpensive spray can.
The trick here is many thin coats instead of one single, heavy coat. Thin coats will help in unwanted "runs".
There are many ways to apply paint jobs. Some people will advise using primers, while others will suggest a first coat of pure white. Again, with the paints that are available today, you can get some fantastic results with little knowledge. Of course, as your scout grows older, you can always "tweak" your techniques as you go!
You will probably apply at least two to three thin coats for your desired finish. For the advanced painter, use a "fine" sandpaper, or "0000" steel wool, in between coats. Be sure to completely wipe your car clean before your next coat. If you get a run, just sand the drip down and re-apply your paint.
Using these techniques, you should have a paint job that you and your scout can be proud of!
Good luck with your painting and good luck in your racing!
Check back often for more "How-To" articles.
