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Customizing for the Average Joe

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MrDarq 1/9/23

Love it, some good advice here. One thing I do now when I paint is let it sit for like two to three days before I apply decals and a clear coat. Sometimes I don't bother with the clear coat. 

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MrDarq 1/9/23

My best paint job so far. 


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dr_dodge 1/10/23

Instead of clear coat,

I now use "future style" acrylic floor wax on all my models (die cast and styrene kits)

It self levels, and is (fairly) easily removable without attacking the paint

protects the paint from chips and seals the decals 

It also helps give clear parts a "not thick" look if dipped in it

It disolves its self so be careful with multiple coats, but that makes fixing holidays very easy as it will blend in


  • Do you have a brand you use? — MrDarq
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dr_dodge 1/17/23

I was using the J&J Pledge, but was informed this weekend at the slot car track it is now discontinued



I am bummed, I use it alot
At least I have a full bottle I bought last year
I hear price gouging is going on on ebay

Amazon has a bunch of others listed, but, you always hate to move from something that gives great results


  • I've used Gauzy before with good results, and am going to try this (vid) when my airbrush is back working. Createx High Gloss Clearcoat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21neZVhKm_s&list=WL&index=26 — Redline_Salvage_Inc
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Kingjester 4/10/23

I only joined this hobby initially to send in cars from kotm but then I discovered this forum and realized that there's a lot more I could do,if you've seen my mods on the showroom thread I'm by no means the greatest and I've so far sent out 4 entries to competitions with about 3 more on standby I do this mainly because I enjoy it,even if my cars are slow and aren't the best in terms of looks I enjoy the process and enjoy being able to show my work to others dedicated to this hobby.Overall I appreciate your tips to doing better as far as painting your mods and I mainly use spray paint I get from hobby lobby and Michaels yet I did get a air brush unit a couple months ago but I still have yet to fully understand how it works so I've been sticking with spray paint.


  • Fun is always the most important part. — Numbskull
  • I have been having a blast since finding this site, even though my cars suck so far. — dr_dodge
  • We all started somewhere, but if ya stick with it, you'll get a lot better. — Redline_Salvage_Inc
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Mony_Mony 10/13/23

Anyone encountered CitriStrip-resistant paint?  Does this have to be mechanically removed, or do I just keep it in the CitriStrip/plastic bag longer?  Should I move to 409 or oven cleaner?

Thanks in advance!


  • Do you submerge the body in the goop? I always put mine in a paint can and then just dropped it in there and let it sit for a day or two. It would still require some manual labor but I'd say 95% of the paint would come off. — redlinederby
  • I dropped the casting into a plastic bag and poured in enough CitriStrip to cover it. I squeezed out the air and sealed the bag, then moved the casting around to ensure I got as much coverage by the CitriStrip as possible. Photos are after 12 hours of exposure. — Mony_Mony
  • I moved the CitriStrip out of the way to take the photos, then moved it around to get more coverage on the remaining paint before putting the bag back in the shed. — Mony_Mony
  • soak it more, I too, use the baggie, but I dump a wad into a paper towel and wrap it up, then put in the bag for2-4 hours, remove loosened paint, re goop as needed. some paint is tougher than others — dr_dodge

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