A Thorough Guide Of Buying RC Vehicle Paint

So you’ve just finished up building your RC vehicle from the ground up and all you have to do now is paint it. But how do you pick the best paint for RC body kits? Just like everything else in the RC world, there’s an abundance of paints available, including spray and brush applied paints, acrylic, enamel, polycarbonate and synthetic lacquer paints, and so on.

There are several ways to apply paint for RC body kits. Most hobbyists use a combination of paint techniques, depending on the part they’re painting. For an overall paint job, enamel and acrylic paints are the most recommended type. Both bond well to most materials, including fiberglass, hard plastic, metal, Lexan and carbon-fiber, which makes these paints most popular among hobbyists.

Acrylic dries quicker, is easier to think and doesn’t release toxic fumes. Enamel, on the other hand, takes longer to dry and releases some toxic fumes. That being said, make sure you’re painting in a well-ventilated area if you’re going to paint using enamel. However, the advantage of enamel is that it provides a smooth finish, even if you apply it using a brush. Worth noting is that acrylic and enamel paints are definitely the best paints if your RC vehicle is made of Lexan. If you use any other type of paint on it, it will most likely flake off or crack.

You can apply paint using a simple brush, but this method is generally reserved for performing more detailed paintwork, like numbering, lettering and pin-stripping. This is simply due to the fact that getting a smooth and glossy finish is impossible using a brush, which is what most hobbyists want.

Spray paint is the most commonly used technique for getting that smooth and glossy finish, and there are many spray options available. One can of spray can cost from about $5 and up. Tamiya and Practa spray paints are considered some of the best on the market, and they won’t break your bank either.

And lastly, you can get an airbrush kit, which is the most expensive option, but will give you the best results every single time. Not only does airbrushing ensure a consistent application of paint, it’s also the ideal way to get the high-gloss look that most RC enthusiasts want. Painting with an airbrush is as fast as using a spray, but it allows you to perform detail work on top of it.