What do YOU use to paint laser-cut wood kits?

[C855B]

I knew it was dicey to use modern acrylics on thin wood, and, sure enough, the AMB LaserKit station I'm building warped to smithereens after painting with my locally-available go-to, Acrylicos Vallejo. I'm relatively confident I can carefully un-warp most of it, but it certainly was more confirmation of my fears than I expected.

So - suggested paints for wood kits? Anybody use artists' oils (again, local availability).

[nthusiast]

I prime the wood using a cheap gray acrylic from a spray can (tip from http://www.blairline.com/howto/). Then I'll layer final colors over that.

[Chris333]

Brace the crap out of it and them paint it with whatever you want 

I'm getting less and less impressed with laser kits.

[DKS]

A whole lotta different stuff...

Some I've just tinted with colored Sharpies.

Some I've primed with grey primer spray, then tinted with powdered chalk.

Some I've painted with slightly-diluted Floquil paints.

Some I've painted with Krylon spray bombs.

Some I've painted with cheap acrylic paints.

Some I've... well, you get the idea...

Depends on my mood, what's at hand, the phase of the moon, or the effect I'm after.

 

[DKS]

OK, examples (all Z Scale except the Floquil one).

Colored Sharpies:



Grey primer and powdered chalk:



Slightly-diluted Floquil paint:



Spray bombs:



As you can see, not much real difference...

 

[Wutter]

I always spray bomb the whole thing with cheap gray or white primer first ON BOTH SIDES so that it soaks up the paint and solvent relatively equally. Then I use whatever paint on top of that with no problems because essentially there is a barrier layer of paint underneath that prevents the wood from soaking up more water.

[C855B]

OK, then, it's just pick my poison (literally and figuratively) and go. The only idea I hesitate with is the spray bombs. My experience is the pigment grains are a little on the large size and prone to filling details. So I think I'll raid Robyn's stash of artists' oils and see what happens there. I like the aroma of turpentine, anyway. 

Fortunately the model mostly de-warped after fully drying, with minimal persuasion. I thought I was being careful about not soaking it, and it turns out I had it mostly right.

[MK]

Use a non-water based sealant and seal all surfaces of the wood first.  Then you can throw anything on it afterwards.

[johnb]

Shot with clear coat followed by floquil antique white...


Cleat coat followed by tru color Southern Pacific Colonial Yellow and Floquil Roof Brown

[strummer]

1. Brace the crap out of it and them paint it with whatever you want 

2. I'm getting less and less impressed with laser kits.

1. I agree with this approach.

2. Have had to do it with almost any wood structure kit, laser or older die cut.

And yes, hitting both sides with sealer really helps...although I'm sure you already know this. 

Mark in Oregon

[C855B]

OK, sealer is duly noted. Did that in the past, but they were sanding sealers mostly to make wood look like steel, and Floquil was still the order of the day. Been a while.

I will say that these AMB kits are very much a test of fine motor skills. "This is an easy to assemble kit that will require only an evening or two to complete ready for painting." Yeah. My @$$.   Building shell went together easily enough, but the details are a paradox of wonderful and excruciating. If I don't screw it up it'll look great, but funny how there are no spares for anything, especially the really tricky bits like 5-piece double hung windows.