Bashers Basics — How to Paint A RC Body

Hello and welcome back to Bashers Basics. We all know that the process of painting your first RC body is always quite daunting, but don’t fear, Bashers Basics is here! In this tutorial I am going to just do a simple paint job, a solid metallic blue, which will look great on my hypothetical SLASH 4X4.   

Firstly I select my RC body, in this case I choose a PROLINE RAM 2500 CLEAR BODY. My first job is to cut out the body from its mold. Usually (when using a body built for a certain model) it will be indented where to cut, lexan scissors are recommended for a really good cut, but a razor blade will work too. Remember to try it on your truck once cut out, because some trimming may be needed for larger tires, or ride height alterations made for desired look.

Once the body is cut and trimmed, wash it. I know it sounds weird, but it is one of the most important steps. Take a clean and preferably new scrub pad, a half teaspoon of dish soap, and scour the surface of the inside of the body. This gets rid of any old ejection powder, and roughs up the surface slightly so the paint can grip the body better. Once all the soap is washed off, dry thoroughly with a microfibre cloth, or with a hair dyer on cold. After this point it is advisable to wear gloves (not powdered), so that you don’t get any finger prints on the body. Next, apply the window trims, peel off from sheet, and apply carefully to desired area, then take your fingernail and burnish the edges to prevent paint bleeding into the sticker.

You are now ready to paint. Shake the can well before spraying (Tamiya paint is suggested). Make sure that it is lexan paint. Remember that any other type of paint will peel off, so its important not to cheap out with hardware store paint. Now we paint. Spray in light, quick sprays, with the can around 8-12 inches away from the body. Do one coat, changing the angle of the spray, to get all the nooks and corners.

You must wait for each coat to dry, and look out for paint streaking, caused by too much paint being applied for every coat. You can speed up the curing process by lightly passing a heat gun on low over the wet paint. It is advised to wait 15-20 minutes between coats. Repeat until 3-4 coats have been applied, depending on colour and opaqueness of your paint. It is suggested that you apply a coat of black after your coloured paint has fully cured,

Once the paint is fully applied and dried (leave for 24 hours after painting), you can peel off the window decals, and cut the body post (they should be indented). Apply decals and stickers, and finally peel off the outside overspray protecter. Now you are ready to go! Get out there, and have a great bash!