Beginner Question - gluing on to painted parts - reaction/affect?

[MD80]

Hi All,

I received 2 kits as a Christmas present from my kids, as first builds since I was a teen (over 25 years ago). The kits they got me are the Spitfire Mk.vc and Sea King Har.3.

I have a question on gluing parts to already painted (enamel) parts. I know the kits come with acrylic paints, but when I opened them I found the paint to have dried out or is so watery that there is barely any colour to them. Maybe they have been stored near heat or for a long time, or a quality batch issue.

So, I popped to my local hobby store yesterday and grabbed some correct numbered paint, but all I could get was they enamel versions.

I want to start building the kits, but looking at the instructions and painting guide, it seems to me that, especially on the Sea King interior I need to paint as I go (as I assemble) rather than fully assemble the interior and then paint.

So I am wondering how I go about this as I am not sure you want to glue paint on to paint rather than the plastic on plastic. Also will the liquid glue etc, will affect the paint already painted to the parts when I try and glue them together? Will they strip the paint and ruin the part or result in much touching up, or can the enamel paint handle a little bit of glue for assembly?

Thanking you in advance for your advice.

Matt

[Ratch]

In an ideal world the paint should be scraped or sanded off to provide a clean plastic surface for the glue to work at it's best. Gluing onto paint will work, but not quite as well and the joint could fail over an extended period (possibly years). This isn't necessarily a bad thing as it helps with restorations.

[Kenneth ONeill]

As Ratch says above. I tend to do partial assembly, then paint, then assemble some more... based on accessibility. For example, I will fit the interior bulkheads and centre console to the Sea King before painting the light grey.

Speaking of, you might like to know that there are some errors in the Sea King painting instructions. The most glaring ones are that one (and only one) of the main rotor blades should be yellow, as should the dinghy pack (box just aft of the big door on the starboard side).

[peebeep]

I try and use cement on bare plastic surfaces, but if you're using Extra Thin or Quick Set type liquid poly, then it will work regardless. Hold or clamp the parts to be joined together and run some cement into the joint and it will flow by capillary action. Choose a spot to apply the cement carefully to avoid damaging the paint in a visible area.

[MD80]

As Ratch says above. I tend to do partial assembly, then paint, then assemble some more... based on accessibility. For example, I will fit the interior bulkheads and centre console to the Sea King before painting the light grey.

Speaking of, you might like to know that there are some errors in the Sea King painting instructions. The most glaring ones are that one (and only one) of the main rotor blades should be yellow, as should the dinghy pack (box just aft of the big door on the starboard side).

 

 

Thanks for the painting corrections, I have made the adjustments on the instructions as this is the model I am just about to start.