Poor coverage from Montana Gold spray paint

[feevrt]

All,

I'm working on Zprop's excellent M96 Mattock kit and ran into some issues while painting.

I tried putting on a coat of Montana Gold Bone spray paint after doing an undercoat of Rustoleum paint + primer.

The results weren't quite a disaster, but I had real issues with the coverage on the piece.

There was a lot of spattering and incredibly uneven coverage. The end finish was very pebbly and almost sandy in places. In order to get good coverage, I had to hold the can 2-3 inches from the surface I was painting which lead to an unacceptably heavy coat of paint.

I'm going over the piece with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper to get things as smooth as I can get and to sand down the worst of the too thick paint.

I was wondering if this is typical of the brand or if I just got a bad can. I'm going to need to go over the off white sections of the piece again and don't want to just go and get another can and hope for the best.

Thanks for any help!

 

[fdileague]

Your problem isn't the Montana Gold....it's the crappy Rustoleum base coat.

 

[feevrt]

Thanks for the feedback. I've used this particular Rustoleum paint before with good results. This time around, it went on very smoothly and with no issues. Two light coats with no sanding between coats needed.

Also, the issues don't seem to be so much with the overcoat not adhering to the base, but with the overcoat coming out of the can unevenly, without sufficient volume, and in a very diffuse spray. As the Montana Gold was going on, I could also see issues with the paint spattering as it came out of the nozzle. The Montana created a huge cloud of paint suspended in the air. There was a veritable haze of paint generated, even when the can was held close to the piece being painted.

I was very thankful for my respirator.

 

[azheat01]

I used Montana paints for my Shoretrooper, and I had the exact same problem with spattering. I found it to be a very difficult paint. I went back to the art store and got all kinds of advice......you didn’t shake it long enough, you need to buy different heads (which I did but that didn’t fix it), they even swapped a can for me and it did the same thing. If I wasn’t so intent on using the exact color they used on the original prop, I would have never used it. Went through 3 cans and continued to have problems. Never again....

 

[Darth Lars]

I was wondering if this is typical of the brand or if I just got a bad can.

Yes, it's typical for the type. The cans have low pressure and should be used up-close to avoid splatter.

Montana does have packs with replacement nozzles with different properties. I think there might be some that may work better but I have not done any tests. There should be a variety pack with different types so you can try them out, but not all stores have them.

I wet-sanded with 600 and then 1000 grit, and then clear-coated. However, Montana's "Satin" turned out to actually be a very shiny "Semi-gloss" and the same finish would probably be called "Gloss" by a lesser brand.

There is also Montana BLACK, which has higher pressure, matter finish and can sometimes be found in the same stores that have Montana GOLD. It should have many of the same hues as Gold.

 

[Lutts]

I also used Montana Gold for my Shoretrooper helmet and found it to be pretty bad, It looked like I'd sprayed the helmet with sand, real gritty finish. Luckily for a weathered Shoretrooper it kind of worked.

On the other hand though I personally found their satin clear coat to be fantastic, went on super smooth and dried incredibly quickly!

 

[feevrt]

Everyone,

Thanks for the info. I’ve found an alternative brand with a similar color that I’m going to use instead of the Montana paint. Just as soon as I can get as much of the first coat off the model as I can, that is. Fortunately the Montana paint is yielding to some gentle sanding in most places and 90% isopropyl where it’s more stubborn.

 

[fritzthefox]

I'm having the same problem with Montana paints right now. The Black covers much better than the Gold, but the can also depletes very quickly. Both of them like to spit paint, as the paint builds on the nozzle. I love their color selection and quick drying time, but I cannot say I am impressed with their spray performance. I'd say if you want to use them , be sure and prime well and respect the fact the paint is an acrylic lacquer, so humidity will impact your finish. (Dry and hot may be sandy, humid may be milky, etc) Also use short bursts and wipe the nozzle periodically to prevent spitting.

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Montana Gold, as mentioned above, has a very low pressure. I found the easiest way to get clean results is simply to know how to put a wet coat on without runs or drips. If you hold the can far back, I almost tend to see a dust layer on the surface.. as if the paint has dried before reaching the piece.

An alternative, if you’ve got a compressor, is to buy a cheap Harbor Freight spay gun and decant the paint from the rattle can. I did that for a Shoretrooper I painted for Reynolds Advanced Materials Star Wars Celebration Booth.

 

[NSStudios]

Montana Gold, as mentioned above, has a very low pressure. I found the easiest way to get clean results is simply to know how to put a wet coat on without runs or drips. If you hold the can far back, I almost tend to see a dust layer on the surface.. as if the paint has dried before reaching the piece.

An alternative, if you’ve got a compressor, is to buy a cheap Harbor Freight spay gun and decant the paint from the rattle can. I did that for a Shoretrooper I painted for Reynolds Advanced Materials Star Wars Celebration Booth.

Interesting! How were the results?

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Interesting! How were the results?

The blue here is Montana Gold from the can.. can’t quite remember the color. It went on pretty smooth, and I just gave it some extra drying time to account for the slightly thicker coat.


The Shoretrooper I decanted the can.. basically let it sit over night and settle to the bottom, hand drilled a tiny little hole up towards the top of the can and let as much solvent out as I could. Cut the top off, put it in a jar, and let it degas for at least a day or two. Leave the jar lid a little loose.. trust me.
From there you just pop it in your spray gun and you’re good to go. This can be used to airbrush pieces as well... If I ever have a small detailed piece that needs to be the same color as I piece I rattle canned? I’ll decant it and airbrush a light coat.

Not the best example because I used some Pebeo modeling paste to add corrosion texture on the helmet, but the paint itself was super smooth.

 

[Monkeyboi69]

I'm not sure if it will help with this particular brand but I have had good luck in placing the rattle can in some warm water before shaking/spraying

 

[benhs1898]

The chrome gold is even worse. If you aren't careful, the mist will get onto your already painted surfaces, resulting in an almost matte finish in those areas. In addition, the effect is super delicate, and the chemical properties of the paint cause the color to separate if it isn't shaken enough. It also takes a very long time to dry, something I learned to late while applying multiple coats. I think I've basically ruined my Marvel Legends iron man helmet.

 

[Vertex]

If you're going the airbrushing route have you considered these? They supposed to cover the same color catalog and be a perfect match with the aerosol counterparts.

https://www.montana-cans.com/en/mar...nt-refills/montana-acrylic-paint-refill-180ml