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October 03, 2016
How to Paint a Traxxas Lexan Body
Thefollowing instructions are for painting the Rustler body. Instructionsfor painting other bodies may vary. Most Traxxas bodies are now pre-cut.If the body is not pre-cut, paint the body first and then use hobbyscissors to trim along the scribe lines.
Lexanbodies are to be painted on the inside. The outside of the body has aremovable peel coat to protect the body from scratches and paintoverspray. Do not remove the peel coat until after the body is painted.When the peel coat is removed, the body will be clear and glossy. The bodymust be washed thoroughly with dish soap and water to remove any grease oroil (i.e. fingerprints) which may keep the paint from adhering to it. Drythe body completely with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Mostracing regulations require that the windows be left clear. Use thesupplied die-cut adhesive tape masks to mask the windows. Apply the windowmasks to the INSIDEof the body. Make sure to burnish them to the body (press them downcompletely) so that paint will not run underneath.
Maskoff any stripes or custom effects with either painter\'s masking tape orspecial tape made for striping. This special tape is available fromautomotive paint supply stores and will provide sharper edges than maskingtape. Do not use thin, cheap masking tape with the Pactra? solvent-basedpaint. The adhesive will dissolve and stick to the inside of the body whenthe tape is removed. For easy, custom-colored striping, automotivepin-striping tape can be applied to the inside of the body and paintedover. Be sure that all of your striping tape is also completelyburnished.
Thereare several types of paint available for painting car bodies.Solvent-based paint in cans (such as Pactra® brand) are fast, convenient,and work very well. There are also water-based paints available (such asFaskolor® by Parma). These paints must be brushed or sprayed on. We havehad customers report that certain water-based craft paints (available atcraft and hobby stores) come in a large variety of colors and also workwell. it's worth it to experiment. Plus, there is the benefit of watercleanup. Read the directions on your bottle or can of paint and shake,mix, or thin the paint, as required. It is very important to avoidbreathing the paint vapors, as they are extremely harmful. Spray the paintoutdoors in well-ventilated areas only.
Applyyour first coat of paint. Apply the paint in several light coats toprevent runs and excessive paint buildup. Usually the dark colors arepainted first, followed by the light colors. If your paint scheme would beeasier to mask the body by covering the dark areas and spraying them last,be sure the light colors are opaque enough to prevent the dark colors fromshowing through. Light colors can be backed with silver or Pactra® "opaquewhite" to help make them opaque. "Candy" colors should be backed withsilver for that metallic look. For a nice dark to light fade, try paintingthe body a candy color and then back it with silver in the front and blackin the rear.
Applyyour second coat of paint. Apply the paint to the body sparingly and inlight coats. Be patient! Let the paint dry fully in between coats. Thiswill prevent accidentally smearing wet paint. Take extra care to let thepaint dry before masks are removed.
Afterthe body is completely painted, remove the protective peel coat from theoutside of the body. This peel coat protects the body fromoverspray.
Paintthe *wing on the underside. Use double-sided tape to secure the wing tothe Rustler body.
*These instructions are for the Rustler body and wing only. The method ofmounting the wing on other Traxxas bodies may be different. Some bodies donot include a wing. Refer to your model's manual for instructions on howto mount the wing on your model.
Youhave now finished painting the body. If your body was not pre-cut, now isthe time to cut out the body. Use the scribe lines on the body as guideswhen trimming. Curved hobby scissors will work best. These "body" scissorsare available from your hobby dealer. To make the body mounting holes, use a taperedreamer, if available. A drill bit will not work on the Lexanbody.
Youare now ready to apply the decals. The decals for most Traxxas models havebeen die-cut for your convenience. If your model's decals are not die-cut,use a hobby knife to carefully cut around each image. The decals areprinted on clear mylar, so that you won't have to cut exactly around theimage.
Testthe position of the decals before applying them to the body. Once thedecals have been applied, they cannot be removed without damaging them.You can spray the body with window cleaner before applying the decals.This will allow you to reposition them. Once positioned, squeegee thecleaner from under the decal. The decal will adhere when it dries. If youhave air bubbles in the decals, puncture the center of each bubble with asharp pin and push the air out. If you have creases along the outer edgesof a decal (especially when applied to curved surfaces), use a hobby knifeto cut along the top of the crease and overlap the edges.
If you do not want to take the time to completely customize the body, theTraxxasProGraphix body is a snap to paint! Since all the graphics arealready applied when you purchase the body, all you have to do is apply thefinal coat using the techniques outlined above!
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