laq paint flaking off of my reproduction why ?

I never primer my repro. fish. I just wipe down with thinner to remove any releasing agent and then paint. The first paint to go on is a darker brown, then use 00 steel wool and remove most of it. this will high lite the scales.

 

Is the primer flaking off also or just the paint you have applied over the primer?

 

Release agent probably wasn't completely removed. I've had similar issues on occasion with several distributors blanks. Some "ready to paint" and all of them stating they don't need to be scrubbed! Primer isn't going to make any difference because it too will not adhere if any release agent is still there. I've started scrubbing all of my blanks now just to be safe. A little kitchen cleanser and a scrub brush quickly over things gives me some peace of mind. It has only happened a few times out of many blanks btw...

 

Ditto Marty. I got one of those blanks that supposedly were ready to paint and wasn't. I also had a blank from a supplier where the customer brought it back and the paint was peeling off in sheets. Supplier made good and sent me another blank and that one wasn't an issue. Not sure what was wrong but I did clean that one before painting.

 

Also, I forgot - Prep Sol is a great product for quick wipe downs on blanks. If I remember correctly, the folks at New Wave recommended the stuff for their blanks. I think it's made by DuPont and can be found at automotive stores. It's quicker than the kitchen cleanser method, but you need to let the blank sit for several hours before being ready to paint. I usually do it the night before painting. Some good stuff. And a little goes a long way...

 

I'll have to check that out. Is it expensive?

 

I don't know Cecil - lol! I bought it years ago after Mike or Jen over at New Wave recommended it. I bought a gallon and it goes a long way. I don't think there's a shelf life. I've probably wiped down a few dozen blanks including some really big billfish and I'll bet I still have 3/4's of a gallon left. A quick wipe of lacquer thinner would probably perform the same task. But, I think you'd have to be careful you'd eat off any of the primer with lacquer. That, and stuff like Starfish's resin-y type molds might not like lacquer. I don't recall if I've ever used Prep Sol on any Starfish blanks. SO, if you do try the stuff, make sure you test it on those...