Yes Virginia, custom paint can be achieved with a spray can.
The first step is to sand and clean. This is the most important step in the whole project so don’t cheat yourself here. Use latex gloves and plenty of acetone or lacquer thinner. “ANY” oil or grease including fingerprints will ruin your work. A good hint here is canned carburetor cleaner to chase grease and loose dirt out of any cracks and welds. I used 320 grit sandpaper, which will give plenty of bite for the primer.
Two coats of white Rustoleum 7980830 - White Primer was laid down according to instructions. After 24 hours the primer was sanded with 600 grit wet and dry and clean water.
The first color laid down was Rustoleum 7210830 – Gold. This hammered finish gives a look of gold leaf. I masked the area allowing gold only where the lettering would appear. After the gold cured I sanded “lightly” with 600 grit and water.
The next color was the black, Rustoleum 248643 - Gloss Black. I masked the tank sides leaving the flowers and the lettering covered and then painted the black badges. I used two coats of black and finished with 600 grit and water. Once the remaining frisket was removed, I had white flowers and gold lettering against a black field. More frisket covered the badges leaving only the white tank.
The next color was Rustoleum gloss red 248642, two coats, “Heavy” sanding with water, and two more coats. All frisket was removed and a light sanding with 600 grit and water. This blended all the rough edges of the different colors. Next came the gold pen stripe tape. (again, no fingerprints!). The green and yellow color (Testors model enamel) and the flower detail (3B Drawing pencil) were added.
Next came the clear. I used Rustoleum crystal clear 7701. I shot two coats and sanded with #0000 steel wool. This fills flaws, locks the pen stripping, and builds gloss on the side panels. A combination of clear coats and rubbing compound yield an acceptable gloss.
I mask the side panels and painted the remainder of the tank with Rustoleum high heat 246875. This was done to provide a transition zone from the gloss red to the texture finish. On my test piece the solvent in the texture paint softened the clear coats when it wicked back under the frisket. If you choose to use the Rustoleum multi color paint use very light coats and build them up only after the previous coat has flashed.
An airbrush yields a much better result and allows greater flexibility, but as you can see rattle can will give an acceptable result if you do the needed prep work and follow the instructions on the can.
So,...What do you think?
Pages: 
