PewPreview Guides How camo finishes are sprayed
How camo finishes are sprayed
A camo finish is a stack of coats with stencils in between. Knowing the steps makes it easier to choose a pattern and to read a quote.
The usual order
- Prep. The part is stripped, cleaned and blasted, as for any coating.
- Base coat. The whole part gets the lightest color or the main field.
- Stencil and next color. A stencil protects what should stay, and the next color goes on in a thin coat.
- Repeat. Each further color is another stencil and another coat. The color with the most small pieces often goes last, so its edges stay clean.
- Cure. The part is cured as the coating requires, and the stencils come off with care.
Why each color costs more
Most of the time goes into masking, not spraying. A three-color pattern needs a good deal more handling than a single color, and fine detail takes longer than large blotches. That is why pattern work is priced above a single finish.
Choosing a pattern for the part
A pattern should be scaled to the part. Large blotches can swallow a small part, while a fine pattern can look busy on a big one. Patterns that run across the joins between parts look best, so the parts are usually assembled or lined up when the stencils go on.
Stencils
Shops cut stencils on vinyl cutters or lasers. Pew-Stencil makes the cut files from a picture, for shops that want to build their own.