I have gotten in the habit of spraying all of the trees with the parts still attached as a method of getting a nice even color for my armour. Does it matter whether I paint the parts before I assemble or is the preffered method to wait until after complete with the model

The more common method, and prefered by myself, is to build the whole kit and than paint. I pick out the details with a brush. The exceptions would be models that have visible interior. These would be painted as I go.

Painting the parts while still on the sprue trees is really a waste of time and paint. Each part needs to be cut off and cleaned of mold lines and flash. Where the parts get glued to other parts, they should be free of paint where the glue goes.

I prefer to paint the kit after it´s build, but I paint some parts (ie: the lower hull, the running gearr) while I´m building it.

Hi.
While it would first seem like a good idea to paint all the parts while on the spures, this can create it's own set of problems. Like the other posters have said, you then have to clean up certain areas on the parts once you do cut them off as you go. And then if you run into any piece(s) that has to have some work on it before it can fit up properly to other parts, you may end up cleaning away a lot of your paint before you can get a good fit.

Also paint does add another 'thickness' to the parts as well, and this also can create fit problems, so I would say it would be better to paint once you have all the parts on the model when it's convenient for you personally to do so.

Things like suspension, wheels, idlers, drive sprockets, and such I usually paint and weather with washes before assembling to the model itself. Track too. Tooling, if it can be easily reached once it's on the model, I will usually detail paint after the vehicle is painted it's primary color. If it is going to be hard to get to, then a person has to decide if they want to paint it before putting it on, or just leave it in the vehicle's main color.

You'll find modelers do quite a few things differently from one another, and what may work better for one person won't for another. Just depends on what is comfortable for you personally to do.

Just remember what works best for you on certain types of models and do it that way.

Take care, sgirty

Ola XMechGrunt and welcome to Arorama. I used to paint the bulk of the model when it was still on the sprue, too, when I was using Model Master spray enamel. Then I would clean the glue joints, glue everything together and touch up as need with the paint from a bottle. Before I started using MM Arcyl shot through an airbrush, painting on the trees seemed to work okay for me. Granted, there was extra clean up involved but it sure beat brush painting.

Shaun

I paint after assembly (unless its an interior or something like that).
Another reason to do it this way is to reduce the contact and touching of the finish. Oils and 'stuff' from your hands can have negative affects on the paint. I assemble, then paint, the detail and weather. I will wear medical gloves if I have to touch my model after the base coat is put on.

9 out of 10 times I paint after assembly, but I usually paint & weather extra add-on's & accessories seperate. It really depends on what needs to be done sometime's in the matter of sequence. The point is to do it your way. Whatever your most comfortable with. ............... There is no " right way " or " wrong way " here.

- ralph

I like to paint after assembly, as most others seem to do, with the interior parts done as I go. I figure that the surface will have to be cleared of paint before I attach anything else so I think it's easier to just add another bit of paint with a brush.