i just masked and sprayed wit tamiya

sure but start wit thin coats

Do the duplicolor mirage paints work ok? Im thinking of trying that, something different...

Yeah Dero they work great and look cool as H3!! I just got mine today... It's Gold/Magenta...
Edit: My 150th post woohoo...

I did one body with Mirage paint and it is very tough. That body is like a crash helmet. It was the green/ purple that I used on it.

Actually I like to remove all the parts and mask them off. This way you have an even coat on the parts. That isn't build up in the seams. And if you want to change around parts later you can do that, without the paint breaking off at the edges. That can be tricky if you are using multiple layers of paint. Things like the hoods may need to be filed down to make room for the extra paint. Just make sure the parts are dryed good before you assemble them. It can be tough as we all can be in a hurry to see what we have done.

What's a good amount of time between painting the clearcoat and starting the wet sand/polish/wax steps? I'm currently at day 4, and the orange peel has settled almost completely out of the surface, and getting antsy to start the final step, since I just picked up my Tamiya modeling wax. I was going to wait until day 7 (I hear a week for several folks), but the paint doesn't smell & the fingerprints are not being embedded in the clearcoat itself. I'm using Micromark 6000 (although I may skip this one since the orange peel is damn-near gone already; Tamiya is some great paint with great colors, IMO), 8000, 12000 grit wet sands then Micro-Surface brand Micro-Gloss followed by the Tamiya modeling wax (which is non-abrasive, BTW). I asked my local model shop about waxes, and they said they weren't sure how good/bad Tamiya wax is since they just got it, but The Treatment is excellent. Novus is good, but it *is* abrasive. Also, I asked about using enamel primer (Model Masters) instead of Tamiya clearcoat, since you're not supposed to put lacquer over enamel, but he said that it's generally only a rule for hot lacquers, as in automobile paint, and that Model Masters primer is OK under Tamiya paint. I can't recommend Tamiya products enough, but their primer is currently hard to come by, as they are having importation difficulties due to the contents of their products (I bought 14 cans, enough for all of my projects, ahead of time and am glad I did).

BTW: Doing some research, some folks say to apply the clearcoat either as if it was just another layer of regular paint (i.e. wait 10-15 minutes) or else wait a full 30 days. The thinking on that is that any time in between risks cracking as the clearcoat & paint dry at different rates (although I've gone Tamiya all the way and saw nothing close to cracking after waiting 3 days between...I think cracking has a better chance of occurring if you use different paint manufacturers)

could a 12 year old do this?

I would think it is in the realm of possibility. You should definitely supervise. Also, keep in mind that lacquer solvents are not very healthy to breath, so absolutely make sure everyone involved is wearing safety goggles and a breathing mask (it'll be just about anywhere you can get paint) and in a well-ventilated area. I personally use a cardboard box to paint due to space constraints, but ideally, an open garage with a tarp would be good.
The only real challenging aspects to painting are the patience involved in waiting for it to cure properly and the sanding. The painting itself consists of just holding the can 10-12 inches away and swirling your hand around as you paint for better coverage. Also, you'd probably want to have said 12-year-old practice first with some cheaper paint (krylon, maybe) and spare plastic to know what to expect from the process (I've had to learn via screwing up myself, but did so on actual XMODS bodies with Tamiya paint, which isn't always easy to find and runs $5 for a small can)

different plastics come out differently. what would i use to simulate xmod bodies, for practice?

oh yeah, and i am the 12 yr old

I'm not sure of the type of plastic, but I'd just go with an old plastic toy of some kind, as it should be of the same grade. Technique is what you want to practice (making sure it doesn't get dust on it, that you have it elevated in such a way as to not get any painted surface to stick, as the vapors can actually melt already-dried paint, making your car stick to the ground). You definitely want to practice sanding as well, as nothing is more frustrating than spending 2 weeks laying down paint and curing only to sand it down to the primer.

Additionally, most places require you to be 18 or older to buy spraypaint, so acquiring it is another step to think about.

ok thx for your help

can i follow this tutorial, usnig an airbrush and Testors acrylic paint, and keep all the same details, like how long to wait between coats?
edit: never mind, i got it

Acrylics in my experiance rub off too easy. These may be good for details like the window trim and such. These may stick better over a good primer, I use a Tamiya white primer. Even though it is hard to get right now, I just hope the U.S. distributors get some in soon.

Last I heard was a month ago, and the Tamiya rep told my source that they were looking at 2 months to getting their paperwork refiled for importation. In the interim, eHobbies has a very good selection of Tamiya paints (hell, they even have dark blue mica, which is something like TS-64)