Essential Equipment to Paint RC Car Bodies

A custom paint job gives your RC vehicle personality and makes it stand out on the track, trail, or display shelf. Whether you’re building your first RC body or creating a professional-quality finish, having the right equipment makes all the difference.

At Maple Airbrush Supplies, we carry everything you need to achieve clean lines, smooth finishes, and durable paint jobs for RC bodies. Here’s a breakdown of the essential tools and supplies every RC painter should have.

Choosing the Right Airbrush

A quality airbrush is the foundation of any great RC paint setup. For most RC body painting, we highly recommend the Iwata Eclipse CS. It’s one of the most popular airbrushes for RC painters thanks to its reliability, smooth spray pattern, and versatility. The Eclipse CS is perfect for base coats, fades, detail work, and custom graphics, making it an excellent all-around choice for beginners and experienced painters alike.

For larger spray areas and faster coverage, the Iwata HP-TH2 is another excellent option. Its larger nozzle and trigger-style control make it ideal for spraying larger RC bodies, helmets, murals, and broad background work while still delivering excellent atomization and control.

We carry professional airbrushes, replacement parts, needles, nozzles, and accessories to help keep your equipment performing at its best.

Whether you’re laying down a solid base coat or adding detailed effects, a reliable airbrush helps deliver professional-looking results.

We offer airbrushes from trusted brands along with replacement parts, needles, nozzles, and accessories to keep your equipment running perfectly.

Air Compressors for RC Painting

A reliable air compressor is essential for smooth, consistent paint application. For RC body painting, we highly recommend the Sparmax TC-610H Plus and the Sparmax TC-620X trusted by hobbyists and professional airbrush artists alike

The Sparmax 610H Plus is a compact and dependable compressor that delivers consistent airflow with low noise, making it perfect for home workshops and hobby spaces. It features an air tank and moisture trap for stable pressure and clean, dry air while painting.

For painters looking for even more performance, the Sparmax 620X offers dual-piston power for higher airflow and longer continuous spraying sessions. It’s an excellent choice for larger RC bodies, production work, or artists using multiple airbrush sizes.

Both compressors provide:

• Quiet operation
• Consistent air pressure
• Built-in moisture traps
• Reliable performance for airbrushing RC bodies

A quality compressor helps prevent sputtering, moisture issues, and uneven paint application, giving you cleaner and more professional results. For RC body painting, most hobbyists spray between 18-22 PSI depending on the paint and detail work

Quality Paints Made for RC Bodies

Choosing the right paint is one of the most important parts of creating a durable and eye-catching RC body. At Maple Airbrush Supplies, we highly recommend Wicked Colors by Createx and/or Createx Airbrush Colors, both trusted by hobbyists and professional painters worldwide for their performance, vibrant color selection, and excellent adhesion on polycarbonate RC bodies.

Wicked Colors are extremely versatile and ideal for RC painting because they offer strong pigmentation, smooth spraying, and durability while still allowing for detailed airbrush work, fades, and layering effects. Createx Airbrush Colors are also a favourite for custom graphics, fine details, and creative designs.

For stunning metallics and dramatic color-shifting effects, Turbo Dork paints are a top choice. These unique color-shift paints change appearance depending on light and viewing angle, making RC bodies truly stand out on the track or display shelf. Turbo Dork colors are especially popular for custom builds, drift cars, crawlers, and show-quality paint jobs.

Popular paint options include:

• Wicked Colors by Createx
• Createx Airbrush Colors
• Turbo Dork color-shift paints
• Candy concentrates
• Reducers

Using professional-quality paints helps ensure better coverage, smoother finishes, and long-lasting durability for your RC projects.

Masking Supplies for Sharp, Professional Results

Great RC paint jobs rely heavily on proper masking techniques. Whether you’re creating clean race lines, flames, fades, or intricate custom graphics, quality masking products make all the difference.

We highly recommend FBS masking products for RC body painting. FBS Fine Line Tape and masking materials are trusted by professional painters for their precision, flexibility, and clean paint edges. These tapes conform smoothly around curves and complex body shapes, helping prevent paint bleed while delivering crisp, sharp lines.

Essential masking supplies include:

• FBS Fine Line Tape
• Liquid masking film
• Hobby knives and blades
• Masking paper and protective film

Liquid mask is especially popular among RC painters because it allows you to draw and cut custom designs directly onto the body shell for layered graphics and detailed artwork. Combined with FBS fine line tape, painters can create professional-looking fades, flames, stripes, race schemes, and custom effects with precision.

Using high-quality masking products not only improves the final appearance of your RC body but also saves time and frustration during the painting process.