u can but tat doing so will leave scratches, another smart way to cover up is to sand the whole model kit add some weathering effect and a flat top coat!
Walah u get a really cool mecha!

he he cheapo like me use hardware shop type. usually i use 600, 800 (mostly), 1200.  2000 (for gloss finish)

To even soften the sanding effect, you can try wet sand. meaning, add some water  on the surface then sand. The water in between sand paper and your model kit serve as a buffer. so scracthes will will finer and less likely to make mistake like pressing too hard. it will take longer but is good effect.