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Vallejo Model Air paints


Airgunner

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Just been given a set of 16 Vallejo RLM colour paints, so before I give then a go, has anybody used them, what's the colour matching like and how are they to use, cleanup etc? It says they can be sprayed straight from the bottle at low pressure, perfect if I want to do German mottle. Opinions anyone?

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Can't comment re the colour match.

As for spraying, you "can" spray direct from the bottle, but they will perform better if thinned, my personal preference is Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner.

Clean up is a doddle... Flush out with water then a little of the Cleaner on some paper towel to wipe the needle and final flush of the nozzle.

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I bought the Model Air Luftwaffe set a couple of years ago but have not been able to get on with them. Clogging, even when thinned and the colours I have used haven't matched anything else (doesn't mean they're wrong of course). Very soft and easily damaged when dry. Personally I'm not a fan but lots of other people like them.

I just use them for brush painting small areas now, their Model Colour paints are great for brush painting though.

Duncan B

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I think they are great, no idea about colour matching but i find they spray well unthinned through the airbrush using a medium needle. as mentioned before they can be quite fragile for a few days after painting, and not as robust as tamiya when it comes to pulling away when removing masks.

but overall i like them.

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I certainly wouldn't want to attempt do any thing Luftwaffe with them especially mottling, apart from the colours being a bad match for any RLM colour, I personally had the same trouble has Duncan had when I first (and the last) time I used Vallejo Air.

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I have been using the whole range of Vallejo products for two years now and I think they are great. You might need to thin them just like any other paint for the airbrush but with the new thinner that couldn`t be easier. I think the most important thing is to shake well the bottle before using the paint. I got myself a paint stirrer from ebay for 4 quid and it has been a fantastic tool to have. The only product I wouldn`t recommend is the primer (I use Tamiya).

Hope that helps.

Adrian

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Like any paints you need to understand them.

You can use them without thinning, but I always add their thinner and drying retardant to the paint once it's in the cup.

And their cleaner to clean up.

Don't lit anything like IPA get near the paint as it will thicken & gel in the brush.

Paul

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As others have said, understanding the paint is the key to success with them. I use the airbrush thinner with them, spraying onto a clean, primed surface. I use Vallejo polyurethane primer, which I let cure for two or three days. Cleanup is with their airbrush cleaner.

The problem is this: their colour matches are, to say the least, hit or miss, and when it comes to their RLM colours, I prefer to mix Tamiya paints than to trust their impressions. It's a shame, as the paint is great.

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Many thanks for the help guys, when using a new paint I do try to find out its peculiarities, I'm not a hit and miss kind of chap. Will be giving these a go over the next couple of days on the Airfix Fw190 I got for Xmas.

One last quick question, anyone tried thinning them with ready-mixed screen wash? I use that for Tamiya, and it works brilliantly.

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  • 5 months later...

I have used these, no problems until it comes to decaling, if u drop just a little water on the model from the decal you get a colour fade, any advice on decaling with these paints?

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  • 3 weeks later...

All Vallejo colours will cross-mix with all their products and you can get match mixes from the more experienced for specific shades.

For example, if you want British Army Olive WWII - SCC15,

you'll need equal parts of 70.888 & 70.924 to create the colour - you then thin accordingly for airbrushing using Vallejo Airbrush Thinner (a spot of Airbrush Cleaner loosens the mix a little)

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I decided to give them another try today. I have been struggling to find a match for the later war RLM76 which appears to be lighter and less blue than the standard. The Model Air version of RLM76 looked just right so I used a 50/50 mix paint to Vallejo thinners and it sprayed very evenly without clogging. I left it for 4 hours but just by laying the model on a pad of foam after that time I've managed to rub some of the paint off! No worries as I'll touch it up but it doesn't bode well for masking off or general handling during the final stages of painting or construction.

Cleaning the airbrush was easy enough by flushing with water then using their own airbrush cleaner. Tomorrow I'll have a go at applying the next topcoat colour,

Duncan B

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I use Vallejo Model Air wherever possible. I find some of the colours need to be thinned, whereas other seem fine. The Luftwaffe underside colours need a bit of thinning and I find even a drop of regular tap water works for me to thin them!

thanks

Mike

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I use Vallejo Model Air wherever possible. I find some of the colours need to be thinned, whereas other seem fine. The Luftwaffe underside colours need a bit of thinning and I find even a drop of regular tap water works for me to thin them!

thanks

Mike

Hi Mike

The Model Air RLM76 was just the colour I have been after for the underside of my 410, it went on fine but it is really soft and easily rubbed off even after a while afternoon left to cure (all I did was turn the model over onto a foam pad and that was enough to rub the paint off the contact points after leaving it all afternoon!). Is that normal for this paint and if so how long do you leave it between coats or colours?

Duncan B

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I like to leave them a day or two, especially if im masking over them

Ok, thanks Charley. I'm going for a fairly simple colour scheme as my last attempt at using Vallejo paints ended in disaster really. To be honest I'm only giving them a second chance because I'm stereotypical Scots and don't want to waste the £30 I paid for the horrid things.

Duncan B

(Milktrip, why are you not working?)

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Hi Mike

The Model Air RLM76 was just the colour I have been after for the underside of my 410, it went on fine but it is really soft and easily rubbed off even after a while afternoon left to cure (all I did was turn the model over onto a foam pad and that was enough to rub the paint off the contact points after leaving it all afternoon!). Is that normal for this paint and if so how long do you leave it between coats or colours?

Duncan B

I try and give them a day or so before masking. Sometimes you still get a bit of peeling but that's easily fixed. I prime my models with Halfords grey primer.

thanks

Mike

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I try and give them a day or so before masking. Sometimes you still get a bit of peeling but that's easily fixed. I prime my models with Halfords grey primer.

thanks

Mike

Thanks Mike, I'm going to use Friskit film as it is really low tack and see how that goes.

I have had a go at doing some mottling with the Vallejo and have to say that I can't get it to work as well as I can with Gunze paints.

Duncan B

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I've always found Vallejo paints to be really fragile, much more so than Gunze. Never had a problem with masking using tamiya tape, but it still gets damaged easily with handling.

If you're resting the model on a foam pad, I'd suggest adding a bit of greeseproof paper between them. That seems to stop any nasty marks appearing.

Can't help you with mottling though, I find that unless you keep too much paint flowing through the airbrush for that kind of work, it'll just clog the needle.

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