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Vallejo matt and trichloroethylene questions


Foghorn Leghorn

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Vallejo: For a long time I've used Vallejo Model Air matt varnish (thinned with water) and it goes down beautifully, well and truly matt.

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I bought a bigger bottle to replace it and I was told it's the same stuff as Model Air. I used it yesterday and it doesn't go down matt at all, the best I could get out of it was satin. It's also a lot thinner (in fact it sprays straight out of the bottle) and it's labelled as "100% Acrylic Resin" so it may be different than model air matt.

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It got well and truly shaken (and stirred) and I tried it straight out of the bottle and thinned, but that made no difference either. Has anyone else had the same problem with this stuff?

Trichloroethylene (known as TCE or trike)

It used to be in electronic switch cleaner spray cans but it's being phased out due to CFC problems. I've used it for years (via spray cans) to clean out the airbrush and it's brilliant, it shifts any paint, especially arcylics. I'm struggling to find a replacement, 3M Novec apparently is the nearest thing but at £30 a can it's too pricey.

Any chemists out there recommend a replacement for TCE? I've tried Maplins contact cleaner but it doesn't work on paint.

TIA

Neil

Edited by neilscrim
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I have only ever used the latter,sold in 200ml bottles,and it has always been beautifully matt.It needs a little thinning,with Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner,I usually add about 10%.Dries to touch after about an hour,depending on ambient temp, but best left at least a day,the longer the better.

It is odd,as my limited experience with the Vallejo Air sold in the 17ml bottles was the opposite-the matt appeared satin! I only ever used it to adjust the gloss up or down on other colours,and have now switched to using their gloss sold in the bigger 200ml bottles too. I do not know what the differences between the "resin" and acrylic are,mine are marked the same,FWIIW.

Only ever used Badger AB cleaner,but prefer to do a full strip and clean by hand,using Vallejo AB cleaner and small AB cleaning brushes "pulled through" as like rifle cleaning to clear **ap out of passage between nozzle and reservoir .

HTH

mtd

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I have used Vallejo matt varnish (I am also a fan) from all of these bottles and have not had the problem you report, they all dried lovely and matt:

P1070104_zpsb105c02e.jpg

It sounds like you have a suspect bottle. The only difference between them that I can make out is that the varnish in the big bottle is somewhat thicker - it still sprays OK though. I also had a problem with white particles from the smaller bottles as they started to run low. I have not had the same problem with the big bottle.

How about cellulose thinners as an airbrush cleaner? Its pretty aggressive and will dissolve most things. I sometimes soak my airbrush nozzle in it overnight to give it a deep clean. I also use the Vallejo cleaner after using acrylics.

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It sounds like you have a suspect bottle.

How about cellulose thinners as an airbrush cleaner?

Yeah been wondering the same, the fact that it's very thin (and sprays without thinning) suggests it might be a duff bottle.

Cellulose. Love the stuff :thumbsup2: but it's a bit smelly. I use it for thinning enamels as well as cleaning but I've found TCE better for acrylics, it's really useful in a can, which means I can spray it into the airbrush body.

I also want to try Ultimate thinners and cleaner, I've just got to wait until I bump into it at a show. It may be that TCE has come to an end for me :(

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Basically as a replacement for TCE you want something that will dissolve paint, laquer, acrylic resins etc? Things like acetone or ethyl acetate will do it, and are less toxic/harmful than TCE, but are HELLISHLY flammable, and if vapourised (e.g. by spraying them) can form explosive mixtures.

I muck about with this sort of stuff for a living, and I'd be wary. VERY wary.

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Things like acetone or ethyl acetate will do it, if vapourised (e.g. by spraying them) can form explosive mixtures.

I muck about with this sort of stuff for a living, and I'd be wary. VERY wary.

Yeah, I'm with you on that one. I've got acetone but I very rarely use it because it's ... volatile.

Looks like there isn't a good alternative to TCE, I must get round to trying Ultimate thinners and cleaner.

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Yeah, I'm with you on that one. I've got acetone but I very rarely use it because it's ... volatile.

Looks like there isn't a good alternative to TCE, I must get round to trying Ultimate thinners and cleaner.

Much as it galls me, I think you're right. The days of cooking up yourself what you want to use are behind us. A shame in some ways, but vastly safer.

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I doubt that small exposure from modelling will do a lot of damage.

My dad used to work in a factory with big baths of it in his early 20's and we believe we can see the effect of it today (he's 74 so can be normal ;)).

I myself have transported thousands of tons of it and other nasty chlorinated solvents on my ship. We used to use it a lot for tank cleaning but not anymore.

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