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problems spraying WHITE!


AdriaN (MLT)

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Does anyone here find spraying white extremely difficult?!
I am currently spraying a model all white. since the plastic was white i primed it with light grey primer to make life easier, but the white never seems to build up. and if i spray heavy for long i get puddles and the underneath still seems to show up. if i spray lightly it never builds up. i am spraying at 20psi and with almost full trigger. paint im using is vallejo acrylic.

What is the trick?

Edited by AdriaN (MLT)
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White is one of those colours I always struggle with. I finally managed to get a mix that worked with Tamiya 2 parts paint to one part thinners. I spray at about 18 psi, with the paint mix screw restricting even further. I only use about one third to a half needle movement and slowly build up the layers. I have found the key is a little over a longer time works better, rather than trying to rush it. Hope this helps.

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White is a dark art. I use the following method for air brushing. Base coat of grey rubbed followed by rubbing with a lint free cloth. I then use Citadel Skull White and build up between coats ending with another rub with aforementioned cloth. What I do between coats however is dry the coat rapidly with a hair drier before going onto the next coat.

This applies to acrylics. Don't try using a hair drier between coats of enamels. Your leccy bill won't be worth the effort. Of coarse, others will have their own methods but the above is what I use 99% of the time.

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I tend to use Alclad white microfiller and primer as an actual white paint. It goes on smooth, doesn't fade or go yellow and can be varnished without issue.

Hth

Tom

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I must be the odd one out here as I rarely have problems with white. :coolio:

I now use Xtra colour enamel. Sprays well and the pigment is deep. No primer....... thin mist coats, gradually build up.

Aeromaster acrylic was brill when you could get hold of it.

Try Aqua colour as an alternative.

Please don't send me your models to spray white :hypnotised:

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If you are spraying tamiya flat white use IPA instead of their own thinner!

Someone gave me that advice last year and it was a real epiphany moment, sudden it went down and as it should and covers like every other colour! :pray:

I've found 99.9% IPA can be a little tricky to get hold of so this is where I've always got it from.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252007814784?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Edited by DannyB
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I've been working on and off on a TSR 2, so definitely anti-flash white, and as said earlier - the key is many thin layers.

Of course it depends on your airbrush, but 20psi is too high for Vallejo, I find. More 15-18psi and no more

I find Vallejo Air Acrylics (I'm assuming you're not spraying Model Color - it can be done but with lots of thinners!) a pain in the rear end to spray, but use them for at least 50% of my work, I find the airbrush clogs much less, and the finish is much better and smoother if I use Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver - about 8 drops per half cup in the airbrush mixed well.

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Tomjw, on 10 Dec 2015 - 08:11 AM, said:

I tend to use Alclad white microfiller and primer as an actual white paint. It goes on smooth, doesn't fade or go yellow and can be varnished without issue.

Hth

Tom

And to illustrate what Tom is talking about, here's one in progress with said Alclad white:

It does lay on beautifully, doesn't cover detail, is totally opaque and sands or buffs to a wonderful gloss but can have some interesting side effects...

A

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And to illustrate what Tom is talking about, here's one in progress with said Alclad white:

It does lay on beautifully, doesn't cover detail, is totally opaque and sands or buffs to a wonderful gloss but can have some interesting side effects...

A

Ouch. Not seen that before. I used it in both the Hawk and MRCA builds in my signature below.

Sorry.

Tom

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I've been working on and off on a TSR 2, so definitely anti-flash white, and as said earlier - the key is many thin layers.

Of course it depends on your airbrush, but 20psi is too high for Vallejo, I find. More 15-18psi and no more

I find Vallejo Air Acrylics (I'm assuming you're not spraying Model Color - it can be done but with lots of thinners!) a pain in the rear end to spray, but use them for at least 50% of my work, I find the airbrush clogs much less, and the finish is much better and smoother if I use Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver - about 8 drops per half cup in the airbrush mixed well.

actually im using the model color! i use just a drop or 2 of thinner. i dont thin it because the thinner will make it more translucent and thin.

Many here are saying "build it up"... how many layers does it require? ive sprayed around 10 layers already and its not totally white!

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Ive managed to spray my model. ive found the trick is to spray from a distance! a distance of around 8cms. like that the paint dries quicker and you dont get pooling and you can continue over coating that area with paint. while if you spray wet coats from closer, it will pool and run. :thumbsup2::yahoo:

Edited by AdriaN (MLT)
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I was wondering about Stynylrez having heard rave reviews about it. Is it really good for a top coat?

Its really good as a top coat, the white stynylrez dries to quite a satin finish with a couple of coats and it dries very quickly so you can build it up quite fast, sands down a treat too :) Its not "Too White" either if you know what i mean? Not blindingly white, with just a couple of light coats it looks quite weathered to my eyes.

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