Need urgent help with panel wash

[Ilie Mihai]

Hello everyone!

 

Yesterday I started my second scale model an Italieri F/A-18E. While I certainly made a little progress since my first progress it is going pretty well so far. So well that I thought about applying a panel wash on it when it's done. 

 

The problem is that I tried to do that this evening on my first model...just to test it (as my first model was pretty much a test kit as well that I used in order to test my airbrush) and I encountered some huge problems.

 

First of all the model I tried this on is a F-16 (not that important) that was painted with MR Paint colors..which are titled acrylic..but as I've seen on the internet they are pretty similar to lacquers . After that I applied a mixture of 50% X-22 and 50% MR color leveling thinner. Then I applied decals and then I applied another coat of clear varnish but this time it was Mr Paint super clear. I let it dry for about 2 hours (I know I should have let it dry overnight to cure properly, but I really wanted to try the pannel wash).  After about 2 hourst I wanted to test my tamiya panel liner. 

 

I tried covering the jet in black wash like in this image 

 

 

It dried pretty quickly so then I tried to clean it off by rubbing the surface of the jet with a dried napkin (as stated in that video I was watching), but nothing. It solidified. I thought...okay...maybe I have to use some thinner (as it was also suggested on multiple videos).

 

I used a q-tip. First I tried with Mr color leveling thinner and it was awful. It didn't just remove the excess wash..but after just a few passes I felt it going slowly just to realize that it is also taking off my paint. Seeing that I stopped and tried to use Revell's Color Mix. It worked (somehow). It no longer destroyed the paint underneath but it didn't seem to get the excess varnish of either. It just spread it a bit.

 

What should I do? What did I do wrong (besides not letting the model cure overnight after applying a gloss coat). What's the process of it? I was sure to shake the bottle of tamiya panel liner just in case anyone was wondering but somehow it didn't seem to spread into the panel lines that well either when I tried doing this on some panel lines underneath the jet. 

 

Why was the mr coloring thinner attacking the paint? and why didn't color mix? Should I go and get X-20 from tamiya?

 

Please give me a detailed explanation of what I did wrong and if you can...please explain exactly how I should do it. 

 

 

Best regards!

[tank152]

I may be wrong but aren't Tamiya Panel Liners enamel? If so you should be using white spirits, preferably low odour ones, to remove the excess. You certainly shouldn't be using Mr Color thinners for the job, they are the reason you're removing the paint.

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Im going to be blunt but polite.

     My guess is by not letting your gloss coat dry and cure. The two combined and became one. You now have a glossy black wash that is now cured. Its next to impossible to remove because of the properties of chemical bonds. You now have a practice model to try new paints, clear coats, and washes on. I seriously dont think anything short of stripping off everything down to bare plastic will save the kit.

Edited August 31, 2017 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[Ilie Mihai]

2 hours ago, tank152 said:

I may be wrong but aren't Tamiya Panel Liners enamel? If so you should be using white spirits, preferably low odour ones, to remove the excess. You certainly shouldn't be using Mr Color thinners for the job, they are the reason you're removing the paint.

 

 

1 hour ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Im going to be blunt but polite.

     My guess is by not letting your gloss coat dry and cure. The two combined and became one. You now have a glossy black wash that is now cured. Its next to impossible to remove because of the properties of chemical bonds. You now have a practice model to try new paints, clear coats, and washes on. I seriously dont think anything short of stripping off everything down to bare plastic will save the kit.

 

Thanks for your answers! I do not mind that since the model was pretty much a test kit anyways.

 

A few other questions that I have:

 

While working on the canopy for the previous model I encountered a few problems:

 

1) Should I polish with Tamiya polishing compound ( I have all three) or dip it in Humbrol clear gloss? Or both? Which one do you think it's the best method? Also...do I need polishing cloths for tamiya compound (tamiya sells some)? Or is a microfiber cloth enough? 

 

2) After peeling off the masking tape I had some glue remaining from it. I have no idea how to remove it. It also ruined the whole polishing process. How do I remove it? What's your technique?

 

3) Should I use some liquid mask on the canopy and on the fuselage as well? I am thinking about buying some tomorrow. 

 

and

 

4) What colors do you use for your exhausts? I am looking for results such as those:

 

for the current project:

 

 

 

 

Which one of those looks better to you? And what colors do you think those are?

 

for a future F-15E project: 

 

 

 

I think the above one is a chrome finish with some brown weathering to represent burn marks? Am I wrong?

 

or maybe this for the F-15:

 

 

I think this is burn metal.

 

Again...Which one of those looks better to you? And what colors do you think those are?

 

 

 

 

Best regards!

 

 

[Black Knight]

1. only polish if there are marks to remove. Usually a dip, or two, in clear/Kleer/Future is enough to bring up a shine

2. Use WD40 on a cotton bud to remove tape glue residue

3. Do not use Maskol if you dip your canopy.  Vallejo does a masking fluid. I have not used it yet but so far I've heard its ok with dipped canopies

4. for someone else to answer

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

For my canopies i polish them with microgrit cloths usually in the 2000-8000 grit range. For stubborn marks i will use 600-1200 grit wet sand film or paper. Then proceed to finer and finer grits. I then dip the canopy in future floor polish. As for masking i use micromask and tamiya tape. I usually use two coats of micromask as i had to redo an F-16D  canopy that only had one coat. I then also place a complete coat on the inside surface of my canopies for protection from overspray and leak through when i paint. As i dont use washes personally, i cannot comment on them. I prefer to work with powders to get my weathering. I hope this helps.