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Hataka Red Line Paints - Avoid


Ben

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I've just received my first set of Hataka red line paints. These paints are advertised as "optimised for airbrush" and the side of the bottle says "airbrush tested"

 

The paints I received were a million miles away from being airbrush ready, they were thin-ish brush paints. 

 

After a short conversation with the UK stockist and with Hataka's facebook page, they have confirmed that none of their paints are airbrush-ready, they all need to be diluted. As far as I'm concerned this is, at best, misleading and at worst blatant and deliberate mis-selling.

 

I'm very disappointed and I would advise Members to avoid the product. 

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How thin paint needs to airbrush well depends on a lot of factors- air pressure, nozzle size, distance from subject you are painting, effect you want to achieve. I don't think their marketing terms imply ready to airbrush out of the bottle. Thinner is cheaper than paint, so I'd rather have more concentrated paint for a given price. Though I'm not suggesting their paint is any good, never even see it.

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Just now, ben_m said:

How thin paint needs to airbrush well depends on a lot of factors- air pressure, nozzle size, distance from subject you are painting, effect you want to achieve. I don't think their marketing terms imply ready to airbrush out of the bottle. Thinner is cheaper than paint, so I'd rather have more concentrated paint for a given price. Though I'm not suggesting their paint is any good, never even see it.

Absolutely, however, I think "thinnable for airbrush" would fit the same space on the packaging and be more accurate. 

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It's not particularly a case of "avoid", more of an instance of "FYI - you still need to dilute these paints to spray them successfully".  As @ben_m says, you're actually getting more paint for your money in return for a little inconvenience.  not necessarily a reason to avoid them.  Plus, if you've got a big ole needle and plenty of pressure you probably could spray them neat.

 

What needle size, airbrush and pressure were you using? :hmmm:

 

Sorry - do I need to be called Ben to post in this thread? :lol:

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Just now, Mike said:

It's not particularly a case of "avoid", more of an instance of "FYI - you still need to dilute these paints to spray them successfully".  As @ben_m says, you're actually getting more paint for your money in return for a little inconvenience.  not necessarily a reason to avoid them.  Plus, if you've got a big ole needle and plenty of pressure you probably could spray them neat.

 

What needle size, airbrush and pressure were you using? :hmmm:

 

Sorry - do I need to be called Ben to post in this thread? :lol:

Yes, you need to be a Ben for this one.

 

I can't remember which of the Iwatas I've got, probably 0.3 or 0.4mm. I do know that Vallejo model air goes through it at between 10 and 40 PSI just beautifully, and that Hataka paints block it up almost exactly like I thought they wouldn't!

 

Normally, for convenience I thin Humbrol with screenwash and that works fine. Nowhere on the Humbrol pots does it say "optimised for airbrush" 

 

I'm just wee weed off and grumpy. I'm still going to use the paints. 

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No point in throwing 'em out, and once you find that sweet spot, you could always post back here and help out any others having similar issues :)

 

Just call me "Ben" while we're in this thread :ninja:

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I can understand @Ben frustration about his paint but I would be more interested in accuracy of colour and consistency.

I'm in the process of changing paints myself after many years of using Humbrol enamels but I think these paints are 'pants' so I am looking at this Hataka range. Accuracy and consistency is what I look for and if I have to thin them a little then, so be it.

Their was a topic being run about these Hataka paints but their hasn't been a recent update.

Can anybody else comment on this range of paints?

 

Stuart

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25 minutes ago, Courageous said:

I can understand @Ben frustration about his paint but I would be more interested in accuracy of colour and consistency.

I'm in the process of changing paints myself after many years of using Humbrol enamels but I think these paints are 'pants' so I am looking at this Hataka range. Accuracy and consistency is what I look for and if I have to thin them a little then, so be it.

Their was a topic being run about these Hataka paints but their hasn't been a recent update.

Can anybody else comment on this range of paints?

 

Stuart

I had a conversation with John at Scale Model Shop about the paints and he said he was no longer going to stock Hataka paints because he's had too many complaints. He didn't say exactly what the nature of those complaints were. 

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Such a coincidence this post has come up today as I have been spraying this brands 'sky type s'. I have two bottles and the mix keeps seperating in my Iwata Neo with .3 needle. At10-15psi or clogging. I have their thinner and always start with a couple of drops in the airbrush before adding the paint. I mostly spray as small as I can over a black base but have used the cap on the airbrush as well.

 

Today I have used winsor and newton retarder in the mix and it seems to have worked alot better than just using the brands own thinner. 

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4 hours ago, Ben said:

The paints I received were a million miles away from being airbrush ready, they were thin-ish brush paints. 

 

Perhaps its more along the pigment size than the apparent 'viscosity' of the paint. No harm in adding thinner to suit your setup? 

 

'Optimised for airbrush' and  'airbrush ready' mean two different things to me. 

 

Trying to think of an analogy -  

Like a ready meal. Almost there but you need to cook it first?

Like someone complaining on a food forum how they chipped their tooth on their still frozen ready meal? Perhaps not the best example. 

 

The only paints that are truly 'aribrush ready' as in pour straight into your cup, are the ones in tall glass bottles by a few companies now. 

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5 minutes ago, JackG said:

Thanks for the heads up.

I'd consider it a bonus if you have to dilute the paint to work in the airbrush - more mileage per bottle.

 

regards,

Jack

Yes, I think I'd be a bit happier if I hadn't filled my Iwata up with undiluted "optimised" and "tested" paint which glued the whole thing up. 

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  • 1 month later...

Sorry I'm late to this party but I'm using them fine with the following mix...

 

Iwata Neo (standard needle whatever size that is).

 

15 - 20 psi through a Badger compressor.

 

40% of Hataka paint.

60% of Mr Color thinner.

10 drops of Vallejo flow improver / retarder.

 

I buy the empty dripper pots and pre mix them.  Seem to store okay too.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

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