Xtracrylix Help

[Sean_M]

Here is a picture of my current spit project. I am doing desert cammo. After a few test sprays of Vallejo I decided that their colours are way off. I normally use Tamiya. Having bought the book on modelling their 1/32 Spit I decided that I could not go far wrong by using the same paint so I splashed out for some Xtracrylix *without reading the reviews). A thought I could not go wrong as a lot the guys seem to swear buy the stuff.

Wrongly or rightly I always fork out for a like-for-like thinner. In other words my thinner comes from the same paint manufacturer

my first hour was spent trying to get the right viscosity and cleaning my airbrush every few minutes. This stuff clogs better than mud drying on a hot summer day.

I got around this my adding in some X-20A. On another site someone said they uses a bit of acetone (not sure about that on a plastic model????), Having got to the point where I was happy to lay down a few coates (about 1 hour later) here is the result. There a light and dark areas (no pre-shaiing was done). Its like the stuff wont stick to the model. Before I return a very large range of colour to H's with a sour note would anyone care to venture an opinion. The mid-stone also seems a bit orange

I did use a bit off Halfords plastic whit primer on the nose

The Kit is the Eduard MK IX

[JasonC]

Surprised no-one has chipped in (no pun intended) on this yet.

Having used Xtracrylix RLM65 recently, I can echo your issues with challenging adhesion. I was spraying over a base of Halford's Grey primer, and still encountered what I can best describe as 'beading' when spraying onto this. I was a little surprised, as to the best of my recollection I used Xtracylix on my Tempest without these issues. After a bit of reading around, the solution was/is apparently to spray in (very) thin coats, and leave to dry fully in between.

In the end (after sanding back a little to a smooth surface), it took me around 4 or 5 light coats to get decent coverage. It seems as if the job of first Xtracylix coat is to give subsequent coats something to key onto. Don't expect to see good colour coverage after the initial coat or two.

I left it overnight between coats, and would always advise spraying over primer, but opinions vary.

I have to say that my preference for acrylics is Tamiya or Gunze Aqueous, and this experience has only reinforced that.

Best of luck!

regards,

Jason

Edited January 2, 2014 by JasonC

[Sean_M]

Surprised no-one has chipped in (no pun intended) on this yet.

Having used Xtracrylix RLM65 recently, I can echo your issues with challenging adhesion. I was spraying over a base of Halford's Grey primer, and still encountered what I can best describe as 'beading' when spraying onto this. I was a little surprised, as to the best of my recollection I used Xtracylix on my Tempest without these issues. After a bit of reading around, the solution was/is apparently to spray in (very) thin coats, and leave to dry fully in between.

In the end (after sanding back a little to a smooth surface), it took me around 4 or 5 light coats to get decent coverage. It seems as if the job of first Xtracylix coat is to give subsequent coats something to key onto. Don't expect to see good colour coverage after the initial coat or two.

I left it overnight between coats, and would always advise spraying over primer, but opinions vary.

I have to say that my preference for acrylics is Tamiya or Gunze Aqueous, and this experience has only reinforced that.

Best of luck!

regards,

Jason

Mine too. I hate the stuff and ordered more, having forgot I had some. The thing I hate most is the clogging. I thought that it was almost impossible to clog an Aztek 777. I solved the problem by removing all the acrylic and giving it an all over base coat of Tamiya Primer. I then could not face a respray with the clogging. I have a post going about the choice of colours here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234952528-all-the-stupid-spitfire-questions-here/page-2

[Silver Fox]

I had the same issues, clogging and beading and gave up on them after a couple of scrapped models. Shame as the colour range is excellent. I now use Gunze and Tamiya.

[Giorgio N]

I personally spray Xtracrylics thinning them with just tap water and a few drops of retarder/flow improver. Winsor & Newton has one that works brilliantly.

The use of a retarder should sort most clogging problems as by extending the drying time this prevents the paint from drying on the airbrush needle tip.I

Regarding adhesion, these acrylics are sure not the strongest, but I've never had too many problems, provided of course that a good quality primer is applied first ! They don't like bare plastic at all.

[Mike]

I used Xtracrylix for a few years, and here are my tips & tricks for what they're worth

Thin the paint by eye with their own thinners and a drop or two of W&N's Galleria flow improver. It doesn't like smaller needles either, but will spray reasonably well through a 0.2mm needle. Expect blockages though, and have a cotton bud moistened with thinners on hand just in case. Some colours need less thinners, so experiment. I sprayed their yellow almost neat, and it gave much better coverage with a dot of white in there. The same is probably true for some of their other colours, I'm sure.

Primer the model with something like Alclad grey primer, or their white if it's yellow or red you're planning on using. Eliminate any rough spots in the primer to give it a nice flat base (all standard modelling so far, really), and then using a very fine, but not polishing grade, sanding sponge, just key the surface a tiny bit to help the paint bite. Your initial coat of paint should be more of a mist, as you run the risk of beading, especially if there are any finger oils on the surface. Once you get your thinnest coat on, you can be a bit more liberal with it, but don't spray is truly wet unless you have already covered the base colour with your chosen hue. Otherwise, surface tension of the wet paint will draw it away from the sharp edges, and it'll look icky.

If you stick to those guidelines above, you should be able to mask with Tamiya tape and/or blutac within the hour and not risk any serious lifting of paint. If you can follow all that, you've got yourself a pretty decent set of acrylic paints that are a little less harsh on both you and the environment. Don't expect miracles though - they are fallible, just like any paint system, but generally, you can get around them with some techniques, so don't immediately blame the paint. We are human, and therefore fallible

Happy New Year while I'm typing

[Sean_M]

Happy New Year Mike. Seriously, I think I might cut my losses....

[noeyedears]

I gave up trying to spray Xtracrylic, it brushes quite nice thinned with water, better than tamiya.

[Rick Brown]

I quite like the Xtracrylix.

A drop of W&N and distilled water to thin and away you go. It can be a little delicate to handle until you clear coat it.

It brush paints really nicely too.

Iwata 0.3 needle:

Hairy brush:

Oh, avoid the white, it ain't white and doesn't spray well!

Rick.

[davidelvy]

I've used Xtracryix for years. I never quite know what is going to come out of the airbrush. It all adds to the excitement.

I've also started using Tamiya, but with boringly consistent results.

[Rick Brown]

I guess I may have been lucky then!

I find Tamiya is great if thinned with cellulose when using the airbrush and W&N if using hairy stick thing.

Vallejo MA seems to be the most consistent for me all round.

Rick.

[spitfire]

This was my only venture into acrylic paint, all Xtracrylix, I treated the paint the same as I treated enamels, thinned with their own thinners approx 50:50, no primer and masked with Blu Tac sauseges, it turned out fine but the constant blockages drove me nuts, so I switched back to enamels and have never looked back.

Cheers

Dennis

[Rick Brown]

I think the lesson to be drawn from this is the usual " what's suits one doesn't necessarily suit another"!

Rick.

[spitfire]

I think the lesson to be drawn from this is the usual " what's suits one doesn't necessarily suit another"!

Rick.

Too true, life would be very boring if we all liked the same things

Cheers

Dennis

[SPAD64]

I like these paints, I thinned them with x-20a (never less than 60%) or xtracrylix thinner . I use an evolution with 0,15 needle .I clean the nozzle with cotton bud moistered during spray

[Sean_M]

As a bit of a post script. Mr Hobby H071 arrived. It went down like dream, thinned to around 50/50 and 60/40 with X-20A. No muss, No fuss. The spray stayed constraint through out..

[Paul J]

I've been using Xtrcrylix with mixed results but hardly ever negative. As Mike says above, using Acrylic Flow improver does help and done in several light coats overa primer of your choice(Halfords in my case). Generally I've been quite happy with it except for a pot of white bought at Telford recently which is all very jelly like. Not bothered to return it yet.

[Rick Brown]

I've been using Xtrcrylix with mixed results but hardly ever negative. As Mike says above, using Acrylic Flow improver does help and done in several light coats overa primer of your choice(Halfords in my case). Generally I've been quite happy with it except for a pot of white bought at Telford recently which is all very jelly like. Not bothered to return it yet.

I've had trouble with the white too. My pot isn't like jelly but it just doesn't work well and isn't very white!

I'm giving it a miss in future.

Rick.

[Paul J]

I've had trouble with the white too. My pot isn't like jelly but it just doesn't work well and isn't very white!

I'm giving it a miss in future.

Rick.

Likewise mine isn't at all very white more off white bordering on a pale creamy shade! So for my white, I decanted the paint from one of those Testors/Modelmaster sachets into a small container smaller and similar to those old film canisters!! Nice and airtight and a nicer shade of white too!

[Cpt_Farrel]

I read somewhere that David Hannants recommended to thin Xtracrylix with their own thinner at a ratio of 2 parts thinner to 1 part paint. Add a few drops of windscreen washer fluid and spray at 20psi. Has worked well enough for me. Thinning with Vallejo airbrush cleaner works good too.

For a freehand Luftwaffe mottle camo I don't think anything will beat Gunze thinned with ammoniabased Windex though.

[Julien]

I have no problems spraying xtracrylix or masking over it.

I put it on over vallejho primer and always thin it with vallejho air brush cleaner. The AB cleaner contains a small amount of glycol which I find acts to retard the paint.

I just thin it by eye in the brush and have never had any problems. It is good paint and I would try with it. However like has been said different people get on with different paints.

Julien

[Jon Kunac-Tabinor]

Just before I try this - I thought id ask.

Has anyone ever tried thinning Xtracrlix with Gunze self levelling thinner?

Jonners - interested to find out....

[noeyedears]

Ive tried it and it doesnt work, it just turned to stringy gloop for me. (i am generally a diaster waiting to happen though)I sprayed some gray xtracrillic a couple of days ago as i didnt have any tamiya of the correct colour. the only thing i thin it with is tap water with a drop of flow improver. It is very VERY picky about how much water goes in. Not enough and it wont even come out of the airbrush, a drop too much and it is so thin it virtually runs off the surface. And dont even consider trying to put a nice heavy "wet coat" on, lots of mist coats and maybe one slightly heavier coat.

Good luck, im sure it will come out fine for you. When it works it does give a lovely finish.

[Julien]

Try the Vallejo AB cleaner. I find it can go on nice and wet with no problems. The 109 above only needed a couple of coats.

Julien

[Sean_M]

I have to say - you should not have to work so hard to make paint work for you. I tried Mr Hobby for the first time and it did what it said on the can. Likewise with Tamiya and Vallejo