Discodaz Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Guys..as ive mentioned before,i generally spray my models with enamels. On my current model I have 3 basic colours going from light grey to black at the rear..my issue....when mixing my colours to get the right tone eg, 25% 374 ,75% 302 ( eg only) i rough judge this by eye. Now,if I have to touch up later or find another part later in the build needs to be the same colour,i rough judge again,but find more often than not,it's not an exact match. So...what is the best way of making sure your mixes are the same every time? Daz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Noble Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Mix your colours up exactly, then you can replicate the same mix every time. For the example mix you gave above 25% 374 to 75% 302, mix 1 drop of 374 to 3 drops of 302. Or 1ml 374 to 3ml 302. The measurement can be whatever you like, as long as you keep the ratio the same, for example if you wanted a massive batch, you could mix 1 litre of 374 to 3 litres of 302. Hope this makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 From the sound of your question, you're using Revell paints, right ? Steve already gave you the answer to the best way to achieve the right ratio every time, personally I have an alternative solution though: don't use Revell paints ! Other brands make enamel paints that are matched to the actual paint used on the various aircrafts/tanks/ships, these can be used straight from the tin/bottle without the need for mixing 2 or more colours. Revell instruction sheets obviously suggest the use of their own paints, but if ask here for example the colour to use on a 1950 RAF aircraft, there are many knowledgeable people who will be able to suggest a solution from another paint supplier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuck Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 i would go along with what Giorgio has already said, i have found in the past that these mixes that Revell,, Tamiya, etc suggest are not always correct anyway. But if you feel the need to then i would suggest that you mix a little extra and store it in a little container, i have found that my empty E juice containers are excellent for this. On recomendation from a member of BM , I have found this app very useful, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pulgadas.hobbycolorconverter&hl=en. It is only my opinion but if the contrast of the different color schemes of camo etc look right to my eye then its near enough for me,and dont get bogged down with the constrictions of true scale color. the already well discussed topic of " what colour was that dress ? " has proved a big point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 I exclusively use enamel paints and will go to any length not to mix paints, I mainly use Xtracolor Enamels, but also use other enamel paints such as WEM Colourcoats, Revell, Humbrol and Testors Model Master paints. If I cannot get the colour that I want straight from a tin then I will resort to mixing paints, a lot of British armour paints have to be mixed so I buy some 14 ml tinlets (from Hannants) and using a pippette I measure out the paint, pippettes are cheap as chips on eBay and you can clean them out and re use them time and time again. I keep a build log of all my builds and note down what paint mixes I have used in what ratios. Here's a link to some pippettes, not ones that I have bought but they are all pretty similar. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PIPETTES-Graduated-Disposable-Plastic-Pasteur-10-20-50-100-500-Pack-Sizes-/200972304354?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item2ecae1ffe2 Cheers Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discodaz Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 i would go along with what Giorgio has already said, i have found in the past that these mixes that Revell,, Tamiya, etc suggest are not always correct anyway. But if you feel the need to then i would suggest that you mix a little extra and store it in a little container, i have found that my empty E juice containers are excellent for this. On recomendation from a member of BM , I have found this app very useful, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pulgadas.hobbycolorconverter&hl=en. It is only my opinion but if the contrast of the different color schemes of camo etc look right to my eye then its near enough for me,and dont get bogged down with the constrictions of true scale color. the already well discussed topic of " what colour was that dress ? " has proved a big point. Cheers..just downloaded that app..not sure how to use it yet but find my way when I have a minute. Dennis,thanks for the heads up on the pipets.i will order some in..I have one but it has no scale on it..i like the idea of mixing batches up..why I didn't think of that I don't know,lol Daz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S5 modeller Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 I've just asked the same kind of question. I have just ordered some jewellery scales off ebay, hopefully for accurate paint mixes. Might be worth a try. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treker_ed Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Personally I get syringes from modelling shops and even pet shops. The 1ml syringes have 0.1ml increments which make them very accurate indeed, and the 5ml are in 0.2ml increments. So for example, Revell don't have gunmetal grey in their range, so they want you to use anthracite and steel. Off the top of my head (as I haven't used them for a while) in the aqua range that's 91 (steel) & 9 (Anthracite) 75% & 25% respectively. so a ratio of........3:1, in in other words, 3 lots of steel to 1 of anthracite. so for 4ml of paint you would use 3 ml of steel, 1 ml of anthracite. (with me so far - it all boils down to maths I'm afraid - this is why I personally try to avoid using Revell paints in the first place and convert to another range that has the correct colour without mixing paints) Larger batches just use this ratio. 10ml = 7.5ml steel : 2.5ml anthracite 3:1 ratio still. etc. (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/279-0756768-0818937?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=syringes&sprefix=syringes%2Caps - quick search on amazon - syringes) And then, once you have your total volume of paint mixed, add thinner as required to your preferred ratio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discodaz Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Thank you all for your great advise..as said in previous posts..im relatively new to all this and it's a huge learning curve.but,my knowledge is building fast due to the vast experience of this forum..once again,thank you all Daz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Oh and pipe cleaners and white spirit are great for cleaning pippettes. Cheers Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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