AK Interactive Extreme Metal Paint Failure

[GPB]

G'Day Guys,

I just had a disaster with the Burnt Metal colour in the new AK Interactive Extreme Metal paint I recently bought. I tried to use the paint to spray a pair of Spitfire exhausts with my HS Infinity. Prepared and mixed the paint as per manufacturer's instructions, using the AK proprietary thinners and cleaners, etc. After a few seconds spraying the paint went solid. Total airbrush strip, soak in AK cleaner, turps, brush cleaner and four runs through the ultrasonic cleaner before the stuff even started to shift. After a few more trips into the ultrasonic cleaner the airbrush is finally working again.

Now, the question is - anybody else had issues with this paint range? I don't use any lubrication fluids in the air brush and my paints are tightly sealed and stored in cool, dark drawers.

Very upset with this stuff after spending a lot of money on the metallic paints - any ideas and suggestions greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Gary

[colin]

I thought they were ready to spray straight from the bottle,and you thinned with their thinners and cleaner ?

On a serious note though, how old are they as I believe they had problems with early batches

[Greg B]

Daft question, but which propriety thinners, for their normal acrylics of for the extreme metal?

[GPB]

Hi Colin and Greg - good points - I did run the AK enamel extreme metal thinners and cleaner through the airbrush before I used the Extreme Metal paint, which went in neat after a solid shake and stir session (as I too believe they are ready to go), just in case there was something lurking in the airbrush from the last use. Sorry, my original post did not make that clear at all. I bought these about five months ago. Do you think I should not have flushed the airbrush? I did wait until it appeared dry before I loaded it up.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

There was a bad batch of paint on release, I've heard it said that it was thicker than it should be. I bought a jar to test (not tried it yet) and it looks as thin as Alclad. If yours is thicker you may have some of the bad batch.

Edited December 28, 2015 by Foghorn Leghorn

[GPB]

Yes, I went and had a look at the bottle of Burnt Metal and it is like sand in water. All the other bottle are very thin, just like Alclad and mix up really well when I shake them up. That must be what the problem is. Thanks for the help fellas, very much appreciated.

[Duncan B]

I've just tried the Aluminium colour and it sprayed beautifully and dried really quickly.

Duncan B

[little-cars]

If you have a duff bottle, I would go back to the retailer you had it from.

AK like all manufacturers have problems occasionally & are usually more than happy to replace duff bottles.

Ta,

Paul

[GPB]

Hi Paul and Duncan,

I did go back to the local retailer here in Oz who replaced my bottle immediately, saying they had a duff supply initially which has been replaced but unfortunately not before they had sold some. Anyway, the new bottle works just fine and I used it on the exhausts for my P-39 to great effect.

Cheers,

Gary