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Tamiya Paint Retarder my thoughts.


NealParkes

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Hi guys,

 

I have recently started to use Tamiya Paint retarder (Acrylic) when I brush Tamiya paints. On facebook someone asked what it did so I decided to make a quick video showing it in use and what I thought about it.

 

Now seeing that I haven't been able to find a topic on here about it then I thought it may interest some people to see the video, so here it is:

 

<Video Removed see here for details>

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Neal

Hi guys,

 

So seeing that the link to the video review of the Tamiya Paint Retarder has been removed for the reasons stated in the link bit above. I though that I ought to give you a written report instead.

 

I have started to use the Pain Retarder when I brush paint Tamiya's acrylics, I'm not sure by which magic it works but basically transforms the very brush unfriendly paint into a nice and easy paint for the hairy stick. It does not require more than a brusque or two mixed into the pain on a palette to get the desired effect. It then allows a nice smooth brush stroke free application. 

There are a couple of downside to its use, the first one is that is not easily available in the uk (but your favourite online auction site can solved that). The second issue is that can really slow the syringe time and to some uses that can be a pain.

But overall I would recommend the product and now would not be without it.

 

24882596097_0fc51b27e5_c.jpgUntitled by Neal, on Flickr

 

 

Neal

 

Edited by NealParkes
Video removed - see link above for details
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Neil - 

 

Thank you for the excellent review.  I have been using the Tamiya Acrylic Paint Retarder for several years now, and discovered the same things you did.  Despite being one of my favorite paints for airbrushing, I had always found Tamiya Acrylic paint to be largely un-brushable over areas or more than a square centimeter or so.   Applied with a regular paintbrush it dried too quickly, leaving heavy brush strokes in the finished surface. Worse, if you strayed from the "wet edge" and brushed over a section that you'd painted only moments before it would pull up the semi-dry paint, leaving small blobs in the finish.  Similarly, it was near-impossible to brush apply more than one coat.  Even if you had let prior applications set for a day or more, the new layer of paint would soften the earlier ones and pull them up, again leaving a rough and textured finish.

 

The addition of just a tiny amount of the Tamiya retarder changes all this.  Rather than using the retarder straight, I've had good results mixing the retarder with a small quantity of distilled water, and dampening my paintbrush with this before adding some paint to the mix on a palette.  I find the paint flows on much better this way, and in thinner coats.  The drying time is a bit longer, yes, but the beauty is that I find I can now brush-apply more than one coat of Tamiya Acrylic and not pull up the prior layers.  The addition of the retarder greatly increased the utility of the Tamiya Acrylics in my paintbox.

 

I also find the Tamiya retarder is compatible with similarly-formulated paints, including GSI-Creos Mr. Hobby Color and Acrysion acrylics, and the new AK Interactive Real Colors line.

 

It's a shame that Tamiya hasn't marketed the retarder more aggressively.  Like you, I had to buy my first bottles from Japan and Hong Kong.  It was introduced in Canada not much later (I would pick it up on vacation in the Maritimes), but it's only been the last year or so that it's become available through their US distribution network.

Edited by GPBooth
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12 hours ago, Rick Brown said:

Interesting.

I personally use W&N Flow Improver as I find it'll do everything the Tamiya does, but at a greatly reduced price.

Just my opinion.

Rick.

I did not know that W&N flow improver worked well with Tamiya paints!! I'll give it a go next time, well if I ever finish my bottle of Tamiya retarder.

 

Neal

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18 hours ago, NealParkes said:

I did not know that W&N flow improver worked well with Tamiya paints!! I'll give it a go next time, well if I ever finish my bottle of Tamiya retarder.

 

Neal

Yes, I find it works with all the acrylics I use, W&N, Tamiya, Vallejo, Humbrol,  Xtracrylix, Citadel and Revell. There maybe more, but can't remember them!

I also use it to rinse out the Iwata and clean the hairy sticks after giving them a good going over with the respective thinners.

It's dead cheep too. A small bottle lasts for years because you mix it with distilled water. 

I'm still on my original bottle from ten years ago!

One thing I will say, I'm not sure I've used it much on Tamiya gloss.

I'll give it ago in the next few nights.

I'll also grab some Tamiya retarder when I can. Just for a play/comparison.

Rick.

 

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  • 2 years later...

most acrylic retarders are just glycerin, glycerin costs about a £1 for a 125ml bottle at my chemist and it has a syrupy consistency so i put it in a 500ml and bottle fill with distilled water then add about 5 drops of fairey liquid and you have half a litre of  retarder and flow aid in one bottle .

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4 hours ago, gavingav said:

most acrylic retarders are just glycerin, glycerin costs about a £1 for a 125ml bottle at my chemist and it has a syrupy consistency so i put it in a 500ml and bottle fill with distilled water then add about 5 drops of fairey liquid and you have half a litre of  retarder and flow aid in one bottle .

This ^.

 

Years ago when I misguidedly dabbled with "acrylics" I found them problematical, especially the water based type I was using Aeromaster, giving rapid tip dry in my airbrushes. As I knew glycerene was used by artists as a flow improver then I though I'd give it a go with the airbrush and surely it worked.

 

Having quickly regained my reason and reverted back to my far less finicky enamels and the need for glycerine departed.

 

Most of the branded "acrylic" thinners, flow improvers, cleaners and all their alchemical wonder potions are really just common substances that can be found readily and cheaply especially on the internetty.

 

In saying that on the rare occasions that I do try a new brand of paint I always start with their branded thinner so I have a benchmark for getting a cheaper alternative. For example I have recently been trying MRP lacquers and have found that xylene works well as a cleaner with and a thinner, not that this paint needs much thinning but there are occasions.

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