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What am I not getting about Acrylic paint?


opus999

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I had to look for paint tonight (RAF Azure blue to be specific) and found Mr. Color (my go to) only offered it in a paint set, testors (my backup) discontinued it, and Mr Paint (which I've heard good things about, but haven't tried) has the color, but I wasn't able to find it in stock.

 

I was, however, able to find at least 3 Acrylic options. I have sworn I will never use acrylic paint again because on the 3 builds I used them on, it resulted in disaster (paint peeling off, flaking off, pulling off with tape, scratched with fingernails and from routine handling). The first 2 times I thought it was the Testors Acryl, but lately I tried Tamiya Acrylic and found little scratches from my fingernails around the decals. To be fair, the Tamiya was applied over Tamiya Silver Leaf spray, so maybe it was too "slick" to act as a base.

 

And yet... I see modelers everywhere using, and yes, even raving about Tamiya acrylic. I see people saying good things about Vallejo acrylic as well. So I feel like I'm missing something. Or do folks just put up with the paint not adhering to anything? (that can't be the case!).

 

The first build I used Acrylic on, I used Testors Acryl paint on a Testors Acryl primer. It was a terrible, flakey mess.  Nothing would adhere to the plastic.  The second time I applied Testors Acryl on a "Gen-u-ine" primer (Mr. Surfacer or Testor's enamel primer, I can't remember which).  The primer adhered as it should and the Acryl adhered better than the previous attempt, but I still had tape lift-up issues the plagued me.  That's when I swore off Testors Acryl for certain, and maybe all acrylics.

 

The Tamiya acrylic, as mentioned above, was on a base of Tamiya Silver leaf spray. It scratched so easily that even routine model-building contact would leave scratches. Since it was a WWII Japanese fighter, it's not too noticeable as I "chipped" up the paint during the weathering and wear stage, but still....!

 

So, please, can anyone enlighten me? Do I just not have the right surface preparation? Do folks just put up with less durability? Is there a primer that works better than others? or an Acrylic that works better than others?

 

I'm not trying to replace my current paint habits, just trying to expand my toolbox.  There's a Vallejo rack at the LHS that has every color under the sun, but I have to visit 3 different websites to find Mr. Color in stock (and sometimes not even then). Any commentary or advice is welcomed.  Thanks!

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I don't get the Tamiya love; I find their paints, like their kits outside of 1/32 scale, to be vastly overrated. I can only assume because Tamiya paint is very consistent, for good or for ill, modellers appreciate it, and it really does generally have fairly good adhesion, which incidentally brings me to Vallejo: DON'T! The Model Air line sprays beautifully, which is the "but he made the trains run on time" of model paint. The adhesion is weak as a dying kitten and the colour matching is often poor.

 

I'd agree that the silver leaf spray is the cause of your poor adhesion with the Ki-43 (which looks nice regardless, by the way). 

 

I'm a reformed acrylic painter, having largely but not totally switched to Colourcoats enamels (which grip like the mighty hand of Great Achilles), and I generally had to take great care when masking for fear of lifting. There was a lot of de-sticking tape before committing it to the model. 

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I'm no expert on acrylics. I've built exactly one model painted with acrylics, a Tamiya Formula 1 racer painted with Tamiya paints. It was built as a show model for Tamiya, so I had to use their paints. I don't recall having any trouble, but that was some 35 years ago.

 

I don't use "acrylics" for some of the very issues you mention, but here's my take on the issue. First, to many modelers, "acrylic" is synonymous with "water based." In fact, the term "acrylic" usually refers to the pigment or binder. Water-based paints are more correctly called "aqueous." Most hobby "acrylics" are technically enamels, in that once cured, they cannot be re-constituted by application of their original solvent, unlike lacquers, which can. Compared to oil-based enamels, such as Humbrol, Xtracolor, Colourcoats, Model Master, etc. the solvent used in hobby "acrylics" is much milder. Tamiya's acrylics, for example, are technically enamels using alcohol as a solvent. This mild solvent may be the source of the problems you and others have experienced.

 

Second, it is my belief that "acrylics" are so problematic because the same solvent (whatever it is) that makes them relatively odorless when compared to lacquers and oil-based enamels also causes them to dry/cure much faster, sometimes even before they have reached the model. You've no doubt seen recommendations to use a "flow enhancer " of some sort when spraying "acrylics."

 

Third, the different chemistry of "acrylics" makes them adhere very poorly to plastic surfaces, This is why most manufacturers of acrylics recommend using a primer. But an "acrylic" primer is not going to adhere any better to the plastic than the paint itself, unless the plastic is prepared in some way to enable the primer to adhere. This is why it is recommended that the model be cleaned free of any oils; even fingerprints on bare plastic can cause problems with "acrylic" paint adhesion. The only solution I know is to scuff the plastic with a fine sandpaper prior to spraying the primer, or to use a lacquer- or oil-based enamel primer, which defeats the purpose of using a relatively odor-free paint.

 

I wish I could offer more advice, but there are simply so many variables involved (air pressure, type of thinner, thinner-to-paint ratios, flow enhancers, primers, etc.) that I have continued to use oil-based enamels.They are relatively trouble-free, and I know how to use them. And based on what I have read about the problems associated with "acrylics," I refuse to switch.

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My first returnee build was a Tamiya kit, so I bought Tamiya acrylic to go with it. Even as an airbrush beginner it sprayed like a dream so I stuck with it and bought the whole XF range. The fact that they are relatively low odour, quite cheap, dry very quickly and are readily available off the shelf locally, is a major bonus. I don't wash my plastic, I don't prime, I don't sand to provide a key and I handle my models with my bare hands and I don't have ANY of the problems stated above.

For me, the biggest problem with Tamiya acrylic is that the metallic colours don't look particularly effective. 

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I use Acrylic’s (Tamiya, Vallejo, & AMMO by Mig) exclusively, not by choice mind you but its really all i can get a hold of. I find that a clear coat sprayed/brushed between masked colors eliminates the adhesion issues. If im doing freehand camouflage i don't need to clear between colors. My biggest complaint with Tamiya is having to mix everything to get specific camouflage (luftwaffe, RAF) colors. 

 

Dennis

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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I always start any discussion on acrylics by dividing them in two: those that are generally thinned with some kind of alcohol, like Tamiya and Gunze, and those that are best thinned with water, like Vallejo, Lifecolor, Revell Aqua, Xtracrylics and others. All need a primer as don't work well on bare plastic, but the former adhere relatively well, I've used both Tamiya and Gunze and the only times when I had adhesion problems was when I made mistakes in mixing them. Advantages over enamels include the quicker drying time, although none of these paints should be considered properly cured when dry to the touch.. Gunze paints in particular keep curing for a while and it's important to avoid spraying other paint on top of a coat that is not fully cured. Both cover pretty well with thin coats, I can't remember particular problems with scratching so maybe this is due to how thin the coat is. Yes, ?ve scratched Gunze finished models but I've also scratched enamel finished models...

I believe many use Tamoya simply because they are easily available but Gunze are IMHO much better quality paints, drying very smooth with a semigloss finish. Gunze also offers some pretty accurate matches for many aircraft camo schemes, something that Tamiya does for only a very few subjects.

My main complaint about these paints is that I can't use them well with a brush, so I only use them for the main colour scheme of a model.

Water thinned acrylics are a different story and are indeed more fragile paints. They absolutely need a primer, that can be almost any primer... there are specific spray primers from companies like Vallejo but they work over good old Tamiya spray primer as well. Some companies also make airbsushable acrylic primers, and I would not dismiss them ! I've used Vallejo's black primer and this is maybe the toughest I've ever seen !

Once sprayed these paints are indeed more delicate, some care is needed to avoid scratching the finish but to be honest nothing more than aking sure not to grab the model with the nails.. Paint can lift if too aggressive tape is used, but it's just a matter of using good quality masking tape or in doubt, remove some adhesive from the tape passing this through the fingers. A lot depends on how well the paint is prepared for airbrushing, if the same paint is applied with a hairy stick it's generally more robust, although some brands are better than others. In my experience Lifecolor tend to be at the more robust end, Xtracrylics at the opposite end, Vallejo in the middle.

These paints dry very quickly ! I can paint a full camo scheme in half a day with paints like Vallejo, something that would be impossible with enamels. This also means that some care is needed when airbrushing, as they can dry on the tip. There are several threads on how to avoid this in this forum, it may take a while to get the recipe right for each brand but personally I managed to work with all of them. You can see how this is for modellers like me a definite plus.

These paints also generally work very well with both brush and airbrush and any touch-up blends perfectly with the airbrushed surface. They are great to pick details in a cockpit and Vallejos in particular cover very well.

The fact that brushes can be cleaned under tap water is also a good point, I personally also have dedicated thinners but I can save them for thinning rather than having to waste them on cleaning. Ammonia can also be used to wash both brushes and airbrushes (personally I use denatured alcohol but this is not easily available everywhere).

So fast drying time, less smell, the convenience of using water for cleaning.. some may consider these advantages not important but I do. And there are others...

Vallejo in particular has made a whole range of products to work with their paints that offer the modeller a lot of potential. The one I use most is their "glaze medium", that turn any of their paints into a glaze. I use this to highlight panel lines or add exhaust and smoke traces on my models and even to make certain camo schemes more realistic. With the right ratio I've even made washes using this product. This means for example that I can spray a cockpit, highlightraised areas with the drybrush technique, add a wash and pick all details using the same set of paints in a single evening. At a time of my life when I have little time to seat at my bench this is a good thing.

I may add the availability of many different colours to the advantages, as among the major suppliers of water based acrylics they cover a lot of paints. Some are indeed badly matched (Vallejo are a big culprit here...), others are better (most Xtracrylics are great), some in the middle (Lifecolor have some very good ones and some much less so) and there are new brands that I've yet to try. It's true however that enamel manufacturers also offer many properly matched colours, akthough some are not easily available in my area.

I may add one last recent development that made switch almost completely to acrylics: acrylic metal paints have become really good ! Vallejo again have introduced some metallic paints that are almost as good as Alclad while retaining the fast drying time and lack of smell of the acrylics. All at a price that is overall very acceptable. Others have also moved into this area with good products. In the days of Tamiya silver I could not dream of painting a natural metal finish on a model using acrylics, now I can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I'm old enough to remember the old Airfix enamel paints in glass jars but I've been using acrylics for many years now. I brush paint using Vallejo, Lifecolor, Revell Aqua, Xtracrylics, and Games Workshop. No special primer. Any Humbrol acrylic spray can will do. Light grey or get a closer match to the final colour. A light coat, it etches into the plastic and won't scratch off. Dries in minutes and provides an excellent key for the top coats.

 

I have several different colour cans I just use for primer/undercoats. For example if it's WW2 RAF I'll spray Beige green undersides and then dark earth uppers, no masking, just a quick squirt top and bottom. Then brush paint the camouflage colours. Never had any trouble.

 

 

 

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Wow! Thanks for the thoughtful replies! I am leaving for work and won't have time to fully read and digest these until tonight. We had "Snow-maggedon" here and my normal 15 minute commute looks to be an hour this morning, so no time to read and think. :(

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Acrylics?

 

Spawn of the Devil and I'm sure I could hear him laughing, every time I used them!

 

I've tried just about every acrylic paint available in the UK and experienced all the issues listed above, with all, regardless of preparation used. Never could get a decent finish when brush painted and as for using an airbrush, regardless of how, and with what, the paint was thinned with, I consistently ended up with a clogged nozzle. 

 

Ended up selling the paints and going back to enamels and never had a problem since! 

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I too once scorned at using Acrylic paints especially after my experiences with lifting after masking and all the other symptoms mentioned above. Not long ago however I was experimenting with RAF Dark Earth paints and was not happy with the four/five samples that I had. Numerous posts mentioned the use of Gunze Mr. Hobby H72, so I thought why not give it a try. The kit was primed with airbrushed Mr. Surfacer 1000 and the Dark earth applied. Both priming and paint were mixed with Gunze’s Leveling Thinner and performed as well as any other Lacquer based paint I’ve used. There was no lifting of paint after masking the Dark Green camo so all in all a very rewarding exercise. 

 

Perhaps it’s the consistent use of the same Leveling thinner that helped my cause. It’s one of the best products out there and is well and truly worth it purchase price. Anyway - just my thoughts. 

 

Cheers.. Dave 

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21 hours ago, Procopius said:

largely but not totally switched to Colourcoats enamels

I haven't heard of these. Do you think they're better than Model master? I've been disappointed that Model Master seems to have discontinued a fair number of military colors, because they're about the only thing I can get in this one horse town!

 

21 hours ago, Procopius said:

which looks nice regardless, by the way

Thanks! I'm thrilled with how it turned out.

21 hours ago, Space Ranger said:

But an "acrylic" primer is not going to adhere any better to the plastic than the paint itself

With what I knew at the time about Acrylics, I knew deep down this was true. But I thought "maybe they've made an advancement!" and tried it anyway. Your statement still holds true!!

 

21 hours ago, Space Ranger said:

there are simply so many variables involved

Which makes me wonder if folks who have very good luck with Acrylics have hit on the right set of variables? Either consciously or sub-consciously?

 

19 hours ago, Gorby said:

I don't have ANY of the problems stated above

I've read this from several people around the internet. You're lucky because I seem to be on the exact opposite of the spectrum and can make acrylics jump off my model in fear just by looking at them!

 

19 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

I find that a clear coat sprayed/brushed between masked colors eliminates the adhesion issues.

I wondered if a combination of primer and some sort of "sealant" coat might help... seems that it does.

 

19 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

My biggest complaint with Tamiya is having to mix everything to get specific camouflage (luftwaffe, RAF) colors.

This is a criticism I've seen a lot. I've also noticed that some of the "recipes" found on the internet can vary wildly.

 

17 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

I can't remember particular problems with scratching so maybe this is due to how thin the coat is

This certainly could be the case on my Oscar. I believe the mottling was pretty thin as well as being on a slick undercoat.

 

17 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

I've used Vallejo's black primer and this is maybe the toughest I've ever seen !

Interesting! I think I can get that at the local hobby store.  I should experiment.

 

6 hours ago, Tony C said:

Spawn of the Devil and I'm sure I could hear him laughing, every time I used them!

That's how I felt after using the Testor's Acryl. When I added flow enhancer the clogging stopped, but the paint still flaked off.  In general, I found the Tamiya to spray well, especially with a little Mr. Color levelling thinner added, but I'm just not convinced about the durability yet.

 

4 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Perhaps it’s the consistent use of the same Leveling thinner that helped my cause

I've found Gunze's leveling thinner to be one of the best discoveries I've made. My airbrush results improved no matter what paint I used, and made stop hating Model Master paint. Perhaps if I tried the Tamiya with the leveling thinner on something other than a base of Silver leaf it would grip better.

 

Thank you everyone for the insightful discussion. I learned a lot about paint in the last 24 hours! I think in general I may experiment a little more with the Tamiya on some scrap to see if I can find a formula that works, but I don't see any compelling reason to change my "Go to" (which is Mr. Color Lacquers), except availability...

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So, a follow up question would be which enamel/lacquer do people recommend?

 

I personally have found Mr. Color Lacquer to be the best I've used (I've tried Model Master and Humbrol enamels, Testors and Tamiya Acrylics, and have a bottle of "Mr. Paint" that I plan to use on the next build (F/A-18)). My only problem is I usually have to use both Sprue Brothers and Hobbyworld-USA to find all the colors I need for a build and then sometimes I still come up short (not to mention having to pay shipping to two different outfits!).

 

I took a chance last night and ordered some Hataka paint since it was the only "Azure blue" I could find in stock.

 

Smell is not an issue since I have a respirator and a good paint setup.  I know the allure of water wash-up, but with the right equipment I've found cleaning up lacquers to be just as easy. Really my main concerns are color range, color accuracy, and availability.

 

In my town, there's very little in the way of hobby shops. So I can really only get my hands on Model Master, Tamiya and Vallejo. Model Master has really been hit and miss the last couple of years, both in color options and quality (IMO).

 

Any thoughts?

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47 minutes ago, opus999 said:

So, a follow up question would be which enamel/lacquer do people recommend?

 

Well, I'm old-school, but I use Humbrol, Colorcoats, and Xtracolor almost exclusively. I have over 650 tins of Humbrol, mainly new old stock purchased on-line. These range from the standard colors to the old "Authentics." I mix my own thinner from 1 part mineral spirits and 1 part xylol. I thin the paint with 2 parts of my mixed thinner and 1 part polyurethane to 1 part paint (gloss polyurethane if the paint is flat, flat polyurethane if the paint is gloss). I spray at 12-15 psi using an Aztek airbrush.

 

There's another line of enamels I've been wanting to try but haven't yet ordered: True North Precision Paints (https://www.truenorthpaints.com/).

 

There's also a new line of paints which are acetone based, so I guess that makes them lacquers: Tru-Color Paint (http://trucolorpaint.com/).

They've received some very favorable reviews.

 

I also have some Model Master and Floquil colors, but with the discontinuance of most of those I avoid buying any Testor's product.

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In terms of enamels/lacquers there's Mr. Color (for pretty much everything), AK Interactive (for metallic paints) and the rest IMHO. I have a few bottles of MRP. they spray nice, but they don't really match my painting style and they can be really aggressive with the undercoats in certain conditions (and even with styrene). I can flood an area with Mr. Color because I know it'll come back beautifully, but I can never do it with MRP. Also Mr. Color tend to be thick paints so from one bottle of paint I get about 3 times the amount after diluting. I always use their Leveling thinner, brilliant stuff. And the GX series varnishes? Man, those are incredible. Mr. Surfacer? That will grip to plastic like a kid on his mom's trousers on the first kindergarten day. And the smell is a lot less annoying than Revell's enamels (or Model Master for that matter).

 

PS: all suggestions are made based on my experiences airbrushing them, I really hate brush painting.

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Pity that Model Master have been hit and miss lately, in the past their line of FS matched enamels was the best in terms of colour accuracy. What I found in the days was that the bottle was impossible to seal properly once open, so I knew that many times I had to use a bottle for one model.

Since Model Master paints are not imported in Italy anymore, I have lost track of any development of the range

Edited by Giorgio N
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13 hours ago, opus999 said:

I haven't heard of these. Do you think they're better than Model master? I've been disappointed that Model Master seems to have discontinued a fair number of military colors, because they're about the only thing I can get in this one horse town!

In my personal opinion, Colourcoats are the best combination of paint performance and colour fidelity available. I thin 'em with Gunze self-levelling.

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8 hours ago, bmwh548 said:

In terms of enamels/lacquers there's Mr. Color (for pretty much everything), AK Interactive (for metallic paints) and the rest IMHO. I have a few bottles of MRP. they spray nice, but they don't really match my painting style and they can be really aggressive with the undercoats in certain conditions (and even with styrene). I can flood an area with Mr. Color because I know it'll come back beautifully, but I can never do it with MRP. Also Mr. Color tend to be thick paints so from one bottle of paint I get about 3 times the amount after diluting. I always use their Leveling thinner, brilliant stuff. And the GX series varnishes? Man, those are incredible. Mr. Surfacer? That will grip to plastic like a kid on his mom's trousers on the first kindergarten day. And the smell is a lot less annoying than Revell's enamels (or Model Master for that matter).

 

PS: all suggestions are made based on my experiences airbrushing them, I really hate brush painting.

I completely agree about Mr. Color. I just need to find more places to get it, I guess... 

 

I haven't tried AK interactive.  I have several bottles of Alclad sitting around, so it might be a while!

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8 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

Pity that Model Master have been hit and miss lately, in the past their line of FS matched enamels was the best in terms of colour accuracy. What I found in the days was that the bottle was impossible to seal properly once open, so I knew that many times I had to use a bottle for one model.

Since Model Master paints are not imported in Italy anymore, I have lost track of any development of the range

I agree with you: Model Master was my favorite paint before I left the hobby for a while.  It seemed like their color matching was terrific and I could get them in many stores in my town.

 

Glad to know that I'm not the only one with un-sealed bottles of Model Master -- what is it about that stuff??

 

As an example of MM quality issues: a couple of years ago I purchased some enamel IJN green for my son for his Ki-46 Dinah. I had used that same color in the late 80's with no problems, however this bottle had a gluey consistency and when I tried to thin it, it curdled up.  When I finally got it thinned and smooth, it was a struggle to airbrush it properly because it kept clogging the airbrush and it came out glossy despite the fact that I thoroughly mixed it. Then, it took practically forever to get my airbrush clean! The paint had solidified into something like cement in there.  I was so disgusted I pitched the rest of the bottle in the trash. I had a similar experience with their French Blue. I rarely buy their paint any more.  I'm still using up bottles that I bought in the '90s (and haven't dried) and really like those. It will be too bad when they're used up.

Edited by opus999
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25 minutes ago, Procopius said:

In my personal opinion, Colourcoats are the best combination of paint performance and colour fidelity available. I thin 'em with Gunze self-levelling.

Time for me to go searching, I think!

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2 minutes ago, opus999 said:

Time for me to go searching, I think!

Only one place in the USA stocks it -- H&B Hobbies. They may be a little low on stock right now, hopefully they're due for another shipment from the UK soon. Fair warning, at $5.50 a tin, it's a fair sight pricier than many other paints, but I personally think the performance justifies the cost.

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3 minutes ago, Procopius said:

Only one place in the USA stocks it -- H&B Hobbies. They may be a little low on stock right now, hopefully they're due for another shipment from the UK soon. Fair warning, at $5.50 a tin, it's a fair sight pricier than many other paints, but I personally think the performance justifies the cost.

The color range is pretty impressive! I saw on a UK hobby website that they are 14ml tins. I get Mr. Color in 10ml bottles for $3.69 from Sprue Brothers.  So when I do the math the Colourcoats is slightly higher per ml, but not horribly so.

 

And they have Azure Blue. Alas.

 

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction -- I wasn't turning much up in the US.

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I wholeheartedly recommend Colourcoats enamels as well - they are probably the best performing paints that I've ever used and their color selection is also the best (the various USN Sea blues are all represented, fantastic RAAF selection, and the best British colo(u)rs as well - Dark Earth, Dark Green etc). The only downside is the fumes endemic to all oil based enamels, but a good mask and ventilation take care of that.

I just use hardware store mineral spirits (white spirit) to thin them, but recently purchased some Colourcoats thinner as well due to its promise that paints thinned with it can be safely returned to the tin and not 'spoil'. I haven't had a chance to give it a try though.

 

As far as water based paints go, Badger Stynylrez is a great water based primer - sticks very well to plastic and can be sanded after drying overnight - sand too early and it just peels like other water based primers, like Vallejo. I've found that water based acrylics (Vallejo, Lifecolor) perform very nicely when sprayed over Stynylrez, and enamels work just fine over it too.

 

I agree that the problem with Tamiya not sticking was probably due to the 'metallic' undercoat. I've found that alcohol based Tamiya paints stick to plastic pretty well.

 

On 2/12/2019 at 8:00 AM, opus999 said:

We had "Snow-maggedon" here

I'm house sitting for family friends just up the road in Spokane right now, and have had to shovel the driveway every day since last Friday!

 

 

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4 minutes ago, Cookenbacher said:

I'm house sitting for family friends just up the road in Spokane right now, and have had to shovel the driveway every day since last Friday! 

No kidding! My dad grew up in Spokane.  I have a lot of good memories of that town since I visited my grandparents a lot as a child. I'm 2 1/2 hours south(ish) in the Tri-Cities. My road wasn't plowed until yesterday.  Luckily I have a 4x4 Jeep so getting out wasn't a problem.

 

At least they cancelled work for me today. :)

 

Thanks for the feedback on the Colourcoats -- I've decided I'm going to get a pot of the blue I need for my F2H banshee that's sitting in my inbox.

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For paint brushing - Humbrol enamels

For airbrush work - Xtracolor and Colourcoats with Humbrol as a possible alternative

For metal colours - I use Mr Metalcolor

 

Whilst I find that Colourcoats have a slightly better finish over Xtracolor, I do prefer the gloss finish of the Xtracolor as it saves me having to apply a gloss coat prior to applying decals but that is the only reason they are my first choice!

 

As for thinning, I normally follow the suppliers recommended thinner and ratios but in all cases, add a few drops of Driers to help speed up the drying time.

 

I have used Model Master enamels and like them but the availability in the UK is now non-existent while for the odd colour not covered by Xtracolor/Colourcoats/Humbrol, I can usually find a suitable match from Railmatch and have experienced no problems whilst spraying this range.

 

 

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30 minutes ago, Tony C said:

I have used Model Master enamels and like them but the availability in the UK is now non-existent while for the odd colour not covered by Xtracolor/Colourcoats/Humbrol.

Testors discontinued much of the Model Master line a couple of years ago. That probably explains their non-existent availability! :-)

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