Model Monkey 3D printed parts and enamel paints

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

Recently Steve Larsen at Model Monkey sent me some of his newer in-house 3D printed resin parts to test with enamel paints.

This was following a much earlier test we did when he designed but sold through the third party 3D printing company Shapeways, who used to claim that 3D printed parts were incompatible with enamels. We demonstrated this to be false; Shapeways supplied parts need to be cured properly before painting using UV light, then enamel works fine. The old problem was that Shapeways didn't fully cure them before shipping!

Model Monkey's new in-house produced parts are much lower cost to you, the customer, now that Shapeways has been cut out of the loop and the quality is further improved.

 

 

The parts are 1/350 HMS King George V class fore and aft funnels, 1/350 Royal Navy Mk.V HACS Directors and a 1/200 HMS Hood forward funnel. I already own Model Monkey's HMS Hood aft funnel to replace Trumpeter's error, so this completes the set!

For this test, the part has not been washed or primed or had any other surface treatment carried out. I understand they are cleaned in isopropylalcohol by Model Monkey at the end of the printing process, and whatever condition this was in when it went into the box is exactly how it will be painted with enamel. I have only cut away the framing that supports the part as it's printed. I will be using our NARN21 Admiralty Pattern 507A Home Fleet Grey, and the thinner shall be our first recommendation always - our Colourcoats naptha based thinner.

 

 

The Colourcoats was airbrushed on normally, thinned 50/50 through my Badger Renegade Krome at 15psi. As with any other model material, the paint was touch dry in less than 5 minutes.

 

 

I gave it a further 5 minutes to be safe, then masked over with fresh Tamiya tape to spray some C02 Matt Black on the funnel cap area. A fair test should see if masking tape pulls the paint off...

 

 

Complete success.

 

I am happy to report that Steve's new in-house 3D printed parts are fully compatible with enamels.

 

 

Out of interest, here's how the corrected Home Fleet Grey looks compared to my incorrectly painted 1/350 Hood in "AP507B Medium Grey"  :Mad_5: 

[S-boat 55]

Hi Jamie,

Out of curiosity are these paint equally happy with brush painting as well as airbrush? If brush painting any tips/tricks specific to the colourcoats range?

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

1 hour ago, S-boat 55 said:

Hi Jamie,

Out of curiosity are these paint equally happy with brush painting as well as airbrush? If brush painting any tips/tricks specific to the colourcoats range?

 

Hi,

 

I personally don't brush paint very much as I've always been too impatient to do a decent job of it, but practically I had to for the superstructure of my ongoing 1/700 HMS Prince of Wales.

 

 

I've been doing this using it thinned around 50/50 with our naptha based thinner. White spirit would work, but it's so slow to dry with white spirit you'll be doing it for a month of Sundays. I've not been worried about opacity, and providing I don't keep agitating the overpainted surface with the brush the colour builds up in maybe 3 or 4 coats which dry pretty quickly. The surface agitation point is key though as fresh thinned paint will dissolve the previous layer(s) if you're the sort of brush painter who can't resist rubbing the stuff back and forth on the model trying to flatten stroke marks. Just one pass and leave it and the thinners to flatten itself down. If you are the sort to keep brushing over and over the same spot, you'll need to leave it the full drying time between coats - but as above I haven't got the patience for that personally.

[Ray S]

As a regular user of Colourcoats paints, I back up what Jamie has said! In my case, I do not have an airbrush, so only brush-paint.

 

I used to have trouble with the old Colourcoats (before Jamie took them on) and began to get disheartened. However, when he took over I ordered a whole range of RN paints, and the naphtha thinner. What a difference! I was able to brush paint well, got very little in the way of brush marks, and, once I had cottoned on to brush once, dry, recoat, repeat I was a really happy chappie! 

 

 

I was even able to brush paint (deliberately in the incorrect colours mind) the 1/350 Tamiya KGV, which is a fair bit of plastic to paint.

 

I hope this helps

 

Ray 

[S-boat 55]

Hi both,

 

Thanks for your responses, I'm currently using the 'dreaded' humbrol paints that many seem to have issue with, I find when thinned they work really well by brush, admittedly needing a good few coats in some colours but they're always fully dry before I do a second one as building time is rare ATM, the idea of multiple coats quite quickly is tempting as is the accuracy of the colours, (I only use humbrols satins which a rather limited in colour choice, 

 

Thanks again for the comments, food for thought

Sam