New AK 3d generation Acrylic, anyone tried

[Leon81]

I have found information about new AK Interactive paint, 3d generation Acrylic.

Here is some informattion about it https://i-modelist.ru/modelnews/25.pdf

I usuallly build models at home so, smell is an issue, сurrently using Vallejo MA.

Has anyone tried this paint and how well it is sprayed through an airbrush compared to Vallejo MA?

Edited September 25, 2020 by Leon81

[Ray_W]

I think one of the best reviews I have seen with a very honest summary is done here:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf_6EjQyDq8

 

For figure painting probably worthy of serious consideration. In my builds painting is 95% airbrush and happy with what I use and smell exhausting is not a problem.

 

Ray

[oileanach]

I'm fascinated by them. Any idea where the best place to buy them in the UK is?

 

A figure painting review: https://youtu.be/P0bAxugt2zQ

[colin]

Quick Google search

https://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/products/paints/ak-interactive-paints/ak-3rd-generation-acrylic

[GazB]

I got some of these a few weeks back. Good coverage...with a brush, and on a small area. But for airbrushing they are terrible. I cannot for the life of me figure out how some people get them to spray properly, more so when they just wing it on the ratio.

 

I complained about this on AKs original video since it wasn't the first time the marketing was less than truthful (and missing the pertinent information). Tellingly, their next 3rd gen video had the comments turned off, but in that video they stated that 40% paint to 60% thinner is the mix.

 

So I tried that, and you might as well be spraying ink for how runny it becomes, flooding and dispersing under air flow. But if you add say, half a drop more of paint for something like a 45-55% mixture, it'll barely spray, and instead fling the paint like webbing. It has no sweet spot that I have found. It's also an absolute nightmare to clean out of the airbrush.

 

It's incredibly annoying because when limited to brush work, I'm limited to small detail work. Larger jobs result in streaks no matter what. The paint is pigment dense and has good colour, but it remains an absolute mystery as to how you're supposed to spray it 😕

 

Gaz

[lasermonkey]

59 minutes ago, GazB said:

I got some of these a few weeks back. Good coverage...with a brush, and on a small area. But for airbrushing they are terrible. I cannot for the life of me figure out how some people get them to spray properly, more so when they just wing it on the ratio.

 

I complained about this on AKs original video since it wasn't the first time the marketing was less than truthful (and missing the pertinent information). Tellingly, their next 3rd gen video had the comments turned off, but in that video they stated that 40% paint to 60% thinner is the mix.

 

So I tried that, and you might as well be spraying ink for how runny it becomes, flooding and dispersing under air flow. But if you add say, half a drop more of paint for something like a 45-55% mixture, it'll barely spray, and instead fling the paint like webbing. It has no sweet spot that I have found. It's also an absolute nightmare to clean out of the airbrush.

 

It's incredibly annoying because when limited to brush work, I'm limited to small detail work. Larger jobs result in streaks no matter what. The paint is pigment dense and has good colour, but it remains an absolute mystery as to how you're supposed to spray it 😕

 

Gaz

What pressure are you spraying at? That may have something to do with it. I'm not an acrylic user any more, but I find that pressure and paint consistency are often interlinked.

 

I've never thinned by ratio, by the way, as I have found that you can't necessarily rely on the paint manufacturer to supply exactly the same paint consistency from tin to tin (or bottle to bottle, in this case).

[GazB]

9 hours ago, lasermonkey said:

What pressure are you spraying at? That may have something to do with it. I'm not an acrylic user any more, but I find that pressure and paint consistency are often interlinked.

 

I've never thinned by ratio, by the way, as I have found that you can't necessarily rely on the paint manufacturer to supply exactly the same paint consistency from tin to tin (or bottle to bottle, in this case).

 

I'm not completely certain on its PSI. I use a little mini compressor with three modes, and I tend to run it on the lowest setting (original Amazon page was vague on the pressures, mentioning 28, 5-10, 15-50, so I'm not sure). However, that setting works fine for Tamiya, Gunze, Real Color, even Vallejo with the appropriate thinning. Its these new 3rd Gen paints that don't seem to want to work either way. Its either super runny, or its overly thick and (contrary to their claims) dries on the tip almost immediately. No middle ground that I can find. 

 

Gaz

Edited October 24, 2021 by GazB