New guy here, yup, just completely ruined my model. HELP!

[TrackHawk]

Up to now, I've been building very basic tanks and AFV. Only started this past year and maybe on my tenth model. I recently started a small Tamiya 1/48 tractor and decided to do a very heavy rust effect like it's been sitting outside for years.

 

My steps were:

 

1. Paint a brownish-grey (AK Paint)
2. Add Vellejo Rust washes and Vellejo Rust pigments
3. Finished it all up when I was pleased with the look with Tamiya flat clear coat

 

The last part is the disaster. I sprayed it on, and immediately the paint orange peeled. It got worse after that, the washes and clear coat had a bad reaction where things almost looked melted. the pigments turned pink, parts of the plastic were now showing. It was so bad I tossed it

 

So my question is; is there a set of rules to follow with all this. IE, never put X over X, or only do this over that in a certain order?

 

I reordered the little tractor and want to do it right, and not screw up again

 

Thanks!!

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

Hi, sorry to hear that.

 

There aren't really too many rules about not using X over Y, providing Y is completely dried and/or cured as applicable.

 

I would offer however that aerosol products are something I avoid like the plague - they typically feature very aggressive solvents and it's all to easy to dissolve pretty much anything using them. If you must use aerosols, they're ok for primer coats. They have no place in my modelling world after that though. They're just too dangerous to use with other paints (sometimes including themselves), expensive and lack control. Anything an aerosol can do, an airbrush can do much better.

[TonyOD]

3 minutes ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

Anything an aerosol can do, an airbrush can do much better.

 

I'm a fiend with a rattlecan but I don't have the space or the ventilation for an airbrush. You should see the state of my garage.

[Dave Swindell]

2 hours ago, TonyOD said:

I'm a fiend with a rattlecan but I don't have the space or the ventilation for an airbrush.

?????

A rattlecan will pollute cubic metres of airspace, an airbrush cubic centimetres

If you've the space and ventilation to use a rattlecan you've more than enough for an airbrush.

[TonyOD]

1 minute ago, Dave Swindell said:

If you've the space and ventilation to use a rattlecan you've more than enough for an airbrush.

 

I do my rattlecanning in the garage in my custom-made spray booth (= half a cardboard box). It's full of bikes and lawnmowers and stuff and quite cold. A quick blast of a rattlecan takes seconds, airbrush work certainly takes more time, application and skill, and it's not a suitable environment to work in. (I don't have the luxury of a modelling bench or room, I just park myself on the end of the dining table or on the breakfast bar in the kitchen, ventilation issues apart I don't think SWMBO would take kindly to me getting busy with an airbrush in either case.)

[cmatthewbacon]

The main one is don’t use rattle can paint over enamels. Tamiya  cans are “hot” acrylic which will craze enamel as you’ve discovered. Surprisingly a bunch of the Vallejo and AK weathering products are enamels rather than water based acrylics like most of their paints, probably so they can be used over the acrylics and techniques using white spirit and oils can be applied without affecting the case colours. If you ever use Humbrol rattle cans, then they have both an enamel range and a hot acrylic range, which ere NOT interoperable!

 

Basically, if you’re not sure, test your paint plan by applying the paints as they will be used on your model onto a cheap plastic soon first...

best,

M.

[TrackHawk]

Thanks for the help everyone. I still have a ton to learn. Trying to keep from getting frustrated is the hardest part

[Dr. Quack]

Welcome to the learning curve! I now use a small cheap part-built near-disposable model as a "paint mule". It gets used as a test bed whenever I'm trying a new paint or painting sequence......helps avoid some of the tears.

Hope that helps.

Q

[wongataa]

21 hours ago, cmatthewbacon said:

Tamiya  cans are “hot” acrylic which will craze enamel as you’ve discovered.

Tamiya rattle cans are lacquer paints.

[cmatthewbacon]

14 minutes ago, wongataa said:

Tamiya rattle cans are lacquer paints.

Synthetic lacquer based on acrylic resin. That’s why I’m distinguishing between “hot acrylic” and “water/alcohol” based acrylic...

 

https://www.modelsport.co.uk/tamiya-ts-98-pure-orange-acrylic-spray/rc-car-products/408639
 

best,

M.

[Michael Morris]

Firstly, your kit probably isn't ruined.  Sure, your paintwork is ruined, but that can be fixed. Dipping the kit in IPA or Mister Muscle oven cleaner should strip all the paint, then you can start again.

As far as I can tell the things to watch out for are.

Let every different type of paint dry and  fully cure before applying the next layer.

If you are going to put a lacquer-based product over a water-based one, wait even longer and start with a mist coat and let that dry thoroughly before applying the next, thicker coat.

Don't put a really thick coat of a  lacquer-based product over water-based coat, even with a mist coat first.

Be wary when putting rattle-can products over water-based ones. 

 

As someone else said, get a 'mule' for trying out new techniques, tools, products and combinations of products.

 

 I hope this helps.