Createx Pearlescent Airbrush Colors

[Reelyator]

Good morning Folks!

 

Createx has some nice Pearlescent Paints that i would like to use on some of my future Neon Genesis Evangelion Builds. When going through the first painting tests i had some challenges and therefore wanted to hear if anybody else here has  experience to share.

 

Color was prepared according to Createx instruction for Airbrush Colors considering their guidelinefor the painting of hard surfaces:

80% Paint

10% 4030 (Balancing Clear)

10% 4011 (Thinner)

>10 Minutes after mixing prior to processing

Mixture still looks pretty thick and viscous to me compared to other airbrush colors.

 

Paint was spayed with a Iwata Revolution HP-SAR with a 0,5 mm Nozzle wich should be well suitable according to Createx Datasheets.

 

With the above mentioned composition i had clogging within seconds of spraying. Increasing of pressure from ~1,5 to >2,0 bar did not help.

 

Vega 600 with a 1,0 mm Nozzle clogged just as fast as the 0,5 mm Nozzle.

 

I am well aware that the particles in Pearlescent paints can cause problems but this is still unusual. My first impression is that the paint must be dillute WAY thinner than the 5-10% reccommended by Createx. At LEAST 50% 4011 Thinner.

 

Feedbacl from any user with experience in this or comparable paints is welcome!

 

 

[bmwh548]

Isn't Createx designed mostly for car painters? If so, just add thinner to your liking. 

I had a conversation with my automotive paint supplier years ago when I tried switching to 2K clear, he told me not to add more than 10% thinner to the mix (which was nearly impossible to spray through my airbrush). Talking to him he said he was under the impression I was using a normal car painter's pistol (which has a 1.3 or similar nozzle). When I explained the airbrush nozzle is in the 0.4 range he told me I can add thinner to my liking and just keep an eye out for buildup so the clear wouldn't "run" on the vertical surfaces.

[Reelyator]

5 hours ago, bmwh548 said:

Isn't Createx designed mostly for car painters?...

...they offer a wide rage of Paints from Illustrations, Tatoo to Car Paints. It might well be, that Car Applications were their original Product Line.

 

I have feedback now from one of their Technical Supporters who recomendet to increase the thinner percentage up to 20% but not more then 25%. His Pressure recommendation was 3,5 bar wich sounds pretty high for me (......need to think how to avoid blowing my model Kits through the room...).

Edited April 6, 2021 by Reelyator
typo

[bmwh548]

I see. I would do a test mule using the paint thinned to my liking (disregarding his advice) and a pressure that's suitable for airbrushing. Worst case scenario you end up wasting a few paint drops.

[Reelyator]

Hi bmwh548!

Agree! This is what i will do.

 

@ROW:

Nobod else here who has already worked with this paint and wants to share his/her experineces??

[Reelyator]

After some experiments i found the followiing setting works best for me:

60% Paint

10% 4030 (Balancing Clear)

30% 4011 (Solvent)

 

This can be processes with a 0,8 mm Nozzle (Badger 200NH) at ~3 bar. Still the needle should be pulled back pretty far for a even spray pattern. And it is recomended to move the needle from time to time to avoid clogging.

 

Not the best setup for fine details but this is ok. Pearlescent Paints in most cases work best when applier evenly on larger surfaces.

 

Coverage and saturation is ok. Createx declares this paint to be semi-opak. Much depends on the colour of your primer. I found that most light to vital colour work best on a white primer. Only the VERY dark colours benefit from a black primer. .....you will in any case need more than one layer for a good coverage and saturation (2 to 3 layers).

 

White Primer:

Pearl-White, -Platinum, -Silver, -Gold, -Copper, -Pineapple, -Tangerine

 

Black Primer:

Pearl-Purple, -Black, -Blue

 

In Between:

Pearl-Lime and Lime Ice, -Plum

 

 

.....next steps will show, how well the paint works with Varnishes, weathering, handling etc.

 

Edited April 12, 2021 by Reelyator