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Changing to Tamiya acrylic


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Hi,

I am currently a brush painter using Humbrol enamel, I have almost run out of almost all of my most commonly used colours and was thinking of going over to acrylics for convenience as much as anything else.

Questions, can I still use Halfords car primer as a base or will the acrylics not like this? Will I be able to use microset/soft and then later brush over with satin laquer as I currently do? Am I right in believing that I can just run the brushes out under the tap?

For some rarer colours (flesh, matt yellow etc etc) can I continue to use enamel until my stock is exhausted, or will this cause me many headaches?

Cheers.

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Hi, I'm sure you have read how difficult Tamiya acrylic is to brush paint. Not saying it cannot be done but really not worth the effort IMHO. Vallejo would be a far better choice. I used to use PollyS for brushing and apparently Xtracrylix is very similar so that may be another alternative. Lacquer coat would be too "hot" on top of acrylic, especially brushed on. Others may know more!

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Hi,

I am currently a brush painter using Humbrol enamel, I have almost run out of almost all of my most commonly used colours and was thinking of going over to acrylics for convenience as much as anything else.

Questions, can I still use Halfords car primer as a base or will the acrylics not like this? Will I be able to use microset/soft and then later brush over with satin laquer as I currently do? Am I right in believing that I can just run the brushes out under the tap?

For some rarer colours (flesh, matt yellow etc etc) can I continue to use enamel until my stock is exhausted, or will this cause me many headaches?

Cheers.

Hi, Tamiya acrylics work fine over Halfords primer. Did you meen you want to brush paint acrylics? Never tried myself, always sprayed them but have used enamel varnish, matt, satin etc as a top coat without any problem.

Edited by baldrick
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Hi, I'm sure you have read how difficult Tamiya acrylic is to brush paint. Not saying it cannot be done but really not worth the effort IMHO. Vallejo would be a far better choice. I used to use PollyS for brushing and apparently Xtracrylix is very similar so that may be another alternative. Lacquer coat would be too "hot" on top of acrylic, especially brushed on. Others may know more!

I agree, Tamiya acrylic is not easy to brush paint but once its dry and hard it will take a lacquer ok.

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can I still use Halfords car primer as a base... Yes.

Will I be able to use microset/soft and then later brush over with satin laquer as I currently do?... Yes.

Am I right in believing that I can just run the brushes out under the tap?... Yes.

For some rarer colours (flesh, matt yellow etc etc) can I continue to use enamel until my stock is exhausted, or will this cause me many headaches?... Just bear in mind the "General rule"... Enamel over Acrylic is OK, Acrylic over Enamel is usually not.

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Lifecolor acrylic paints are very good for brush and spray painting as long as you put thin coats on and allow to dry before the next coat, Halfords plastic primer works well with acrylics as long as you allow it a couple of days to cure and also give it a rub with a fine wet and dry to smooth it out

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Hi;

I use Vallejo acrylics almost all of the time, they are very good for brush painting and also airbrush use, Vallejo Model Air are purpose made for a/b use and can be a bit thin for brush painting, you might have to give 2 or 3 coats to cover, but you can brush paint with them, Vallejo Model Colour are used more for brush painting and if you want to a/b them they do need thinning down about 50/50 with thinners for a/b use, your brushes can be cleaned with just plain water, Vallejo also do very good varnishes, Matt, Satin and Gloss, they also do a Grey Primer which is very good for both brush and a/b use as it dries right back and doesn't hide details or if you've missed them, any faults or blemishes. HTH.

Pete.

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Tamiya acrylic will brush paint quite well, if you thin it with a bit of Klear or similar. I do it all the time. Also make sure you give the pot a good stir beforehand as it has a tendency to separate in the pot, so you need to remix it well before thinning and brushing.

cheers

Jonners

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Strange, i've been modelling for years now and always brush painted with Tamiya acrylics. Does a drop of thinners really make much of a difference? I find the vast majority of colours to be ok as is. Should i use the Tamiya own thinners or are alternatives available?

Simon

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Strange, i've been modelling for years now and always brush painted with Tamiya acrylics. Does a drop of thinners really make much of a difference? I find the vast majority of colours to be ok as is. Should i use the Tamiya own thinners or are alternatives available?

Simon

Hi Simon,

I usually use Tamiyas own, but I'm sure there are others that would do. It just makes the paint flow better.

Steve

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i tried brush painting with tamiya acrylics and they were b*&%$y aweful, no offecne to the chap who has managed it. I have always found enamels far easier to brush paint with due to the slower curing times means any brush strokes left in the paint will merge away, but thats just me. Im joining the dark side of airbrushes soon anyway, so i have to learn all over again lol.

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Enamels may well be easier, i've never tried them! The main plus point when i was younger was that the acrylics come out your clothes, enamels didnt!

Ok, i'll get some thinners later and try it, i'm guessing i just pour a small amount of thinner straight into the pot?

thanks guys

Simon

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As others have said, tamiya acrylics can be tricky to brush paint. Some do it, I do it using the same Klear trick used by Jon, however I still believe that anyone wo wants easy to brush paint colours should try vallejo and lifecolour paints. And maybe also xtracrylics.

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As others have said, tamiya acrylics can be tricky to brush paint. Some do it, I do it using the same Klear trick used by Jon, however I still believe that anyone wo wants easy to brush paint colours should try vallejo and lifecolour paints. And maybe also xtracrylics.

Have to agree that Vallejo and Lifecolour do brush very well, despite my post about brushing Tamiya thinned with Klear. I find Xtracrylix very "greasy' to brush, even when thinned a little, but am learning to airbrush with it and just about coping - though its not a patch on Tamiya and Gunze for airbrushing IMHO.

I guess its what you are used to! :)

Jonners

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Have to agree that Vallejo and Lifecolour do brush very well, despite my post about brushing Tamiya thinned with Klear. I find Xtracrylix very "greasy' to brush, even when thinned a little, but am learning to airbrush with it and just about coping - though its not a patch on Tamiya and Gunze for airbrushing IMHO.

I guess its what you are used to! :)

Jonners

Jon, as you already use klear to brush tamiya's, you will have no problem in adding a couple of drops to xtracrylics paints for airbrushing. This is something I do whenever I aibrush water thinned acrylics (vallejo, lifecolours, xtracrylics) and the klear seems to make them much smoother both for the airbrush and on the model surface.

Problem is what will I do when my supply of Klear will have dried up ???? :(

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