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... Specifically acrylic paint. I've loved using Tamiya acrylic's ever since I first used them ... They apply well and are time efficient on preparation ... and especially clean up!! However ... They have no "specific" RLM colours ... and this vexes me. Well, not really - but I've always gone picking out the colour of "best fit". Quite by accident (while online browsing today) I discovered that Mr.Hobby do an acrylic paint WITH specific RLM colours. Has anyone used both? ... the price looks comparable ... Are the RLM colours more or less accurate? How do they compare in use and finish? Rog

A couple of years ago I got back into the hobby after many years away. Like most returnees I grabbed a kit, some glue, an airbrush (Sparmax 3.5) and some Vallejo paint and proceeded to have fun. I've built about 10 kits 1/32, 1/35 and 1/48 so far. I've been trolling the web for technical tips and tricks all the way along, especially on airbrushing. Getting Vallejo Air to blow through my airbrush at a reasonably low pressure for laying on detail with any kind of consistency for more than 45 seconds is/was impossible. I tried all of the tricks that I read, thin to skim milk (what?) low pressure (6-8 psi) add flow aid, only use the manufacture's thinner, prime don't prime etc. As time has gone on I've experimented with Vallejo, AK, Italeri, and good old Tamiya. So far Tamiya has sprayed the best of the lot it doesn't tip dry as fast and it does seem to self level a bit. However, the whole time I thought the ultimate problem was the airbrush. I have abused it pretty badly using all kinds of chemicals to clean it. Paint thinner, straight ammonia, something called metholated spirits, and then all of the other normal manufacturer's thinners. Through poor handling I've bent the needle a little and over time I've pushed the needle too far and have opened up the nozzle wider that it ought to be etc. In spite of or maybe because of all my experimentation and persistence I'm not too bad at painting now. At this stage of its life my original airbrush was never going to get better so I broke down and bought a Harder & Steenbeck Evolution. The Evolution showed up a couple of days ago and I shot paint on a Tamiya ME-262 I'm building. I've always base coated in a dark color and painted thin and small over that layer to create effects. To do that I really thin the paint, lower the pressure and spray close. Well using Vallejo Model Air paint, their airbrush thinner and their flow improver and the new airbrush really didn't change anything. I get a few seconds of acceptable spray then nothing, wipe the tip blow it out repeat.... All of the same issues happen with the new airbrush. My next experiment is going to be Mission Model Paints based on what I've read...