Acrylic paints - help for a complete novice please!

[Derek B]

Like Rich, also would like to thank you all for the advice - I have learned a lot gents! I can now see that that most acrylic paints will work well when thinned to between 30 and 40% with thinners and are sprayed at low pressure. Looks like I also need to buy lots of Tamiya acrylic thinner and a large tin of lacqer thinner.

 

Just a few more questions from me then:

 

a. Airbrush cleaning: I am aware that normal window cleaner (which contains ammonia) will soften and remove dried acrylic paints, but would this be the best recommended fluid for cleaning out the airbrush after use? (I am concerned about thinner solvents damageing the airbrush seals here).

 

b. Hand painting acrylic paint: I handn't considered this as much as I should have until Carl brought it up. I would like (and will most likely need to) detail paint by hand using acrylics, but my gut feeling here is that success in this fiels would depend largely upon finding the correct type of retarder/thinner for whichever type of acrylic paint you use (and I would be using differing types). In fact, until Kevin mentioned it, I had no idea that acrylic paint actually came in three differing types, so what is your experience of thinning and hand brusing with the differing acrylic paint types?

 

c. Xtracrylic paints: There was a caution about using certain types of thinner with this paint - which thinners work best in this case?

 

d. Priming plastic: It appears that some acrylic paints need a priming coat and others do not. The only acrylic paint I ever use on a regular basis at the moment is automative aerosol grey acrylic primer on all of my master patterns - would this be OK to use on normal models as a priming coat prior to other acrylic paint top coats?

 

Thank you all again for putting this old newbie back on the right track

 

Derek

Edited January 17, 2013 by Derek B

[smudger]

Hey Derek,

Heres what I do:

a. I initially blow clean water through before I then blowing 70% alcohol through the airbrush.I have an old toothbrush (I dip it in alcohol before using it)which I use to gently scrub the nozzle needle area with to remove any dried on paint. If I'm finished with the airbrush for a while I'll also pull the needle out & clean it with alcohol before adding a drop of lube & re-assembling. I use a Badger Crescendo 175 generally with an Air Pro tool PS900 for very fine work & have had no issues with seals at all.

b. I try to avoid hand painting acrylics apart from switchs, knobs etc etc although I have no issues dry brushing with Tamita acrylics.

c. Never used Xtracrylic's, not even sure if they are available here in Canada

d. I do not use primer & have never had any issues with lifting paint when masking but maybe I should try using a primer.

Happy modelling, Martin

[DrDave]

Have a look on Ebay. A few years ago I bought about 50 Tamiya pots of all colours, New big pots, for £80. People sell off job lots regularly. Xtracrylics are good. Very smooth. Not a fan of Vallejo. I thin with my airbrush company cleaner, which is isopropyl and water, or sometimes with cellulose thinners. That dries very quickly. Tamiya thins great with cellulose thinners. You can save money on thinners by getting them as spray tanning accesories on ebay. The cleaner is isopropyl and water with detergent.

I don't often undercoat, but mist on a thin layer first and future after for a tough finish.

Invest in a really cheap travel hairdryer too. A waft dries the pant in seconds and softens decals too.

[Zero77]

I didn't know there were different types...am guessing you can't mix those - ie paint one type over the other?

 

 

You can ! If the first coat is dry, there is not any problem, especially with applied with an airbrush.

And with a paintbrush, there is even less problem is you apply arcylic over enamel or enamel over acrylic because their solvents do not attack the other kind of paint, while applying acrylic over acrylic with a brush can sometime attack the first coat.

 

ie i am now weathering my model with oil paint (same thinner than enamel) over an acrylic camo, and there is definitely not any problem.

Edited January 17, 2013 by Zero77

[DrDave]

Derek I have used Tamiya thinned with cellulose thinners to brush paint small parts and to patch repair. Its thin and smooth and dries in a flash. Its too thick out of the pot, as is Humbrol.

 

Xtracrylix are smooth and thin but I found it congealed with cellulose thinners, so I use isopropyl.

 

Vallejo is thick and is thinned with a white goop a bit like Xtracrylics varnish. I have never got on with them. I treat Gunze exactly like Tamiya. They smell similar!

 

My Triplane is Tamiya flat brown with Cellulose thinners. I could handle it within 2 minutes.

 

Similarly, it is very easy to mix colours to make what you want, but mix only the same brand. I found Vallejo floats on Xtracrylix. Tamiya and Gunze mix alright.

[DrDave]

I clean the airbrush with premiair airbrush reamer at the end of a session. Its MEK or similar and dissolves everything, so I spray it thru till dry and then spray airbrush cleaner ( ispropyl/water/detergent) thru last and its always fine.

[DrDave]

https://airbrushes.com/index.php?cPath=30&osCsid=7aa45ae1281077b6717fbf8ce42384dc

 

has all the doings on it I use.

[Derek B]

Thank you Zero77 and Smudger - All very useful

 

Dave: Thank you also for your input(s), as this all adds up to my mental game of 'catch up'. I used to use 'brush wash' in my RAF model making days with the Exhinition Production Flight at RAF Henlow (I was a full time model maker for a couplr of years or so in the mid-80's) and I found it to be very similar to cellulose thinners, but not as hot - wonder if I can still get it? I would probably like to have a go at Xtracrylics, but I want to be certain of which type of thinner works, so cellulose thinners sounds like a good start.

 

Thanks

 

Derek

[BloorwestSiR]

For the Xtracrylics, I use their own brand of thinner. It comes in a fairly large bottle and Hannants shipped it to me (along with the paints) in Canada with no issues. It may thin with Tamiya's acrylic thinner but I haven't tried. I do know Tamiya lacquer thinner does not work with it. If you try,it ends up the consistency of sticky bread dough. Which is not fun to clean out of an airbrush.

 

Carl

 

[Derek B]

For the Xtracrylics, I use their own brand of thinner. It comes in a fairly large bottle and Hannants shipped it to me (along with the paints) in Canada with no issues. It may thin with Tamiya's acrylic thinner but I haven't tried. I do know Tamiya lacquer thinner does not work with it. If you try,it ends up the consistency of sticky bread dough. Which is not fun to clean out of an airbrush.

 

Carl

 

Thanks Carl - any idea what type of base thinner it is?

 

Cheers

 

Derek

[Guest Peterpools]

I try to keep it simple:

I run straight LC though the air brush between each color change and after painting. I also wipe clean the bowl with LC. I do not use pipe cleans as the fine lint has a way of working it's way into the needle and now it's take it apart and clean it time.

Hand painting with acrylics is easy, neat and clean and I even paint my figures with acrylics. Thinning is the key. When brush painting, I still like to paint on top of a primer. I thin the paint with water1:1 on a ceramic tile and lay the paint on in thin coats, as it dries in only a few second.If the paint is too think, just ad a drop or two more of paint. We are talking about very small amounts of paint being used at one time. For small areas: dab don't brush. And of course, when doing figures, good brushes are the key. I never use my figure brushes for model work.

The brand of paint isn't important, it's how you thin it and layer it on. Don't go for complete coverage in one pass, as it only makes a mess.

Hope this helps

[BloorwestSiR]

 

Thanks Carl - any idea what type of base thinner it is?

 

Cheers

 

Derek

Hi Derek,

 

I believe it is alcohol based.

 

Carl

[Derek B]

Hi Derek,

 

I believe it is alcohol based.

 

Carl

 

Peter: Thank you for the insight.

 

Carl: Thanks.

 

Cheers

 

Derek

[mhorina]

a. Airbrush cleaning: I am aware that normal window cleaner (which contains ammonia) will soften and rDerek
and remove dried acrylic paints, but would this be the best recommended fluid for cleaning out the airbrush after use? (I am concerned about thinner solvents damageing the airbrush seals here).


Derek

Hi Derek,
This is just my .02 cents worth. I would not use 'normal window cleaner (which contains ammonia)'my experience is that the seals will not be deteriorated ,however, it has some side effects. I use a Passche very old H airbrush, the metal color cup has shown a wearing away of the finish to the inside of the cup after I started to used the window cleaner with ammonia. It did not happen immediately but after several cleanings it was possible to see the erosion of the finish. I now flush the airbrush with plain water followed by a cleaning with lacquer thinner. I'm sure everyones mileage will very.
Mike Horina Edited January 17, 2013 by LSP_Kevin

[Zero77]

The rule is quite simple about thinners : for acrylics, it is generally alcohol based, or water based. Sometimes both works great. I actually use almost every time alcohol for airbrushing acrylic paint, and water to thin down for a brush use (this way my brush strokes would less dissolve any first coat of acrylic paint than if thinned with alcohol)

For enamel, i dont know the word in english. It is the same kind of thinner than white spirit or turpentine. It should not attack acrylic paint, and acrylic paint would never mix in such a thinner, like trying to mix oil in water.

 

I dont know exactly what cellulose thinner is, but if it is the same than cellulosic thinner ("diluant cellulosique" in french, sorry guys, dont know the exact translation, nor if it is exactly the same product), i find that way too agressive for painting plastic model kits. It litterally dissolve plastic. In addition, the smell is awful (and harmful). It is a laquer thinner for walls or metal paint.

There is some very good laquer thinners, dedicated to model painting, like Mr color thinner from gunze, or the tamiya laquer thinner. They do not attack plastic, they are great for thinning some kind of putty, and great for thinning laquer paints like gunze mr color.

I also use acetone, but only for cleaning my airbrush after airbrushing laquer primer, alclad or laquer paints. And never use it for thinning down paints. It is also agressive for plastic and harmful, a paint booth or a very well ventilated area is recommended.

Edited January 17, 2013 by Zero77