Vallejo ModelAir, many many questions.

[ChrisK89]

After building a few models for now i have to admit i got many problems with my Vallejo ModelAir paints.

 

For your better understanding what my problems are:

-I got a H&S Infinity with 0.15mm and 0.2mm nozzles

-Compressor is a Sil Air 20A

 

I never had any problems with spraying light coats over masked areas BUT the german mottling camo made me want to cry.

 

Overspray is way to much even with 1:1 or 1:2-3 paint to "thinner" ratios.

For thinning i tried everything what the world wide web recommended, window cleaner, Vallejo Thinner, Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner, distilled water, distilled water with W&N Flow Improver, Airbrush Cleaner with Flow Improver, Thinner and window cleaner with Flow Improver... but everytime im getting a dry tip after 1-3 seconds of spraying.

 

Pressure was adjusted from 2 bar (ca 29psi) down to 0,4bar (6psi).

Nothing really helped.

 

In words my problems are:

1.Tip dry after seconds even with flow improver, drying retarder and airbrush cleaner

2. Overspray like hell or spiderlegs

 

These problems are related to Vallejo ModelAir paints only, Tamiya, Mr. Paint or Mr Color/Mr Hobby ones are working great.

 

 

I hope you may have some tips for using Vallejo ModelAir? Maybe a proper dilution ratio which is working or should i buy another Airbrush (i've read that an Iwata HP-C+ is great for spraying modelling paints. 0.2 or 0.3 nozzle?)

or should i just get rid of the Vallejo paints and rebuy the tones from Gunze (i like the tones of the Vallejo Paints and hope i can keep using them)?

 

Cheers Chris

 

 

[Lud13]

Hello

 

I use lot of Vallejo colors with my bellowed Iwata. I don't have the problems like You, have them only with one color..matt black. All other colors work fine but the black is showing exactly the same symptoms as u described. Its very annoying I must say. I use 1:1 dilution and is ok with me. I have to ask what type of thinner u use, there are two kind the one that look like milk and the other is colorless. The milky one is and old formula and I used to have lot of trouble with that one...all gone (except for the cursed black) when I switched to new colorless formula.

 

Dejan

[Zero77]

I dont think you have to buy another airbrush as you have one of the best, especially to get very fine lines or mottles, with the 0.15 nozzle.

And as you said that you only have problems with the vallejo but not with tamiya or gunze paint, it seems that the problem come from the paint or thinning.

I cant help you a lot as i've never used the vallejo air, but i think it is airbrush ready, isn't it?

Are you sure that your nozzle is perfectly clean? I've already noticed that when it's been quite a longtime that i haven't made the "big cleaning" (i mean disassembly the airbrush and cleaning bright all the parts, especially the nozzle), it tends to clog way faster. Actually, when it is reasonably clean, it doesn't clog at all (Infinity with 0.15, or evolution with 0.2 or 0.4mm nozzle).

 

Maybe it is a common problem with water-based paints (i mean fully water-based, not compatible with alcohol), because i had quite a similar problem making test with lifecolor paint. But i have not investigate the problem a lot as i just wanted to try how it cover and how to thin it. But indeed, the nozzle was clogging a bit whereas i almost never did with alcohol based tamiya and gunze.

Anyway i will have to solve this as i have some italian aircraft to paint, with smoke ring and small dots schemes that need very fine lines or mottles (and this Lifecolor paint seems to be great except this little issue).

[ChrisK89]

@Lud13

I'm using the new Formula Airbrush Thinner (the colorless one)

 

@Zero77

Yeah, Vallejo ModelAir is airbrush ready but with my Infinity i'm only able to spray it non-thinned when pressure is above 14psi and only for coverage... mottle or fine lines are impossible (is there a trick maybe that i didnt know?)

And for your second question: I disassemble my airbrush after every use and clean it all the way. Nozzle, needle, Cup, etc.

 

 

Yesterday in the evening i did a few tests after Lud13's reply.. the dark colors like RLM22 (Black) or RLM81/82/83 seems to be way worse than brighter colors like RLM76/65 or even white.

It may depends on the Color itself?  I don't know why, but RLM 66 (a dark one too) seems to be okay.

 

0.2mm Nozzle/Needle is even better than the 0,15 mm ones.

 

Stupid Vallejo Color!

 

cheers Chris

[Cpt_Farrel]

I find they work good for detail work when thinned with their airbrush cleaner but I see that you've tried that already.

 

The only other thing I could think of is that I've heard it mentioned that some brands might react to certain cleaning products so make sure that the last thing you run through the airbrush when cleaning it is compatible with the paint you use.

 

I clean the airbrush with ammonia based windex but I always finish with a run of proper airbrush cleaner just to be sure.

 

For mottle there's nothing that works as well as gunze so if you're used to that, other colors might be very frustrating. Ask me how I know... :-)

 

Actually, the other night I tried thinning the new AK interactive luftwaffe colors with Windex and it worked just as well as Gunze.

[Mal_Belford]

Hi Chris.

 

 

Read your issues with Vallejo Model Air and can same the same issues you got, i hated them, nothing works....i thought...

 

Got about 30 Bottles of Model Air and 30 Bottles of Modelcolor, yeah....bought them in my early days...had only problems with them well i were also a beginner with a Airbrush so combine that with them colors....asking for problems.

So in a way learned fast what works and dont.

 

i dlituetd them with windows cleaner...No No...

Isoprop.. No No.

their own better.

 

What i found out works bestand they work very good now an i infact like them very much now (after aprox 2 yrs).

Is distilled water i a toothpick dipped in dishliquied to get rid of that surface tension.

 

it have to be very thin, many thin layers..

 

What i also discovered is that some colors got different pigmenst example black doesnt work at all same with white both Model Air and Model Color... adn some others...

also found that some of the Modelcolor colos (yes Modelcolor) is so nice to use i dont even need to dilute it...example their glossy red....weird i know...it had the right consistence..

 

Important as mentioned early the airbrush needle and nozzle needs to be very clean (slippery) so that the color dont pile up and clog o clog that flies on to the model and ruin job.

 

Note i use HS Infinity with 0,2 needle, 0,15 is far tho fine for the pigments, so i suggest that you try them colors and exlude them that don work, as for me Black and White......

 

I can show you two models that ive used Modelcolor...and ive used HS Infinity.....The P51 insignias, tail, Red/Blue/yellow and so on is Vallejo..Modelcolor and Air..

 

 

My FW 190 latest build, it is primed with Wallejos Neutral Grey, this one all the camo is Modelcolor and Air...the insignias is Vallejo...exept the black numbers and tailcross that is Tamiya..

 

So try to experiment with them ratios and so on....yes it is tricky....

 

 

/Mal

Edited July 27, 2014 by Mal_Belford

[ChrisK89]

Hey Mal,

 

thx for your answers and especially thx for showing very nice results with Vallejo Colors! Mine don't want to be kind to me and keeps driving me crazy.

 

this is my last attempt in mixing a working dilution ratio and this is how it ended:

note that the camo green dots are Gunze paint.. the black is Vallejo

 

Vallejo sprays well for coverage on masked surfaces for me, see here:

Both colors here are Vallejo ModelAir RLM 71 and 02.

 

I think i really have to use Gunze Color for german freehand mottling..

 

thx for heaving an ear guys.

 

 

cheers Chris

[DoogsATX]

I've played around with Vallejo quite a bit in the past, and personally my experiences broadly mirror your own. It's great for broad coverage, but try to go small and it's basically a game of "how many q-tips can I burn through clearing the tip dry". I think maybe environment has something to do with it? I work in my garage, so heat, cold and humidity can all play a role, and I wouldn't be surprised if these were impacting the paint's performance. 

 

Personally for delicate work like German mottle, I will only use Tamiya or Gunze. They're the only paints I trust to perform consistently in that kind of situation (fine shooting, heavily thinned, etc). 

[Eli Raphael]

I also gave up on the Spanish brand. Nothing worked for me.

I use Gunze and Tamiya all the time.

[Wouter]

Hi, I can confirm what others said. Vallejo is good for broad coverage, not for detail work. I have the same airbrush and I can get two or three good lines and then the paint starts to build up on the tip. So I bought some paints from MR. Paint. Have not been able to try those, but since the consistancy is like alclad I think it will do a lot better.