AK interactive washes

[daveoh]

Hi has anyone on here used AK interactive washes? I've read somewhere it should only be used on acrylics as it may react with enamel paint. Is this true. 

Any information on how you use them will me much appreciated.

Cheers 

Dave.

[denders]

The AK web site states that the Washes can be thinned with White Spirit or Odorless Turpentine. That would attack enamel paint. If you put a layer of acrylic gloss or semi-gloss on before the washes it will protect the paint. Most other brand's washes (Mig, Tamiya, etc.)  are also enamel paint based. The same if you just mix up some oil paints to use for washes.

[daveoh]

1 hour ago, denders said:

The AK web site states that the Washes can be thinned with White Spirit or Odorless Turpentine. That would attack enamel paint. If you put a layer of acrylic gloss or semi-gloss on before the washes it will protect the paint. Most other brand's washes (Mig, Tamiya, etc.)  are also enamel paint based. The same if you just mix up some oil paints to use for washes.

Now I'm puzzled, surely if it's enamel based it would be ok to put on enamel !  I've never had any problems spraying enamel paint thinned with white spirit on enamel paint.!  Why would it attack enamel paint as a wash. Please explain. 

[denders]

No. The acrylic makes a barrier so the white spirit won't affect the color coat.

 

If you're using a panel liner for example, the usual method of cleaning up around the panel lines is to use a brush or cotton bud slightly damp with white spirit to carefully clean up the surface next to the panel line. The wiping action could affect the original paint.

 

Some methods of using a wash include using that slightly dampened brush or cotton bud to make "adjustments" to the opacity of the washed area.

 

If you put down a layer of acrylic, it would be possible to gently remove the wash if you don't like it and start again.

 

Do a test, paint something with enamel paint, let it dry, paint half of the test with acrylic gloss, then dampen a brush or cotton bud with white spirit and wipe at both areas.

[quang]

55 minutes ago, daveoh said:

Now I'm puzzled, surely if it's enamel based it would be ok to put on enamel !  I've never had any problems spraying enamel paint thinned with white spirit on enamel paint.!  Why would it attack enamel paint as a wash. Please explain. 

The AK enamel wash is basically an enamel thinner with a minute amount of pigment added to colour it.
Putting enamel thinner on an enamel base coat would just attack your original paint coat and wash it away. 
 

That is why AK recommends an acrylic base coat to make sure that the enamel wash won’t attack the base coat.

Edited September 3, 2021 by quang

[daveoh]

On 9/3/2021 at 4:23 PM, quang said:

The AK enamel wash is basically an enamel thinner with a minute amount of pigment added to colour it.
Putting enamel thinner on an enamel base coat would just attack your original paint coat and wash it away. 
 

That is why AK recommends an acrylic base coat to make sure that the enamel wash won’t attack the base coat.

Ah now it makes sense. Thanks for explaining it well. As it happens I've used AK interactive washes on my enamel covered with Johnson's klear.  No problem. 

[Out2gtcha]

On 9/3/2021 at 10:23 AM, quang said:

The AK enamel wash is basically an enamel thinner with a minute amount of pigment added to colour it.
Putting enamel thinner on an enamel base coat would just attack your original paint coat and wash it away. 
 

That is why AK recommends an acrylic base coat to make sure that the enamel wash won’t attack the base coat.

 

28 minutes ago, daveoh said:

Ah now it makes sense. Thanks for explaining it well. As it happens I've used AK interactive washes on my enamel covered with Johnson's klear.  No problem. 

 

 

100%

 

I never was able to use the enamel AK style washes until I switched up to MRP Acrylic lacquer. The enamel washes work well over MRP and turned out it was a joy to use VS my old way of enamel paint and water/clay based washes.