Audi 90 quattro 20valve

[dr_gn]

Must admit I've never seen the attraction of using Halfords paints on plastic models. You might save some money over Tamiya, but invariably the results are worse. I'd consider them for a large model with limited surface detail, but for anything else...just use the proper stuff and be done with it.

[Red Firecracker]

Disagree, certainly as far as primer is concerned. It only need a mist, rather than a full on blast, and the rattle cans work perfectly well, even on the intricate louvers of the 1:43 stuff I do. I'd not use a rattle can for colour coats, on any scale, without changing the nozzle for a fine spray one though.

[dr_gn]

Red Firecracker said:

Disagree, certainly as far as primer is concerned. It only need a mist, rather than a full on blast, and the rattle cans work perfectly well, even on the intricate louvers of the 1:43 stuff I do. I'd not use a rattle can for colour coats, on any scale, without changing the nozzle for a fine spray one though.

I've built a few '80's era 1:43 white metal cars, and at least on those, the surface detail is pretty crude - much worse than an injection moulded plastic kit, same with the panel lines. I always used car primer and paint on those.

[Red Firecracker]

Modern resin 1:43 kits have some serious detail, plenty of undercuts, louvers, nooks and crannies etc.

[Yertis]

Having made the decision to bin it, but not being one to give up easily, I chucked it back in the brake fluid and went away for the weekend. Got back to find the "primer" had softened somewhat so after a half hours scrubbing with a toothbrush I'm now back where I was, so I'm now off to buy a decent compressor.

[Red Firecracker]

Try and get one with a storage tank, and definitely a water trap. I've downsized (or more accurately, started using again after the bog compressor broke) to one of these now;

[Yertis]

Red Firecracker said:

Try and get one with a storage tank, and definitely a water trap. I've downsized (or more accurately, started using again after the bog compressor broke) to one of these now;

Yes, that's exactly what I'll be going for. The one I've had since student days was a diaphragm type with a water trap, which was fine for retouching and artwork but did/does have a very slight pulse to the spray.

[Yertis]

Well this project is back in motion again, and I'll post up some pics later on. Quick question though – and I've googled around on this – does any one know whether Humbrol Clear needs to be diluted before spraying? It looks slightly syrupy to me but from memory thinning varnish makes it go matt – I appreciate this is based on experience with the old spirit/oil based varnish I was using when I last played this game in about 1980.

[dr_gn]

Yertis said:

Well this project is back in motion again, and I'll post up some pics later on. Quick question though – and I've googled around on this – does any one know whether Humbrol Clear needs to be diluted before spraying? It looks slightly syrupy to me but from memory thinning varnish makes it go matt – I appreciate this is based on experience with the old spirit/oil based varnish I was using when I last played this game in about 1980.

If it's a direct replacement for Klear, then it won't need thinning. Best thing to do is try it on some old parts.

[Yertis]

Thanks dr. I just found a youtube vid by Humbrol which says it can be airbrushed straight from the bottle, but I'll definitely be giving it a test first, not least because results over some paints (I've used Vallejo acrylics) are, according to "forum-lore", unpredictable.

As an aside it's lovely having an excuse to use the old airbrush again – I think I'm going to stick with the Aerographs because I know their every foible.